CAMBODIA AMENDS CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW CITIZENSHIP REVOCATION FOR ‘FOREIGN COLLUSION’
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Agency Report
Cambodian lawmakers on Friday unanimously approved a constitutional amendment that will allow the government to revoke the citizenship of individuals accused of colluding with foreign powers, sparking fears among rights groups of a new tool to suppress dissent.
The National Assembly’s 125 members including Prime Minister Hun Manet voted to revise Article 33 of the constitution. The clause previously guaranteed that “no Khmer citizen shall be deprived of their nationality, exiled, or extradited.” The amended wording now states that “receiving, losing and revoking Khmer nationality shall be determined by law.”
Justice Minister Koeut Rith explained that the change lays the groundwork for legislation permitting the government to strip the nationality of any Cambodian found to be acting against the state in collaboration with foreign entities.
“If you betray the nation, the nation will not keep you,” Rith told reporters, noting that a citizenship revocation bill would be presented to parliament soon.
The move has alarmed human rights advocates, who warn that such a law could be weaponized against opposition figures and critics of the government.
“This is a heinous violation of international law,” said Montse Ferrer, regional research director at Amnesty International. “We are deeply concerned that the Cambodian government, given the power to strip people of their citizenship, will misuse it to crack down on its critics and make them stateless.”
The amendment follows recent remarks by powerful former Prime Minister Hun Sen, father of the current premier, who in May called for constitutional changes to target Cambodians accused of siding with foreign countries during an ongoing border dispute with Thailand.
Cambodian authorities have a long history of targeting dissenters under vaguely worded national security laws. Dozens of opposition members and activists remain in jail or under legal scrutiny, with critics arguing that charges are often politically motivated.
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Opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison for treason in 2023 and has been under house arrest ever since a verdict widely condemned as a crackdown on democracy.
While some countries including 15 in the European Union allow citizenship revocation on grounds of treason or disloyalty, most restrict this to naturalized citizens and under stringent legal safeguards.
Responding to concerns over misuse, Minister Koeut Rith said critics would only face revocation if found guilty of treason. “If they do not commit any treason crimes or any act that harms the national interest, they are not subjected to citizenship revocation,” he stated, though he added they might still face other legal actions.
Despite international outcry, the Cambodian government insists the measure is necessary for national security. The new revocation law is expected to be tabled in the coming weeks.
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