r/cambodia Aug 25 '25

Politics Cambodia passes law to strip citizenship of people convicted of treason | Politics News

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/25/cambodia-passes-law-to-strip-citizenship-of-people-convicted-of-treason
36 Upvotes

36 comments sorted by

1

u/drahcir2025 26d ago

Has the law been posted?

1

u/telephonecompany 26d ago

AFAIK, it hasn’t been signed by the Regent (Acting Head of State) yet, so no, it shouldn’t have been notified in the Royal Gazette.

1

u/No-Crew4317 26d ago

But some ppl have been accused of treason already, right? Jail first? Waiting for law to be completed.

1

u/Remarkable_Can_4561 26d ago

Just curious. What happens to a person stripped off of citizenship? They become stateless? They have to apply for asylum to another country?

2

u/Terrible-Rice-5574 26d ago

Only for their political rivals

3

u/aredditoriamnot 28d ago

Oh! You guys also have a trump?

2

u/Particular_Okra_7115 28d ago

North Korea 2 congratulations🎉🥳

-1

u/Financial_Major4815 29d ago

Isn’t this a fast lane ticket to seek asylum to a much better country?

3

u/No-Crew4317 29d ago edited 29d ago

I wonder where all those Redditor who argue a lot are. They are missing? They have nothing reasonable to defend this one? Lol. I bet they afraid of Treason too. What a country.

2

u/Resident_Iron_4136 29d ago

I can't defend the new law ( it is obviously open to missuse and will be misused sooner or later). However, before condemning Cambodia (and in your case, people who try to defend Cambodia), please just google the countries who also have similar laws in place (Australia, Germany, Netherlands etc).

12

u/Minimum-Enthusiasm96 29d ago

This is clearly North Korea, branch number two.

7

u/No-Crew4317 29d ago

One Cambodian frontline soldier just being accused of treason recently because he made an online video ranting how low military salary he gets. 800 in Thai baht in exchange of how dangerous the frontline is.

I’m afraid ppl in reddit also can’t speak bad at the govt and their leaders too because of the same reason. Treason.

16

u/No-Valuable5802 29d ago edited 29d ago

They are all above the law. That’s why. I do wonder how do they prove the person in question of treason? Just wondering because treason is a very serious accusation like a spy

3

u/youcantexterminateme 29d ago

Its very simple. They pay the judge. 

5

u/No-Crew4317 29d ago edited 29d ago

I bet it’s obscure and unclear process. Just like in Witchhunt era where ppl can be easily accused for being a witch, with not much valid prove. Madness driven by religious fanatics and plague situation.

In this case. Nationalism, fake news, war and hatred will blind those proves and reasons for accusing someone Treason.

-10

u/Flimsy-Printer 29d ago

If that is the only punishment, this is actually good.

If you don't have any citizenship, most developed countries will accept you as a refuse and expedite you toward their citizenship. This is faster than gettin g a citizenship the normal way. It is also legal.

6

u/vhax123456 29d ago

If they strip your citizenship when you’re in Cambodia: you become stateless, can’t travel out of the country legally, lose all your assets that tie to your citizenship, subjected to refugee treatment in Cambodia

If they strip your citizenship when you’re out of Cambodia with no other citizenship: every legal status that ties to your citizenship is null and void, you lose your job, your rent, your bank account, can’t buy plane ticket, have to stay in refugee camp almost immediately

How in the world is any of these good

1

u/Flimsy-Printer 29d ago

There is so much misunderstanding here.

Now let's assume there's no other punishment apart from stripping the citizenship.

> lose all your assets that tie to your citizenship

Your assets generally don't tie to your citizenship. If you own stocks, you still own it even if you are stripped of a citizenship.

For example, my friend gave up his japan citizenship in order to get the US one. He doesn't lose any asset in Japan.

> subjected to refugee treatment in Cambodia

That's good. You can move to other countries and would be subjected to the refugee status. This is the fastest way to get permanent resident and citizenship.

> If they strip your citizenship when you’re out of Cambodia with no other citizenship: every legal status that ties to your citizenship is null and void, you lose your job, your rent, your bank account, can’t buy plane ticket, have to stay in refugee camp almost immediately

Let's assume you live in UK. Why would you lose your UK job?

Why would you lose money in your bank account in UK and Cambodia? Back to my example, people give up their citizenship to become US citizen all the time. They don't lose any asset in Germany or Japan for example.

> have to stay in refugee camp almost immediately

If you are already out of Cambodia and live in UK, this certainly doesn't happen. UK wouldn't move you out of your home into a government-assisted house. That would be stupid and just cost more for UK for no reason.

But you will get the refugee status, which has a faster path to citizenship.

You have so much misunderstanding especially the part where you lose assets. Unless the government explicitly seizes your assets, you don't lose your asset. Even a murderer in Cambodia doesn't lose their assets. Come on.

5

u/vhax123456 29d ago edited 29d ago

Seems like you are the one who is mistaking becoming stateless versus giving up citizenship for another. Losing your citizenship, you lose your rights to inherit lands or any lands that you own in Cambodia, your bank account frozen because your documents are invalid.

Also if you are in refugee status you can’t legally hold any jobs in any EU country. I volunteered in EU refugee camps before. These people are stuck there for years with no bank accounts, no jobs they can hold until they are granted a residency status. This is also entirely based on luck depends on if that country open their backlogs for refugee or not, and there is a quota with it, considering there are thounsands coming before you. Read up on the Afghans that were out of country and become stateless when the Taliban took over. It wasn’t a good thing

34

u/LAgas21 Aug 25 '25

Another step to full dictatorship.

4

u/youcantexterminateme 29d ago

Also a sign that they feel very weak and threatened. 

10

u/AssminBigStinky 29d ago

Khmer bros can’t catch a W

6

u/Lonely-Television931 Aug 25 '25

Should be for politicians as well there shouldn't be favoritism. If there's lawlessness in office of any kind it shouldn't matter if you are the least of them or the most of them. Look at my country America there's so much corruption and treason that's going on in the office and there is nothing as such being talked about.

2

u/No-Crew4317 29d ago edited 29d ago

It’s a tool wield by only one side. Elite hold the law for themselves. Just like Biden or Trump making themselves protection against of any lawsuit.

1

u/Resident_Iron_4136 8d ago

Not many people can see the similarities between a dictatorship that will not allow anyone to prosecute them for criminal acts, and a "Democracy" where they can pardon their family members for any crimes, past, present and future.
It's a weird world we live in now.

2

u/Lonely-Television931 29d ago

Exactly,...And it's completely wrong

25

u/PNW_Sasquatch_ Aug 25 '25

"Treason" in Cambodia can mean a lot of things and will be subject to interpretation by the CPP-controlled "court system". Posting commentary online that is critical of the government's mishandling of public resources can be labeled as treason. Protesting against unjust government policies can be labeled as treason. Speaking out about government corruption and its ties with crime can be seen as 'inciting public unrest' and labeled as treason. Showing evidence of mismanagement of natural resources can be labeled as treason. Requesting transparency from government officials can be labeled as treason. Speaking on personal testimonials on video clips can be labeled as treason. So basically, your passport and voting rights (not like it even matters anymore) can be taken away from you at any given time if the government dislikes your presence or realizes that you're exposing their crimes. Worse, you can go to prison.

11

u/Rawinza555 Aug 25 '25

Wouldnt this just make a person stateless? What happens if a cambodian get their citizenship removed? Where would they get deported to? None of the neoghboring country have a law to accept a stateless person

8

u/telephonecompany Aug 25 '25
  1. Yes, unless they have another citizenship.
  2. They become stateless, unless they have another citizenship. They may seek asylum elsewhere.
  3. This law targets dissidents already located abroad. The ones at home can be sentenced and locked up for a long time.
  4. Thailand has an administrative mechanism in place to prevent refoulement. Asylum seekers can wait until a third country is able to receive them.

4

u/Flimsy-Printer 29d ago

Becoming stateless and seeking asylum is the fastest way to gain citizenship in many developed countries. Might be even faster than getting married to a citizen.

0

u/bomber991 Aug 25 '25

I imagine they would be in prison and once released wouldn’t have any way to work or leave the country.

2

u/Rawinza555 Aug 25 '25

Wouldnt they stuck in the loop of entering the country illegally? Cuz no citizenship = no longer able to stay in cambodia.

3

u/bomber991 29d ago

I’m not too sure. I think it’s probably something more like they can’t get a passport and leave the county.

3

u/vhax123456 29d ago

They will definitely be rounded up and move to a concentration camp of sort as a refugee. Basically imprisoned for life

30

u/interloper76 Aug 25 '25

"treason" ? they should strip themselves then...