Cambodian Lawmakers Approve Controversial Citizenship Revocation Bill
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s National Assembly has unanimously approved a new bill that would allow authorities to revoke the citizenship of individuals deemed disloyal to the nation. All 120 lawmakers present, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted in favor of the legislation during Monday’s session.
Rights groups have sharply criticized the move, warning it could be used as a tool to silence dissent. A coalition of 50 organizations said the law “will have a disastrously chilling effect on the freedom of speech of all Cambodian citizens,” cautioning that its vague wording leaves too much room for abuse.
“The government has many powers, but it should not have the power to arbitrarily decide who is and is not Cambodian,” the groups said in their joint statement.
Although the bill still requires approval from the Senate and the head of state, both steps are widely seen as formalities.
Justice Minister Koeut Rith defended the measure, saying, “If you betray the nation, the nation will not keep you.”
The change follows a constitutional amendment passed last month, which altered the guarantee of unconditional citizenship by stating that “receiving, losing, and revoking Khmer nationality shall be determined by law.”
Rights monitors, including Amnesty International, condemned the legislation as a violation of international law. Amnesty’s regional director Montse Ferrer said it reflects Cambodia’s continued erosion of judicial independence, allowing the government to “persecute opposition leaders, activists and independent journalists without check.”
In recent years, dozens of opposition figures have been jailed or entangled in legal cases. Prominent opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison for treason in 2023 — charges he denies — and has since been held under house arrest.
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