; Whereas since the passage of that law, the Interior Ministry of Cambodia has announced that it was surveilling several civil society organizations and their employees for allegedly aiding Cambodia's main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP); Whereas the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, and other similar nongovernmental organizations that advance democracy and human rights have a long history in Cambodia and respect its unique cultural, historical, and religious differences when promoting policies, engaging local partners, and building capacity for civil society, democracy, and good governance; Whereas, on April 28, 2016, the Government of Cambodia arrested four senior staff members of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, as well as a former staff member and official on the National Election Committee, and held them in pre-trial detention for 427 days until they were released on bail in the wake of sustained international pressure; Whereas the Government of Cambodia arrested activist and women's rights defender Tep Vanny in August 2016 and has kept her in prison for over a year; Whereas the prominent Cambodian political commentator Kem Ley was assassinated on July 10, 2016, five days after a senior Cambodian general publicly called on the Cambodian Armed Forces to eliminate and dispose of anyone fomenting social turmoil in Cambodia; Whereas Kem Ley had been a frequent critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen, fueling concerns that his killing was politically motivated and ordered by higher authorities; Whereas, on August 23, 2017, Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of the National Democratic Institute and the expulsion of its foreign staff on allegations that it had violated the LANGO and was conspiring against Prime Minister Hun Sen