KKC deplores and seriously concerns about the denial of Khmer nationality identification cards to the 22 Khmer people of Kampuchea Krom

KKC Press Statement

The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community, KKC, deplores and seriously concerns about the denial of Khmer nationality identification cards to the 22 Khmer people of Kampuchea Krom, who were deported and handed by the Thai authorities to the Cambodian authorities recently.

The denial of Khmer nationality identification cards to the Khmer people by the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia is a severe violation of their rights as inscribed in the Constitution in section 33 and Nationality Law in sections 2, 3, and 4. This act contradicts the legal principle and the proclamation made by the RGC that recognizes the Khmer people of Kampuchea Krom as the legal Khmer citizens [of Cambodia]. This is not the first time that the present Royal Government of Cambodia has shown her negative stance on the Khmer Kampuchea Krom people.

In this case, if the Royal Government of Cambodia recognized the Khmer people of Kampuchea Krom as Khmer citizens as inscribed in the Constitution and Nationality Law as the RGC representative had claimed more than one times in the past, the Royal Government facilitates the nationality paper work for the Khmer people with no condition. Even though the Khmer people in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) living under the power of colonial Vietnam in the past several hundreds of years and Kampuchea Krom had been colonized by France, then transferred this land to the authorities of [another] colonial Vietnam to continue colonizing [the land and the Khmers] until today, the Khmer people living there had not and have not surrendered their Khmer nationality, citizenship and identity in betrayal of their ancestors even once. Even the authorities of Vietnam issue the identification cards to the Khmer people still recognize them as Khmers. All royal Khmer governments, except the authoritarian communist Khmer government, had and continue to facilitate and encourage the Khmer Kampuchea Krom people in all aspects of their need.

The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community appeals to the Royal Government of Cambodia to provide the legal nationality paper work to the Khmer people of Kampuchea Krom as inscribed in the Constitution and Nationality Law without condition.

Phnom Penh February 22, 2010
KKC President
[ Signed ]

Thach Setha