Vietnam-Cambodia treaty on transfer of sentenced persons to take effect

The Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Vietnam and Cambodia will come into effect on October 1, allowing certain inmates to continue serving jail terms in their home nations, the Cambodian Ministry of Justice announced on September 14.

Kim Santepheap, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, said the treaty will benefit both nations and it was different from an extradition agreement.

This treaty will allow the transfer of sentenced persons between the two nations, he said, adding that in some cases, families of the sentenced persons can also request the respective governments for the transfer.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh said this is a very humanitarian arrangement, reflecting mutual trust and close cooperation between law enforcement authorities of the two countries.

He said the treaty would help both sides to transfer certain inmates to continue serving their sentences in their own countries so their families can also visit and support them while in prison.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the Vietnam and Cambodia will continue their joint efforts to find and curb transnational crimes, including human trafficking, drug abuse and illegal trade, and reduce the crime rates in both countries.

Kin Phea, Director-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, described the treaty as a good legal instrument that highlights good legal cooperation between the two countries.

During his visit to Vietnam in December 2016, Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnessed the signing of three cooperative agreements, including the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two nations and the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

In May 2020, the Vietnamese Embassy presented 4,000 antimicrobial face masks to detention centres through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Cambodia.

The support was in response to a call from the ICRC in Cambodia for medical supplies for detainees amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.