Source: FN
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Sok Eysan said Sunday that the Royal Government of Cambodia continued to cooperate with the U.S in the search for remains of American soldiers based on humanitarian and human rights grounds, particularly the sentiments of victims’ families.
“Through the Royal Government’s gesture, it can be inferred who is better than who on the grounds of human right and humanitarian acts,” said Eysan.
The mission resumed at the request of Senator Doug Ericksen and Representative Vincent Buys of Washington State of the United States of America.
“I am pleased to receive your joint letter of 02 October 2018, expressing your appreciation of Cambodia’s ongoing socio-economic and democratic progress and your wish for the re-activation of the POW/MIA program in Cambodia,” according to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s letter dated on Friday.
“As we have discussed before and at your personal request as well as that made by other US Organizations, my Government, in the same compassionate spirit, agreed to resume this important POW/MIA field mission, regardless the United States visa restriction in place.” the letter added.
In September 2017, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced to suspend searching for remains of American soldiers in response to US’s B1 and B2 visa restrictions on Cambodian senior officials of ministry of foreign affairs.
The U.S also imposed visa sanctions against any Cambodian officials who harmed Cambodia’s democracy.
It is worth nothing that a total of 80 American soldiers had gone missing in Cambodia during the Vietnam War and that only 40 had been found so far.