Some 70 foreign nationals received Cambodian citizenship in the first quarter of the 2023 Royal Gazette, apparently including a Singaporean “timber scion” who heads a Cambodian microfinance firm and has tried his hand at K-pop, as well as several property and construction company directors.
According to the 2023 gazette’s books No. 1 through 24, 70 people from 14 countries received Cambodian citizenship in documents dated between November 26, 2022 and January 20, 2023. At least 30 of them changed their names for their Cambodian nationality.
Of the 70 individuals, 36 are Chinese — with five of them also having Taiwanese citizenship, one with Vanuatu citizenship and one Mexican — as well as 13 Thai, eight Taiwanese, four Vietnamese, two Philippine, one Indonesian, one Malaysian, one Turkish, one from Myanmar, one Guinean, one Singaporean and one British.
Among the new citizens is Yong Khung Lin — the same name as the director of Cambodia-registered company Evergreen Microfinance. This company is chaired by Yong Ing Fatt, the head of Singaporean “timber empire” Evergreen Group.
Evergreen Microfinance’s Yong Khung Lin is Yong Ing Fatt’s son and also goes by the name of David Yong. He has been extensively profiled as a “timber scion” and K-pop artist. His age in these online profiles matches the Yong Khung Lin who received Cambodian citizenship, now 36, according to the birthdate listed in the citizenship document.
The document says Yong Khung Lin changed his name to Duong Dara for the new nationality. The name roughly translates to “star.”
Evergreen Group has a history of timber logging in Cambodia, and has also opened a pawnshop business here.
Another individual who apparently received Cambodian citizenship is Yang Huang Mei-Chin, the wife of major garments manufacturer Grand Twins International’s chair Yang Shaw Shin.
Many other names listed in the citizenship documents also appear on Cambodia’s companies registry, but it is unclear whether they are the same person as the individual receiving citizenship.
One is Xu Sheng, listed by the Commerce Ministry as the director of Huibang International Real Estate. The firm boasts of “close ties with the Cambodian government,” saying it has been in Cambodia for 20 years and is linked to the Anhui Chamber of Commerce.
The launch of the firm’s Tonle Bassac development project in 2019 was attended by Prime Minister Hun Manet’s cousins Hun To and Hun Kimleng, according to media reports. Hun To and Hun Kimleng are both directors of Panda Bank; Hun To’s Lixin Group has been connected to scam operations via job ads on human-trafficking chats and the arrest of a building manager in response to complaints to a human-trafficking hotline, while Hun Kimleng has made headlines for acquiring Cypriot citizenship in a so-called “golden passport” scheme.
Several other names also appeared on the registry as directors of Cambodian construction and real estate firms. Wang Zhi is listed as chair of Hongyeji Construction; Lin Wei-Hsiao as chair of Lujhou Construction; Chen Mingda, chair of Shine Hai Real Estate; Chen Hong-Chang, chair of Kings View Construction; Huang Liping, chair of Cambodian Xin Xiang Jian Construction; Wu Di, chair of Huapont International Building Material; Hsiao Hsiu-Lan, director of Chanyu Property; Lin Cong, chair of I Love My Home Property Agency; Chen Chao-Ming, former director of property firm Yi Wei Sheng; and Ng Ka Fai, chair of Hong Kong Qijian Design & Engineering.
Citizenship can be granted to foreign nationals based on residence, investments, donations or other special criteria, according to the Law on Nationality. Benefits include land ownership, which is restricted to only the country’s citizens.
Other names that appear on Cambodia’s companies registry are Chosoongnern Sarut, director of SK Gaming and CSST Trading; Wang Siyu, chair of the Jing Jin Ji and Xin Xiong An Overseas Agriculture companies; Qiu Lingchiang, chair of Little Diamond Trading; Lin Shuntao, chair of Hua Xia Guoji Investment; and Chuang Shen-Pep, former chair of Hand 7 Garment, among several others.
Separately, in a document dated December 24, 2022, in book No. 9, a royal decree allowed Zhao Hui Xian, a Cambodian who lived in Phnom Penh to renounce her Cambodian citizenship. The document says she is currently living in Taiwan.
ការផ្ដល់សញ្ជាតិ (សៀវភៅលេខ១-២៤)
New Citizens (Royal Gazette Books 1-24)
| Document Date | Nationality | Name | Book Number | Notes |
| 11-29-2022 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិចិនតៃវ៉ាន់) (China/Taiwan) | អ្នកស្រី សាវ ស៊ីវឡាន (HSIAO HSIU-LAN) | ០២ | |
| 11-29-2022 | វៀតណាម (Vietnam) | លោក ហ្វាម ទូង (PHAM TUNG) | ០២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 11-29-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ឈ័រ សិនប៉ិប (CHUANG SHEN-PEP) | ០២ | |
| 11-26-2022 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក វ៉ារុត វ៉ាន់ណាក់អ៊ាមភិគុល (VARUD WAN NAIAMPIKUL) | ០២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិចិនតៃវ៉ាន់) (China/Taiwan) | លោក ចាង យ៉ុងហ្វីង (CHANG YUAN-FONG) | ០២ | |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក អ៊ូ ទី (WU DI) | ០២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក លីន លាំងសៀន (LIN, LIANGXUAN) | ០២ | |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក សឺ ឈីវយាន (SHI, QIUYUAN) | ០២ | |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក លីន ឃុន (LIN, KUN) | ០២ | |
| 11-26-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | ស្រី យ៉ាង ហ័ងម៉ីជីង (YANG HUANG, MEI-CHIN) | ០២ | |
| 11-30-2022 | វៀតណាម (Vietnam) | លោក ង្វៀន តានលុក (NGUYEN TAN LUC) | ០៣ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 11-30-2022 | វៀតណាម (Vietnam) | លោក ង៉ ថាញ់ដេត (NGO THANH DAT) | ០៣ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-2-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោកស្រី ទាន់ ពីងស៊ា (DUAN BINGXUE) | ០៤ | |
| 12-3-2022 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិចិនតៃវ៉ាន់) (China/Taiwan) | លោកស្រី ជីង នៀនធីង (CHIN NIEN-TING) | ០៤ | |
| 12-3-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ហ័ង លីផីង (HUANG LIPING) | ០៤ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-2-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ុម មីងយិនមេនហ្វ្រេដ (SHUM MINGYIN MANFRED) | ០៤ | |
| 12-7-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ឡាយ វិនអ៊ី (LAI, WENYU) | ០៥ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-7-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ិន ស៊ុនជាំង (SHEN, SHUNJIANG) | ០៥ | |
| 12-7-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ចឹង ហាងចូវ (ZENG, HANGZHOU) | ០៥ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-7-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក អ៊ូ ឆុងឈាន (WU, CHONGQUAN) | ០៥ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក ឈិន ហុងចាង (CHEN, HONG-CHANG) | ០៧ | |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក លី ជៀនហ្វាង (LI, JIANFANG) | ០៧ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 10-12-2022 | ម៉ាឡេស៊ី (Malaysia) | លោក លីវ ជី ហាន (LAU ZHI HAN) | ០៧ | |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក លីង សុនថាវ (LIN, SHUNTAO) | ០៧ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ចាង ឃុន (ZHANG. KUN) | ០៧ | |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក លីន អ៊ូយស៊ែវ (LIN, WEI-HSIAO) | ០៧ | |
| 10-12-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក ឡាយ យួយឆឹង (LAI, JUI-CHENG) | ០៧ | |
| 12-20-2022 | ហ្វីលីពីន (Philippines) | អ្នកស្រី ចិន អាឡិចស៊ីល វង់ (CHEN ALEXIEL WONG) | ០៨ | ម្ដាយនិងកូន (mother and child) |
| 12-20-2022 | ហ្វីលីពីន (Philippines) | កុមារ ចិន តាន់ស៊ីង (CHEN TANSING) | ០៨ | |
| 12-20-2022 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក អនណម សរ៉ាស៊ីត (ONNOM SORASIT) | ០៨ | |
| 12-24-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក អ៊ូ ជាំង ឈុន (WU, CHIA-CHUN) | ០៩ | |
| 12-24-2022 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក ដុង មិន ហ្សី ប៊្រុក (DONG MEN ZI BROOK) | ០៩ | |
| 12-24-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ឈីវ ជាឈី (QIU, JIAQI) | ០៩ | |
| 12-24-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ហ័ង ធានហ៊ុយ (HUANG TIANHUI) | ១០ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-24-2022 | ឥណ្ឌូណេស៊ី (Indonesia) | លោក វី លីស (WILYS) | ១០ | |
| 12-27-2022 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក សែចាំង សុវ៉ាត (SAEJANG SUWAT) | ១១ | |
| 12-27-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក លីន ឆុង (LIN CONG) | ១១ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-27-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក វ៉ាង ស៊ីអ៊ី (WANG SIYU) | ១១ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 12-27-2022 | ចិន (China) | លោក ឈីវ លីងឈាំង (QIU LINGQIANG) | ១១ | |
| 12-28-2022 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិចិនតៃវ៉ាន់) (China/Taiwan) | លោក លីន សីងឆី (LIN SHENG-CHE) | ១១ | |
| 1-2-2023 | ចិន(សញ្ជាតិចិនតៃវ៉ាន់) (China/Taiwan) | លោក ខុង ភីងឆៀន (KUNG PING-CHIEN) | ១៣ | |
| 1-5-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ឈិន ម៉ីងតា (CHEN, MINGDA) | ១៥ | |
| 1-4-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ី ឆាងជាង (XU, CHANGJIANG) | ១៥ | |
| 1-4-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក វ័ន ស៊ាអ៊ូ (WAN, XUEWU) | ១៥ | |
| 1-4-2023 | តួកគី (Turkey) | លោក ផេ ឈី (PEI QI) | ១៥ | |
| 1-4-2023 | មីយ៉ាន់ម៉ា (Myanmar) | លោក បេ យីនឈីន (BAY YIN CHIN) | ១៥ | |
| 1-4-2023 | វៀតណាម (Vietnam) | លោក ង្វៀន ញ៉ាតតាន (NGUYEN NHAT TAN) | ១៥ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-7-2023 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក ឆេង បឺ យាន (CHENG, CHEU YEAN) | ១៦ | |
| 1-10-2023 | សិង្ហបុរី (Singapore) | លោក យ៉ុង ឃុងលីន (YONG KHUNG LIN) | ១៧ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-10-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ង៉ ខាហ្វៃ (NG KA FAI) | ១៧ | |
| 1-10-2023 | ចិនតៃវ៉ាន់ (Taiwan) | លោក ឈិន ចាវម៉ីង (CHEN CHAO-MING) | ១៧ | |
| 1-10-2023 | អង់គ្លេស (U.K.) | អ្នកស្រី អាប៊ីកែល កាល់កូ (ABIGAIL CALKO) | ១៧ | |
| 1-16-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ជីង ចឺយៀក (JIN, ZHIYUE) | ១៩ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-16-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ូ ស៊ីមីង (SU. SHIMING) | ២០ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-16-2023 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិវ៉ានូទូ) (China/Vanuatu) | លោក ហ្វាង ជីនបូ (WANG JUNBO) | ២០ | |
| 1-16-2023 | ចិន (សញ្ជាតិម៉ិកស៊ិក) (China/Mexico) | លោក ទាន់ ឃុនអាដាម (DUAN KUN ADAM) | ២០ | |
| 1-19-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ី សីង (XU SHENG) | ២១ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-18-2023 | ហ្គីណេ (Guinea) | លោក វ៉ាង ជី (WANG ZHI) | ២១ | |
| 1-18-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក សៀង ស៊ូយ៉ុង (XIANG, XUEYONG) | ២១ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោកស្រី សុផា ផាត់ឆារីន (SUPHA PATCHARIN) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក ខេមផេត ឆូកឆៃ (KHEMPHET CHOKCHAI) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោកស្រី ឆុនឡាណា អារ៉ាយ៉ា (CHONLANA ARAYA) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក ឡេកឡែមឡាក់ ស៊ូរ៉ាឆៃ (LEKLAEMLAK SURACHAI) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក នរ៉ាក់កានកន ក្រៀងសាក់ (NORAKARNKORN KRIENGSAK) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ចិន (China) | លោក ស៊ីន យ៉ុងប៊ីង (XUN, YONGBING) | ២២ | |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក ឆៃយ៉ាសុផាណាត់ សុរិន (CHAIYASUPPHANAT SURIN) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក ឆូសុងនឹន សារុត (CHOSOONGNERN SARUT) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក អាជីរ៉ា កែងុបរោក សំភព (ARCHEWARANGUBROK SOMPOP) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោក សំរេចវ៉ានិច រុចៈផន (SUMREJWANICH RUCHAPON) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |
| 1-20-2023 | ថៃ (Thai) | លោកស្រី ឆៃបញ្ញា វីវ (CHAIPANHA VIW) | ២២ | ប្តូរឈ្មោះ (name changed) |