A senior police official said Wednesday that the nine Cambodian deportees scheduled to arrive today will be held at immigration police headquarters for between four to six weeks while police conduct checks to identify whether the detainees still have relatives living in Cambodia—a move that sparked criticism from human rights officials and legal experts.
During the detention period, the police will also brief the deportees on health and legal issues, and will monitor their conduct to identify potential security risks, the official said.
“Bearing in mind these returnees are ex-convicts, there are many considerations and many factors to take into account,” the official said. “They are our compatriots…but the security measures must not be compromised.”
Local authorities in the areas where the deportees will be sent also must plan for their relocation and will be asked to keep a close watch on their future behavior, the official said.
“There is absolutely no legal basis for the detention of the deportees,” said Heidi Lichteveld, a legal adviser with Legal Aid of Cambodia. “There is no law in Cambodia saying [the deportees] should be detained—they are Cambodian citizens.”
Naly Pilorge, director of Licadho, also questioned the legality of the proposed four- to six-week detention of the Cambodians.
“We asked the government the reasons for the detention—for the responsibility and sponsorships, and the monthly reporting [the deportees] must comply with, and the government’s response has been unclear,” Pilorge said.
Previously, the government has held groups of Cambodian deportees for between 12 days and one month.
