Click on the letter to zoom inCongress of the United States
Washington, DC 20515
September 15,2009Ms. Carol A. Rodley
Ambassador
Kingdom of Cambodia
c/o Department of State
Dear Ambassador Rodley:
We write today to ask the assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh in ensuring that three Cambodian individuals who recently traveled to the United States to speak at a congressional hearing do not come under any pressure from the government of Cambodia.
As you may know, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing on Thursday, September 10, on human rights and the rule of law in Cambodia. We were fortunate to have the following individuals travel from Cambodia to share with us firsthand accounts of the current situation: Mu Sochua, member of Parliament; Pung Kek, founder of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, and Moeun Tola, head of the labor program at the Community Legal and Education Center.
The U.S. Embassy should represent an island of freedom in a country such as Cambodia where dissidents and human rights defenders often face threats and discrimination by the government and government-controlled security forces. Such is the case with Mu Sochua who was stripped of her Parliamentary immunity and sued for defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen.
We ask that the embassy monitor the fate of these individuals upon their return to Cambodia and keep members of Congress informed.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
James P. Moran
Member of Congress
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