HRP to ask for official states on immigration in Cambodia

2009-12-10
By Ayuthyea
Source: Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soksan
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Human Rights Party has written a second letter to Ministry of Interior, asking for statistics on the number of immigrants who have been naturalized as Cambodian citizens after observing there are a lot of Vietnamese immigrants are living illegally in Cambodia during the past decade.

In the second letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin dated on 4th December, Mr. Ou Chanrith, MP of HRP for Kandal, requested the Interior Ministry to provide statistics about the numbers of naturalized immigrants. He told RFA like this: "Our concerns as members of parliament as well as the concerns of the people is that we've seen a large flow of the numbers of illegal immigrants to Cambodia. As an MP, I write this letter to request the Interior Ministry as well as the government to explain who come to live in our country legally, meaning naturalized migrants. For our Khmer people who have entered other countries, they have been sent back to our country. But the Cambodian government never takes measures against those living illegally in Cambodia".

RFA could not reach Interior Minister Sar Kheng for comment. However, Gen. Khieu Sopheak, Interior Ministry spokesman, said he had not received the letter yet.

Mr. Ou Chanrith said HRP worries that the presence of large numbers of illegal immigrants will one day cause political turmoil in Cambodia. "In general, I myself as well as the general Khmer citizens know that the majority of illegal immigrants are Vietnamese living in Cambodia, they can pose a lot of issues that can bring dangers to Cambodia such as them taking jobs away from Khmer citizens and in the future can lead to the loss of territories as well if we do not take measures against those who are living illegally in Cambodia", he said.

Civil society as well as the opposition parties used to express the concerns about uncontrolled illegal Vietnamese immigrants to Cambodia. However, the government denied that concerns.

Also the concerns of opposition parties urge the government to take strong measures and create another ministry of immigration to control the immigrants living in Cambodia likely the government has cared less about.