Dear Senator (name and address of senator):

We are writing to request your support for the Senate Resolution 309 co-sponsored by Chairmen Jesse Helms and Mitch McConnell to put Cambodian strongman and notorious killer Hun Sen and his associates on War Criminal List. SR 309 followed the adoption of House Resolution 533 introduced by the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher and co-sponsored by Chairmen Gilman and Salomon.

We strongly believe that the rule of law must also apply to Cambodia despite the collusion of many interests including the King, opposition leaders, the Ambassadors from Canada, France, Japan and the United States to suppress it and to impose a fait accompli. It is not WCC ıs responsibility to speak for other nation ambassadorsı behavior because their own people should address that issue for themselves. However, it is our responsibility as citizens of this great country to point out that it is not acceptable that the United States Ambassador in Phnom Penh has been constantly defying the expression of concern of the Congress of the United States on the tragic situation in Cambodia. The US Ambassador continues to support Hun Sen and to press for his acceptance by the international community (Attachment 1 ­ Statement of the US Embassy in Phnom Penh on the possible adoption of the House Resolution 533) despite the fact that more than 100 extrajudicial killings of members of the opposition parties were reported after the 1997 coup led by Hun Sen. These atrocities are well documented and widely publicized by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Cambodia.

During last monthıs hearing on Cambodia at the Senate Sub-committee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, IRI President Lorne Craner (Attachment 2) and WCC Chairman Professor Naranhkiri Tith of the Johns Hopkins University, SAIS (Attachment 3) clearly described the continued and systematic efforts by Hun Sen and his CPP to rig the elections in their favor. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the European International Crisis Group (ICG), the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections (AMFREL) and all objective observers who were part of the monitoring team, including American members also shared those views. The undemocratic and obstructive policy of Hun Sen was well captured in a recent article in the Phnom Penh Post by Mr. Martin Collacot, former Canadian Ambassador to Cambodia and the leader of the Canadian team of observers to the last election in Cambodia (Attachment 4).

At a testimony at their Parliament in Canberra on 8/24/98, two former senior United Nations Transitory Authority on Cambodia (UNTAC), Force Commander Lieutenant General John Sanderson and Senior Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Michael Maley, both from Australia further emphasized the deliberated tactics and heavy handed approach of Hun Sen and his CPP before, during and after the election. Both senior UNTAC spoke from their personal and exclusive experience in dealing with Hun Sen and his CPP from 1991 to 1993 and their observation on recent developments (Attachment 5).

We hope that the above mentioned evidence is sufficient to support the noble efforts by both Chairman Helms and McConnell in sponsoring Senate Resolution 309 in support of House Resolution 533 that was just adopted by the House of Representatives. Your vote for that resolution will send a strong message to the Cambodian and peace loving people that their fight for freedom and justice is being heard and supported by both the representatives of the American People. It will also send a clear message to all dictators in Asia and around the world that the United States will not tolerate bullies anywhere and will hunt them down wherever they go.

Sincerely yours,

Signed:
Prof. Naranhkiri Tith, WCC Chairman of the Board
Mr. Fred Taing, WCC Vice Chairman of the Board
Mr. PekThov Tan, President of WCC Executive Committee

CC: The Honorable Jesse Helms
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
The Honorable Benjamin Gilman
The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher

Notes: All attachments are in WCCPD website: www.wccpd.org