US says Cambodia elections were not free or fair, imposes visa bans

The US State Department said the recent general elections in Cambodia, in which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (‘CPP’) declared a landslide victory, were ‘neither free nor fair,’ and that Washington is imposing visas restrictions ‘on individuals who undermined democracy’ and is pausing some foreign assistance programs to the country.

‘The United States is troubled that the July 23 Cambodian national elections were neither free nor fair,’ said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.

‘In response, the United States has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on individuals who undermined democracy and implemented a pause of certain foreign assistance programs,’ he told reporters.

Miller did not name the individuals targeted by the visa bans, saying ‘we make public that we have designated officials, but we do not make the names public as a matter of policy.’