US Republicans call for cut in aid to Cambodia

US Republicans are calling on Washington to cut off aid to Cambodia if Prime Minister Hun Sen returns to power at this month's election.

The chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs sub-committee on East Asia, Steve Chabot, says he has no doubt Hun Sen will win through the incitement of political violence, corruption and nepotism.

The US threat comes with polling less than two weeks away and with the news that exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy has been granted a royal pardon.

Leading democrat on the Foreign Affairs sub-committee, American Samoa's Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, has told Radio Australia's Connect Asiasingling out Cambodia would be the wrong thing to do to a country that the US has failed so miserably.

"To me it's counterproductive, they'll go somewhere else," Mr Hunkin said.

"This is not the way to build friendships and Cambodia is not the only country that has human rights issues.

"Both Republican and democratic administrations have been very inconsistent. One administration comes in, it'll wipe out all the efforts made by the previous administration," he said.

Mr Hunkin says the US needs to understand the countries it provides aid to.

"We keep pointing fingers and just make demands of these countries to become like democracies that we are used to among the Western nations," he said.

"I think we need to understand and appreciate that some people have no idea what democracy is all about.

"If you're really committed to the cause, go back to Cambodia (instead of) being on the side and poking fun and always making charges and criticisms about what has happened in the country."