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3w ago

Cambodia Parliament Amends Constitution to Permit Citizenship Revocation

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party says the change is needed to curb foreign interference in domestic affairs.

Doves fly near the Cambodian flag in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on May 3, 2023. - The 2023 Southeast Asian Games will be held from May 5 to 17 in Cambodia. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Hun Sen (left) speaks to his son Hun Manet during a ceremony marking the 74th founding anniversary of the Cambodian People’s Party in Phnom Penh in June

Overview

  • The National Assembly unanimously passed an amendment on July 11 updating Article 33 to allow revocation of Khmer nationality by law.
  • Justice Minister Koeut Rith said a draft law will soon define collusion with foreign powers as grounds for stripping citizenship.
  • Amnesty International and rights groups condemned the amendment as violating international law and warned it could leave critics stateless.
  • The amendment builds on former leader Hun Sen’s late-June call to strip nationality from citizens deemed disloyal to the state.
  • Analysts warn the CPP’s entrenched control over the judiciary and past prosecutions of opposition figures point to potential misuse of the new powers.