Cambodian parents.71 Many Khmer Krom are also denied registration for births and marriages without the identification cards, resulting in the creation of a generation of people who lack documentation. Indeed, Khmer Krom who have documents that state their place of birth as being in Vietnam belong to those most struggling to access proof of Cambodian citizenship, as they frequently do not fulfil the formal requirements.72 Civil society organisations have also documented numerous instances where Khmer Krom were forced to change their place of birth (from Vietnam to Cambodia) or even their name prior to the issuance of legal documentation.73 There is no legal basis for this practice, which was also picked up by the CERD.74 It is also frequently not sufficient if Khmer Krom can produce Vietnamese identification documents that show their ethnicity as being Khmer. The lack of proof of Cambodian citizenship inhibits affected Khmer Krom from accessing many political, economic and social rights enjoyed by ordinary Cambodian citizens, also considering how crucial a national ID card has become for accessing these rights in practice.75 This will be further discussed in the impact section below. That said, many or most of the Khmer Krom who have no proof of Cambodian nationality may not in fact be stateless, given the Cambodian government’s inprinciple recognition of their Cambodian nationality, and the fact that numerous among them may also hold either valid or expired proof of Vietnamese nationality. Greater flexibility in the administrative requirements for accessing proof of nationality or other legal identities is necessary to account for the particularities of this group. However, relatively little is known about individuals who are repeatedly, and over extended periods of time denied proof of Cambodian nationality and also hold no Vietnamese nationality or proof thereof. These individuals may find themselves at greater risk of statelessness, more so if their noncitizen status is also inherited by their children. The current lack of data and research makes it difficult to determine how many Khmer Krom individuals are affected by long-term denial of proof of Cambodian citizenship. 4.3. Refugees & forced migrants Cambodia is one of the few signatories of the 1951 Refugee Convention in the region. Yet, it only harbours a comparatively 72 CCHR, ACT & KKKHRA 2017, 16-17. 73 CCHR, ACT & KKKHRA 2017, 5 & 10; and MIRO 2013, 6-7. 74 Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Concluding observations on the combined fourteenth to seventeenth reports of Cambodia, UN doc CERD/C/KHM/CO/14-17 (30 January 2020), para. 26. 75 CCHR, ACT & KKKHRA 2017; RWI Scoping Study 2023; and MIRO 2013. 21