A recent vote by lawmakers has changed the country’s constitution. This change could let the government strip citizenship from people accused of working with foreign powers. Human rights groups are very worried. They fear this new rule might silence anyone who criticizes the government. For many years, rights groups have said the government uses strict laws to control opposition and peaceful disagreement.
On Friday, all 125 members of the parliament, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted for the change. It was a unanimous decision. The constitution used to say: “No Khmer citizen shall be deprived of his or her nationality, expelled, or extradited to any foreign country, except by mutual agreement.” Now, it will read: “The acquisition, loss, and revocation of Khmer nationality shall be determined by law.” This simple wording change opens a big door for new powers.
Justice Minister Koy Rith spoke to reporters about the change. He explained that this revised constitution will allow new laws to be made. These laws would permit taking away citizenship from those who “conspire with foreign powers to go against the state.” He put it plainly: “If someone betrays the nation, the nation will not keep them.” He also confirmed that a draft law to remove citizenship will be presented to parliament very soon.
Human rights activists are deeply concerned. They believe this new law will become a political weapon. It could target opponents and anyone speaking out against the government. Amnesty International released a statement on Friday. They called taking away citizenship a “serious violation of international law.” Montse Ferrer, who directs regional research for Amnesty, shared their worries. She said, “We are very concerned that if the Cambodian government has the power to revoke citizenship, it will use that power to crack down on critics and make them stateless.”
It is true that some countries in Europe allow citizenship to be taken away for reasons like treason or disloyalty. This is possible in 15 European Union member states. However, in eight of these countries, this power is limited. It only applies to people who became citizens later in life, not those born into citizenship.
This constitutional change comes after a strong push from former Prime Minister Hun Sen. He is the father of the current Prime Minister, Hun Manet. Hun Sen had called for this constitutional amendment. He wanted it to allow citizenship to be taken from citizens who “side with foreign nations and harm their own country.” His demand came after opposition groups living abroad criticized the government. Their criticism was about a border dispute.
Despite the worries from human rights groups, Justice Minister Koy Rith tried to reassure the public. He stated that good people would not lose their citizenship if they did not commit treason or harm national interests. But he added a chilling note: even if not stripped of citizenship, they “might face other charges instead.” In recent years, the government has prosecuted and jailed many opposition activists. One example is Kem Sokha, a key opposition leader. In 2023, a court sentenced him to 27 years in prison for treason. He was put under house arrest right after the verdict. He has always said the charges were false.
Source: channelnewsasia