Overview: Cambodia's political leadership has demonstrated a strong commitment to taking legal action against terrorists and, since the passage in 2007 of separate laws on terrorism and terrorist financing, the Government of Cambodia has remained committed to strengthening its counterterrorism capability through training and international cooperation.

Legislation and Law Enforcement: In September, the Cambodian National Counterterrorism Committee (NCTC) took delivery of an Emergency Communication Vehicle system, which strengthens response capabilities by enabling communications in the event of failed power and telecommunications systems. Cambodia continued to process travelers on entry and departure at two international airports and three land border sites with the U.S.-provided Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES).

Regional and International Cooperation: In June, Cambodia became the fourth ASEAN member state to ratify the ASEAN Convention on Counterterrorism. In July, Cambodia hosted a large-scale multinational peacekeeping exercise as part of the U.S.-UN 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative. In September, the NCTC hosted the Pacific Area Sector Working Group with representatives from the partner nations of ASEAN. The workshop provided a forum for increasing cooperation on counterterrorism, disaster management, and information sharing in a multilateral, interagency environment.

In July, Cambodian authorities arrested two Thai nationals and returned them to Thailand, where they faced criminal charges for their alleged role in detonating a grenade outside the headquarters office of a political party. Cambodian officials pointed to the arrests and repatriation, which took place despite then-fractious ties between Cambodia and Thailand, as an indicator of Cambodia's commitment to cross-border cooperation on terrorism.

Countering Terrorist Finance: While the Cambodian government made some progress in strengthening its counterterrorist finance regime, it is subject to prima facie review by the Financial Action Task Force's International Cooperation Review Group for apparent deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counterterrorist finance regime. The Financial Intelligence Unit, which operates within the framework of the National Bank of Cambodia, conducted on-site examinations of banks and financial institutions to gauge their implementation of measures designed to counter terrorist financing and money laundering.

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