Sok Hieng* is concerned about a government census of foreigners that some observers believe will focus primarily on those of Vietnamese descent.
“I am afraid that I will be forced to leave Cambodia because I do not have ID yet,” said Hieng, a 33-year-old construction worker who was born in Phnom Penh to Vietnamese parents. “When I go to Vietnam, they consider me Cambodian; I am in the middle between Cambodian and Vietnamese.”
The government effort to take a more precise count of foreigners living in Cambodia could be the first step in developing a clearer policy regarding undocumented Vietnamese in the Kingdom seeking to be recognised as citizens, said Ang Chanrith of Minority Rights Organization (MIRO).
Sok Phal, head of the Ministry of Interior’s immigration department, yesterday declined to answer questions about the data gathering, except to say that it is not yet complete.
Children born in Cambodia to Vietnamese parents are not given birth certificates or family books. In addition, a convoluted citizenship application process that requires everything from language tests to the King’s signature makes it difficult for those people to obtain citizenship, Chanarith said.
“What we are concerned with is how can the Vietnamese live in Cambodia legally, when the authorities in each province never issue family books?” Chanarith asked. “It’s not the [ethnic] Vietnamese fault, it is the government’s fault.”
Hieng said he did not attend school as a child, partially because schools require the birth certificate he lacked. As an adult, he has been turned down when applying for citizenship because after living in a predominantly Vietnamese community for years, his Khmer isn’t clear enough, he added.
But Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker Yim Sovann said census data should be used to stem illegal immigration. “At least we will know how many illegal immigrants are here in Cambodia, where they are and what they are doing here,” he said, adding that illegal Vietnamese immigration damages Cambodia’s society, economy and security.
*Name changed to protect identity.
9 comments:
Many illegal Vietnamese migrants get IDs and family book, even voting cards, but why this guy, who said he was born in Cambodia, can't get any documents, including a birth certificate. I don't believe it!
We must fight hard to keep this Cambodia another Kampuchea Krom. We will become Champa if we lost this present Cambodia.
Talk to the French and you will learn that Vietnamese immigrants imported into Cambodia back in the day and their children born in Cambodia were not granted Khmer citizenship at all. In addition it is a lie to say that a Vietnamese born of Vietnamese parents are not considered Vietnamese. Lie, lie, lie! There are many cases of mixed people who were born from Vietnamese/Khmer parentage. Look at that mixed girl who represented Vietnam in the Miss Universe Competition. She is part Khmer and part Vietnamese but was considered Viet in Vietnam. There are known cases of mixed Khmer/Viet people who went to Vietnam to claim their Vietnamese passports while they choose to reside in Cambodia still. Vietnam never abandons their own Vietnamese people. So the illegal Vietnamese in Cambodia must go back to their developed great country.
29 August 2014 2:00 am
OK Gunzet.
I believe every sovereign
country in the world has every rights.
1.To know who are living here in their country.
2. How many legal and illegal immigrants.
3. What they are doing in their country. Most immigrants just wanted a better life for their family but some had a bad intentions. It's a matter of national security especially in our part of the world. We had lost vast amounts of Cambodia territories thru out centuries. Kampuchea Krom, Koh Tral isls and sea areas, land border areas, Surine provinces.
4. Also in today world terrorism are always in the mind of many TRUE INDEPENDENT GOVT. except CPP.
5. Native Cambodian must not become minority in their own country like Kampuchea Krom or Surine provinces in Thailand. It's not a matter of racist but national cultures existence for future generations to come.
6. Cambodia had fought many wars with her neighbors in the past and she needed to who here and what are their intentions. Its might just financial interest but we still needed to know.
7. It's also to prevent illegal Vietnamese and others from voting for CPP just because CPP are more lenience to them. They are not legal to vote. Most countries in the world will not allow illegal immigrants to vote.
8. It's also benefits the legal and illegal immigrants to obtain all documents they needed. Vietnamese and others immigrants needed to have the same rights as Khmer but they also needed to help contributed to Cambodia not their native Vietnam. Don't bite the hand that feed you.
9. I believed that many legal & illegal Vietnamese are here for financial benefits for their families not political gains, their governments had a different motives. Many Viets had contributed to Cambodia greatly. I myself had some Vietnamese blood too my grand mother on my dad side half Vietnamese. Had many Vietnamese friends. My father was a full colonel PM in the Lon Nol's army, he served Cambodia loyal until Khmer Rough executed him with thousands other FANK army. CNRP must kept an eye on CPP general running this census. Trusts but verified.
As you see, Cambodia is now leaning toward USA too. This confirms my prediction that Cambodia will chose the Vietnam-Japan-USA camp. China will be slowly strangled by Vietnam-Japan-USA, India, Australia, Philippines and the Western Powers.
You folks should read the news, last month Australia openly declared siding with Japan and caused some bitter and nasty war of words with China.
Just watch next month, India will openly side with Japan. China viciously sneak-attacked and took so much land from India in 1962. Thousand of Indian troops were killed in battles by overwhelming Chinese infiltration units. One Indian Prime Minister (Neru) lost his job because of this disaster.
I read thousands of books and hundred thousands of articles. My knowledge easily exceed the entire Khmer folks.
-Drgunzet-
"Many Viets had contributed to Cambodia greatly." Please explain! How I ask you! The Viets refuse to become or be with Khmer. I tell you. The Viets in Cambodia are seeking "genocide" against their dead. The Chinese, the Chams and the Khmer suffered the same way but non chose to claim genocide, only the Viets chose to do that. The Khmer are more or less mixed people. Look at Hun Sen's children. They are all Khmer-Chinese, but they only consider themselves Khmer. How many known Khmer-Viets that help Cambodia, I ask you?
I still remember the USA-CHINA-ASEAN camp isolating the Vietnam bully back in the days. Down with Vietnam for all eternity!
3:33 pm Dirt Drgunzet,
The Khmer people consider the enemy of Vietnam as our friends !!!!
"Got it ? Get it ? Good !! "
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