[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5349 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5349
To provide that Cambodia's debt to the United States may not be reduced
or forgiven, and textile and apparel articles that are the product of
Cambodia and imported into the United States may not be extended duty
free treatment.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2010
Mr. Delahunt (for himself and Mr. Rohrabacher) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in
addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide that Cambodia's debt to the United States may not be reduced
or forgiven, and textile and apparel articles that are the product of
Cambodia and imported into the United States may not be extended duty
free treatment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cambodian Trade Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States Department of State has recognized
and documented repeated human rights abuses of the Uighur
people by the Government of the People's Republic of China.
(2) The United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom has recognized and documented the repeated human rights
abuses of the Uighur people by the Government of the People's
Republic of China.
(3) The House of Representatives has and continues to
recognize that the authorities in the People's Republic of
China have manipulated the strategic objectives of the
international ``war on terror'' to increase their cultural and
religious oppression of the Uighur people.
(4) In early July 2009, ethnic unrest developed in the
Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, resulting in the
unfortunate death of both Han Chinese and Uighurs.
(5) In the aftermath of this unrest, authorities in the
People's Republic of China allegedly detained hundreds of
Uighurs and, according to Human Rights Watch, 43 Uighur men
have disappeared.
(6) Following the ethnic unrest, the People's Republic of
China arrested a number of Uighurs and Han Chinese and charged
21 individuals with murder, arson, robbery, and property
damage.
(7) Human Rights Watch found the trials of the 21
individuals did not meet minimum international standards of due
process and fair trials. Despite this, the Government of the
People's Republic of China handed down death sentences, and 9
of the individuals were executed in November 2009.
(8) In late November and early December 2009, 22 Uighurs,
including 3 children, fled China to Cambodia to seek refugee
status. There the Uighurs worked with the United Nations High
Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) and the Cambodian Government
to follow international refugee law and convention.
(9) The Government of Cambodia made assurances to UNHCR
that the 22 Uighurs could follow UNHCR procedures so refugee
status could be determined before repatriation to China.
(10) Despite assurances and agreements with UNHCR, the
Government of Cambodia sent the 20 Uighur refugees back to
China before a refugee determination could be made. Two of the
refugees were able to escape Cambodian custody before
deportation.
(11) Before their deportation, the Uighur refugees told
UNHCR that they had fears of imprisonment, torture, and death
in China.
(12) Since arriving in China, media reports suggest that
the 20 Uighurs may have been put on trial. No further
information about the Uighurs, including the children, has been
made available.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to--
(1) support and encourage countries that comply with
international conventions, agreements, and understandings;
(2) support and encourage countries that respect human
rights and the protection of refugee populations;
(3) assist refugees and minority populations seeking asylum
and protection from oppressive governments and regimes; and
(4) support and encourage countries that value and protect
minority populations seeking asylum and protection from
oppressive governments and regimes.
SEC. 4. LOAN FORGIVENESS.
Notwithstanding part V of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(relating to debt reduction for developing countries with tropical
forests; 22 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.) or any other provision of law
providing for the reduction or forgiveness of the debt of a foreign
country, the United States may not reduce or forgive any debt owed by
Cambodia to the United States.
SEC. 5. TREATMENT OF TEXTILE AND APPAREL ARTICLES OF CAMBODIA.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding title V of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.) or any other provision of law providing duty
free treatment, no textile or apparel article that is the product of
Cambodia may be extended duty-free treatment when entered into the
customs territory of the United States.
(b) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``textile or apparel
article'' means--
(1) any apparel article classified under any chapter of
section XII of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States;
(2) any textiles classified under any such chapter from
which apparel articles can be produced; and
(3) any footwear article classified under chapter 64 of
such Schedule.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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