Ouch Borith, Secretary of State of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talks to reporters.By Khmerization
Source: RFA
Cambodian communities across America have called on the Cambodian government to review the immigration agreements with the United States in an attempt to stop the forced repatriation of Cambodian immigrants who had committed felonies and crimes back to Cambodia.
Mr. Seng David, a representative of the United Communities Southeast Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, said his organisation had sent a letter of request to Prime Minister Hun Sen via the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, asking the Cambodian government to review and renegotiate the repatriation agreements with the United States government. "(We) have sent the letter to Mr. Ouch Borith and the Cambodian Embassy in Washington. They have received the letter and promised to review all the cases and documents that I sent to them and they will take them to Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen for him to review the agreements about the repatriation of Cambodian immigrants from the United States", he said.
Ambssador Hem Heng said he had received Mr. Seng David's request and promised to forward them to Prime Minister Hun Sen, but could not say what Mr. Hun Sen's decision will be. "I have sent the letter to Phnom Penh because they sent it to Samdech (Hun Sen). I don't have any opinion (regarding the matter), I just wait for the government's considerations and decisions. His Excellency Ouch Borith has asked me to send the request to (Mr. Hun Sen), but I don't have any opinion about it. I don't know. If the government thinks that it (the repatriation agreement) causes Cambodia to lose benefits, then it can be amended. But I depend on the decision of the government", he said.
In 2002, the United States and Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the repatriation of Cambodian immigrants who had been convicted of crimes back to Cambodia. Up to now, 236 Cambodian immigrants had been repatriated already and 1,264 have been locked up in immigration centres waiting to be repatriated.
Mr. Leak Nissay, expert on immigration laws from Massachussetts, said he supports Mr. Seng David's initiatives. "I am of the same view that Prime Minister Hun Sen must renegotiate with the U.S Embassy or the U.S State Department to review the agreements. They cannot continue like this forever because it is wrong. This is about the recurring sufferings of the Khmer people. It (repatriation) did not happen to the majority of the people, but it is a big portion (of the Cambodian immigrant population). It causes us who live around these people to suffer as well", he said.
Mr. Travis Packer, policy assistant to the Immigration Policy Centre, said to effect the immigration policy change, people must write to their congressmen and senators to take up the issue in the U.S Congress and Senate. He said in order to change this repatriation policy, the proposal requires the support of at least 50 senator.
Mr. Packer argued that the repatriation policy should be based on compassionate grounds with leniency shown towards people who had jobs, wife and children living permanently in the United States.
Source: RFA
Cambodian communities across America have called on the Cambodian government to review the immigration agreements with the United States in an attempt to stop the forced repatriation of Cambodian immigrants who had committed felonies and crimes back to Cambodia.
Mr. Seng David, a representative of the United Communities Southeast Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, said his organisation had sent a letter of request to Prime Minister Hun Sen via the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, asking the Cambodian government to review and renegotiate the repatriation agreements with the United States government. "(We) have sent the letter to Mr. Ouch Borith and the Cambodian Embassy in Washington. They have received the letter and promised to review all the cases and documents that I sent to them and they will take them to Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen for him to review the agreements about the repatriation of Cambodian immigrants from the United States", he said.
Ambssador Hem Heng said he had received Mr. Seng David's request and promised to forward them to Prime Minister Hun Sen, but could not say what Mr. Hun Sen's decision will be. "I have sent the letter to Phnom Penh because they sent it to Samdech (Hun Sen). I don't have any opinion (regarding the matter), I just wait for the government's considerations and decisions. His Excellency Ouch Borith has asked me to send the request to (Mr. Hun Sen), but I don't have any opinion about it. I don't know. If the government thinks that it (the repatriation agreement) causes Cambodia to lose benefits, then it can be amended. But I depend on the decision of the government", he said.
In 2002, the United States and Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the repatriation of Cambodian immigrants who had been convicted of crimes back to Cambodia. Up to now, 236 Cambodian immigrants had been repatriated already and 1,264 have been locked up in immigration centres waiting to be repatriated.
Mr. Leak Nissay, expert on immigration laws from Massachussetts, said he supports Mr. Seng David's initiatives. "I am of the same view that Prime Minister Hun Sen must renegotiate with the U.S Embassy or the U.S State Department to review the agreements. They cannot continue like this forever because it is wrong. This is about the recurring sufferings of the Khmer people. It (repatriation) did not happen to the majority of the people, but it is a big portion (of the Cambodian immigrant population). It causes us who live around these people to suffer as well", he said.
Mr. Travis Packer, policy assistant to the Immigration Policy Centre, said to effect the immigration policy change, people must write to their congressmen and senators to take up the issue in the U.S Congress and Senate. He said in order to change this repatriation policy, the proposal requires the support of at least 50 senator.
Mr. Packer argued that the repatriation policy should be based on compassionate grounds with leniency shown towards people who had jobs, wife and children living permanently in the United States.
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