Vietnam-Cambodia treaty on transfer of sentenced persons to take effect
Phnom Penh (VNA) - 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./.