"We have nothing": Ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia face statelessness and discrimination

PHNOM PENH — For generations, ethnic Vietnamese families have lived in Cambodia. Yet many lack citizenship, land rights, and legal protection. “Sometimes they say that we came to take their land,” one community member said. “But how can we do that? We don’t have anything here.” Without official status, these residents cannot vote, own property, or access public services. They remain stateless in the country they call home. Local rights groups say discrimination is widespread, fueled by historical tensions and nationalist rhetoric. Efforts to resolve the issue have stalled. Cambodia’s government has not introduced new measures to grant citizenship to long-term ethnic Vietnamese residents. Meanwhile, the community continues to face daily uncertainty.