Some see need for immigration reform after killing of Vietnamese man

From Voice of America

WASHINGTON DC — At least some political analysts and rights workers say the recent mob killing of a Vietnamese man should be a call to the government to reform its immigration policies.

Ethnic Vietnamese sell fish on the sidewalk of Prek Pnoa’s morning fish market on the outskirt of Phnom Penh, file photo from Voice of America.

The death of Nguyen Van Chyen, 28, in a traffic accident brawl in February, followed an escalation of anti-Vietnamese rhetoric by leaders of Cambodia’s political opposition and has underscored an underlying problem of racism in Cambodia.

But there are some who say immigration reform could dampen anti-Vietnamese sentiment that has been present in Cambodia ever since Vietnamese troops ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and began a decade-long occupation of the country.

Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst, says proper legalization of immigrants, especially those from Vietnam, could help. “Because today we only know that they come illegally,” she said.

Am Sam Ath, technical superviser for the rights group Licadho, told VOA Khmer that mutual compromises between the two cultures has been difficult and led to “individual discrimination—not racism.”

“In order to prevent problems, I think Cambodia has to strengthen law enforcement, especially in immigration law and laws on nationality,” he said. In order to be naturalized as a Cambodian, a foreigner should be required to learn the Khmer language and understand Cambodia’s culture, he said.

As for the word “yuon,” which was shouted by the crowd ahead of the beating death of Nguyen Van Chyen, Am Sam Ath said the word is customary in Cambodia, though not necessarily racist.

Not everyone agrees, and there are many who say the word is a slur for Vietnamese.

Read the full story from Voice of America.