Cambodia Passes Law Allowing Citizenship Revocation for Treason Convictions
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Cambodia’s parliament has approved a law that allows the government to strip citizenship from individuals convicted of treason, a move seen as part of an ongoing crackdown on opponents of the long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). The legislation, passed Monday with 120 of 125 votes in the CPP-dominated National Assembly, targets those found guilty of conspiring with foreign countries or plotting against Cambodian interests.
The measure comes amid intensified efforts to stifle political opposition following the 2017 Supreme Court ban of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) ahead of elections, after which more than 100 opposition figures have faced mass trials, with many convicted in absentia. Prominent dissidents, including CNRP co-founders Sam Rainsy and Mu Sochua, have fled the country to avoid arrest.
The CPP has faced widespread criticism from activists and Western nations, including the United States, over its suppression of opposition voices, though the government insists those jailed broke the law. Former Prime Minister and CPP President Hun Sen justified the new law by emphasizing the need to act against nationals who “side with foreign nations,” a statement widely interpreted as targeting exiled critics.
