The Cambodia Daily
03rd-7-2025

Rights observers are sounding the alarm over a proposed constitutional amendment in Cambodia that would allow the government to revoke Khmer citizenship from its own nationals. They are warning that such a move could amount to what they describe as “modern-day ethnic cleansing.”

Speaking to The Cambodia Daily, Men Nath, head of the Cambodian Watchdog Council [International], called the plan a “dissolution of the Khmer nation.” He said no other country in the world applies such laws to its own people, adding that “even animals protect their species,” while educated human beings in positions of power should not be orchestrating the removal of their own citizens’ national identity.

Men Nath further accused the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of giving citizenship and housing to Vietnamese nationals who allegedly entered the country illegally, while simultaneously seeking to erase the citizenship of native-born Cambodians.

He warned that such a policy risks drawing the country into dangerous territory. Even under the Khmer Rouge regime, he said, Pol Pot never revoked the citizenship of Hun Sen, who defected from the regime and sought Vietnamese assistance to overthrow it. For that reason, he claimed, the Hun Sen government may be more oppressive than the genocidal regime it helped replace.

“This law contradicts natural law, international law, and the founding spirit of Cambodia’s own constitution,” Men Nath said. “If you pass a law that strips people of their citizenship, then every Khmer citizen is left with incomplete status, even those who wrote the law themselves.”

The controversy stems from a July 2 announcement by Cambodia’s Constitutional Council confirming that it would be legally possible to amend Article 33 of the Constitution. The proposed revision would pave the way for authorities to revoke the citizenship of Cambodian nationals deemed to have acted against national interests.

This follows a proposal by Hun Sen, now president of the Senate, who earlier called on the Ministry of Justice to explore legal options to strip citizenship from Cambodians accused of colluding with Thailand amid ongoing border tensions.

Rights groups have pointed out that the proposal stands in direct conflict with international norms. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to a nationality” and that “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”

Cambodia’s own constitution, in its current form, states clearly in Article 33 that “a Khmer citizen shall not be deprived of his or her nationality.”

Legal experts and human rights advocates warn that amending this article could have far-reaching consequences for civil liberties, national identity, and social cohesion in Cambodia.

The proposed law is expected to be a focal point of political and legal debate in the weeks ahead.