of 18 were not yet eligible for permanent
resident cards. While these numbers may
not capture all ethnic Vietnamese or those
of Vietnamese origin living in Cambodia,
at the minimum they provide an estimate
of the numbers of those not recognised as
Cambodian nationals, including among
Source
Year
long-term resident populations. These
figures also indicate that the number of
stateless persons in Cambodia may well
be higher than the current 75,000 recorded
in UNHCR statistics, as the majority will
be of Vietnamese origin.
Criteria
Number of Number of
Families Individuals
CERD/C/292/Add.2/Par.20*
1997
‘National group’
CERD/C/KMH/Q/8-13/Add.1
2008
‘Mother tongue’
A/HRC/39/73/Add.2
2018
‘Vietnamese (foreigner)’
General Population Census
2019
‘Mother tongue’
78,090
Ministry of Interior
2020
‘PRC holders’
89,471
Cambodia
Socio-Economic Survey 2021
2022
‘Ethnicity’
47,252
4.2. Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom (literally, the lower
Khmer people) are the indigenous, ethnic
Khmer minority in today’s Vietnam,
mostly living in the Mekong delta region.65
Historically, this region has been referred
to as Kampuchea Krom (meaning lower
Cambodia). While Khmer Krom are
ethnically and linguistically Khmer, they
also have their own traditions. Over the
course of modern history, Khmer Krom
have migrated to Cambodia for economic,
17,099
98,590
72,775
48,675
180,690
political and cultural reasons, especially
during periods when their freedom in
Vietnam was more restricted. Their distinct
culture – sometimes also distinct names and
accents – combined with the fact that they
come from Vietnam make many authorities
suspicious of their origin. It is unclear how
many individuals who identify as Khmer
Krom are nowadays living in Cambodia.
In 2010, the government reported 82,000
Khmer Krom living in Cambodia, while
Khmer Krom associations in the country
frequently claim figures of one million and
more.66
65 See Taylor, Philip (2014) The Khmer Lands of Vietnam: Environment, Cosmology and Sovereignty, Singapore
and Copenhagen: NUS and NIAS Press.
66 Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ‘Written Replies by the Kingdom of Cambodia
concerning List of Issues’, UN Doc CERD/C/KHM/Q/8-13/Add.1 (17 February 2010) 2.
19