Community Briefing Series: Preparing for the U.S.–EU Roundtable on Cambodia

Over the past discussions, the Khmer community came together to examine the most urgent issues facing Cambodia—political repression, sovereignty, economic leverage, and transnational repression. This virtual session will distill those conversations into clear priorities that can be carried forward into international policymaking spaces.

On October 15, a virtual high-level joint U.S.–EU Roundtable on Cambodia will convene to address urgent developments that reflect decades-long patterns of repression and sovereignty erosion. Building on the March 2025 U.S. State Department Roundtable and the successful “19 Brands Initiative,” the October session will focus on two escalating threats actively enabled by the Hun Manet and Hun Sen regime:

• The erosion of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including recent developments on the Thai-Cambodian border; and

• The intensifying cross-border targeting of dissidents, including political assassinations such as the case of Lim Kimya, and the forced return of exiled dissidents and refugees from countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

This community session is designed to refine the voice of the Khmer community and ensure that it is represented in this international roundtable. Together, we will connect grassroots perspectives to policy advocacy, so that U.S. and EU partners hear not only analysis but also a unified message from the community.