16. Vietnam does not recognise individuals from this population as citizens, although there are avenues
available for naturalisation for those who chose to relocate to Viet Nam.17
Lack of data as a barrier for addressing statelessness
17. It is important to note that one of the most significant challenges in understanding and responding to
the situation faced by ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia is the lack of data available on the size and profile
of this population, include the individuals in this population who are stateless or at risk of statelessness.
In terms of the ethnic Vietnamese population in Cambodia generally, the Government of Cambodia has
not published any statistics apart from a reference to 72,775 individuals whose “mother tongue” is
Vietnamese in its 2010 report to the CERD Committee.18 In contradiction, the Cambodian National
Institute of Statistics’ Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey 201319 estimates ethnic Vietnamese at 0.1 per
cent of the population in 2013 (14,678).Independent researchers estimate the population at between
400,00020 and 700,000.21 MIRO estimates the population to be greater than 700,000.
18. In terms of the number of ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia that are stateless there have been estimates
that this community consists of tens and maybe hundreds of thousands of individuals who are affected.22
19. In two separate studies that considered statelessness among ethnic Vietnamese in Kampong-Chhnang
province, researchers estimated that 90 per cent did not have birth certificates and/or identity cards.23
Although not all undocumented persons are stateless, the risk of statelessness is far greater amongst
undocumented persons particularly when they belong to contested minorities that face significant
discrimination.
20. Lack of data with respect to this population significantly impedes much needed debate and advocacy by
national, regional and international actors and efforts to address the issue.
Recent confiscation of documentation held by Ethnic-Vietnamese
21. In 2013, the Cambodian Government established an immigrant census, predominately targeted at ethnic
Vietnamese populations. After this census, thousands of individuals who were deemed to be ‘illegal
immigrants’ were deported from the country to Vietnam. The Ministry of Interior reported the following
numbers of Vietnamese deported from Cambodia to Vietnam: 1,059 in 2014, 6,265 in 2015, 2,453 in
2016, and 1,880 in 2017.24
22. Parallel to the 2013 immigrant census, another registration process was carried out, again targeting
ethnic Vietnamese populations, and which provided immigration documents – specifically permanent
https//:jrscambodia.org/publication/boat_without_anchors_jrs.pdf
CERD/C/KHM/Q/8-13
19 https//:www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiS1cOUqcvTAhVGQI8KHUfAQMQFgglMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nis.gov.kh%2Fnis%2FCSES%2FFinal%2520Report%2520CSES%25202013.pdf&usg=AFQjCN
GX26YMQGeCxBQ_m3lnJTgG5CSlfw&sig2=gcpU0KXbzI5dF2WD0D30Vw
20 http//:webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:oq4qhj9Qg8J:www.institutesi.org/WP2015_04.pdf+&cd=56&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=th
21 http//:www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-racism-idUSBREA3R1CN20140429
22 The NGO MIRO puts the estimated number at around 700,000 individuals. See also Minority Rights Group (MRG) profile of the group
at http://minorityrights.org/minorities/ethnic-vietnamese
23 https//:jrscambodia.org/publication/boat_without_anchors_jrs.pdf;
http//:mirocambodia.org/download/MIRO's%20Stateless%20Vietnamese%20Report%202014.pdf
24
Khy S. (2017), ‘Deportations of Vietnamese Dropped Last Year’, Cambodia Daily, 23, available at
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/deportations-vietnamese-dropped-last-year-123878/
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