Prince Ranariddh Appeals to PM Hun Sen to Form an Immigration Ministry
An appeal from FUNCINPEC president to form Immigration and Naturalization Ministry
In a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen in November, Prince Ranaridh, President of the FUNCINPEC party appealed to him to create an Immigration and Naturalization ministry because Cambodia is accused of having many illegal immigrants living in the country now. The prince suggests to have it set at the beginning of January 2006, to secure law and order and securityin the country. He asks Mr. Hun Sen to appoint a working group with bipartisan representatives. The commission for research and study to create this ministry has 11 members from the FUNCINPEC party with Mr. You Hok Kry as presdient. The CPP does not have an official list of representatives yet. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told VOA's stringer that he has not seen the letter, and that the CPP is not unanimous on choosing its commission's representatives yet. He adds that both parties have all the 73 points in political principle programs left over after the formation of the coalition government. Cambodia had an immigration law since 1996 but up to now there is no Immigration and Naturalization Ministry. There are an estimated one million immigrants in Cambodia, especially Vietnamese. Chief of Committee on National Defense and Interior Maonh Sophan says that Cambodia must have such ministry, to control foreigners in the country and terrorism.