Cambodian PM calls for renegotiations with U.S. on deportation deal

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday called for renegotiations with the United States on a repatriation agreement that the two countries signed 15 years ago.

Under the agreement, Cambodians who are permanent residents of the United States, will be deported to Cambodia if they are convicted of a felony.

Speaking during a university graduation ceremony here, Hun Sen said that Cambodia wanted those convicted Cambodians to continue to stay in the United States after they had served their prison sentence.

"It is an immoral act to deport them, separating them from their wives, children and families in the U.S. for the whole life," the prime minister said. "They have violated the U.S. law and have been punished under the U.S. law already, so they should be allowed to continue to stay in the U.S."

Hun Sen said that Cambodia does not want to cancel the deportation agreement with the United States, but requests to amend it for "humanitarian and human rights reasons."

"I hope that the U.S. will accept the request on the amendment to the agreement in order to give an opportunity to convicted Cambodian citizens to continue living in the U.S. with their families," he said.

Some 550 convicted Cambodians have been deported from the United States since 2002, many of whom cannot even speak Cambodian language. Endit