AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH CAMBODIAN FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 001990 DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2013 TAGS: PREL PTER CB SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH CAMBODIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HOR NAMHONG REF: A. STATE 329077 ¶B. PHNOM PENH 1969 Classified By: Ambassador Charles A. Ray. Reason: 1.4 (b) (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. The Ambassador briefed Foreign Minister Hor Namhong December 1 on his recent meetings in Washington and California. The Ambassador addressed concerns the Foreign Minister had expressed about the activities of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, explaining that the case remained open. He told the FM that Washington officials appreciated Cambodia's actions and cooperation in a number of areas, most notably counter-terrorism, but also anti-trafficking and the linkage of labor rights and trade. He stressed the need for judicial reform and his commitment to moving the process forward. On the current political situation, the Ambassador urged the government to continue to engage in peaceful, Constitutional dialogue to break the deadlock over formation of a new government. End summary. ¶2. (C) On December 1, the Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong to brief him on his recent meetings in the U.S. and to provide a response to the Minister's questions regarding the FBI's investigation into the activities of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) (reftels). On the CFF, the Ambassador emphasized that the investigation was not by any means closed and that Washington had convened an interagency meeting in October to discuss the CFF and similar cases. He said that we would continue to ensure that the CFF case was not overlooked, but the Minister should understand that in the post 9/11 environment the Department of Justice and FBI had higher priorities. Hor Namhong thanked the Ambassador for the prompt response, observing that Cambodia was an open society, that nothing prevented citizens from organizing a legitimate political party to further their political goals, and that there was no reason to resort to armed force. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador told Namhong that there were a number of areas in which Washington officials appreciated Cambodia's actions, most notably the RGC's cooperation in the war on terrorism. He added that many in the U.S. Congress have concerns about working with the Cambodian government, but they recognized the areas of mutual interest and the need to cooperate. We were looking for ways to enhance this cooperation. ¶4. (C) Noting that the problem of human trafficking was one of the President's highest priorities, the Ambassador told the Foreign Minister that several senior Department officials praised Cambodia's anti-trafficking efforts. They similarly praised the RGC's cooperation in returning accused pedophiles to the U.S. for prosecution. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador commented that judicial reform in Cambodia has lagged and we believed there was a critical need to move judicial reform forward and to create mechanisms for conflict resolution so as to instill implicit trust among Cambodian citizens. Influential American legislators agreed with this assessment, he said. The Ambassador told the FM that a group of judges and legal scholars would be visiting from California in January and he hoped to get them involved in assessing the state of the legal system and judicial reform process. Hor Namhong commented that Cambodia also needs teachers for the new School of Judges and Prosecutors. ¶6. (C) Washington officials also praised Cambodia's creation of linkage between labor rights and trade, the Ambassador added. He pointed out that while much needed to be done, Cambodia could serve as a model for others in this area. ¶7. (C) On the current political situation, the Ambassador related to Hor Namhong that there was concern among some in Washington about the delay in forming a new government and potential for violence. He urged the government to continue to engage in peaceful, Constitutional dialogue to resolve the deadlock. ¶8. (C) In response to the FM's question about the feelings and attitudes of the Cambodian-American communities with which he met in San Francisco and Long Beach, the Ambassador said that he found the communities to be divided on political issues with allegiance to the parties very strong. However, the younger generation appeared to be less polarized, he said. Nevertheless, the issues that most interested the Cambodian-Americans he met were the deportation of Cambodian nationals and why immigrant visas were not issued in Phnom Penh. ¶9. (C) Hor Namhong expressed concern that the vote in Taiwan approving the holding of a referendum on independence held the potential for endangering regional peace and stability. Lastly, he mentioned to the Ambassador that the Indonesian government had contacted the Cambodians regarding the details of our Article 98 Agreement. RAY