Minority Rights Organisation (MIRO), Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA), Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI), Statelessness Network Asia Pacific (SNAP) and Minority Rights Group International (MRG) Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review Cambodia Introduction 1. Minority Rights Organisation (MIRO),1 Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA),2 Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI), 3 Statelessness Network Asia Pacific (SNAP)4 and Minority Rights Group International (MRG)5 make this joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in relation to discrimination, statelessness and related human rights challenges in Cambodia. 2. This submission considers the discrimination faced by the ethnic Vietnamese and Khmer Krom communities in Cambodia and how such discrimination is linked to these communities experiences of statelessness in Cambodia. More specifically, the submission includes: 1 Minority Rights Organisation (MIRO) launched its operations in 2014, after its founding in 2012 and legal registration with the Ministry of Interior on 28 January 2013. MIRO’s mission is to promote and protect minority rights. Since its launch, MIRO has contributed greatly to improving human rights/minority rights and to ensuring minority communities are protected in Cambodia, especially among the Khmer Krom and long-term ethnic Vietnamese community. MIRO commits to achieving its Vision and Mission through the following action: 1). promoting understanding and respect for rights (minority rights), and empowering political participation and gender equality of minority women; 2). monitoring, investigating and providing legal services on human rights/minority rights violations and discrimination; 3). Influence and advocacy for human rights. 4). education program for statelessness children. http://mirocambodia.org/ 2 Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA) was established in 1995 and officially recognized by the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Interior dated 27 February 1996. KKKHRDA is an independent, unexploited, nonprofitable, and non-governmental agency. It was initially created by the groups of people with genuine willingness and national spirit who support human rights, democracy, and rule of law with a vision, Khmer Kampuchea Krom people legal living with the respects of basic rights and freedom, decent livelihoods, dignity, progress, and harmony. 3 The Institute (www.institutesi.org) is an independent non-profit organisation committed to an integrated, human rights based response to the injustice of statelessness and exclusion through a combination of research, education, partnerships and advocacy. Established in August 2014, it is the first and only global centre committed to promoting the human rights of stateless persons and ending statelessness. The Institute has made over 30 country specific UPR submissions on the human rights of stateless persons, and also compiled summaries of the key human rights challenges related to statelessness in all countries under review under the 23rd to the 30th UPR Sessions. For more information on the Institute’s UPR advocacy, see http://www.statelessnessandhumanrights.org/upruniversal-periodic-review/resources-database. 4 SNAP (https://www.statelessnessnetworkasiapacific.org/) is a civil society network with the goal of promoting collaboration and information sharing on addressing statelessness in Asia and the Pacific. SNAP is driven by a diverse membership and through direct engagement and contribution from its members and stakeholders, particularly formerly stateless persons, stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness. 5 Minority Rights Group International works to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities worldwide, and to promote cooperation and understanding between communities. MRG works with over 150 organizations in over 50 countries. 2