Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni has officially signed into law a constitutional amendment that allows for the revocation of Cambodian citizenship by birth. The royal decree, authorising the use of the amendment to Article 33 of the Constitution, was signed on July 15 but made public only at the start of this week.
The amended Article 33 now states that Cambodian citizens cannot be exiled or extradited to any foreign country unless under a mutual agreement. It also stipulates that Cambodians residing abroad remain under the protection of the state. Provisions for acquiring, losing or revoking citizenship will be defined by law.
The legislative process to amend Article 33 moved swiftly. The National Assembly unanimously approved the draft on July 11, followed by the Senate on July 14, where it passed with 58 votes in favour out of 60 members. The King signed the amendment the next day, completing the process in just five days from the initial National Assembly approval. The entire process, starting from the proposal by Hun Sen on June 27, took only 19 days in total.
The amendment has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Um Sam An, a former lawmaker from the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, claimed on Facebook that Hun Sen’s aim is to replace ethnic Khmer blood with Vietnamese, asserting that the new law reflects a belief that only Vietnamese nationals would consistently support the Cambodian People’s Party in elections far into the future.
Um Sam An alleged that most ethnic Khmer voters would not support the ruling party, and he linked the citizenship revocation measure to a broader agenda, claiming it aligns with former Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh’s vision of expanding influence westward and establishing a future Indochinese federation.
In earlier remarks on July 14, Cambodian People’s Party leader Hun Sen responded to growing criticism by accusing unnamed Cambodians of plotting with Thailand to create a force to attack Cambodia. He described these individuals as traitors and said they were the primary targets of the new citizenship revocation law.
The amendment has sparked debate among legal experts and observers, who question the implications for civil rights, political dissent and national identity in Cambodia. While the government has framed the change as a matter of national security, critics warn that it could be used to target opposition voices and dissidents abroad.
