Family in Cambodia - Help

[BoonL 0]

I am writing on behalf of my cousin.
My cousin met his partner when he was living in Malaysia. They established a long term relationship and started a family without getting married because his partner was denied the single declaration status certificate from the Cambodian government. He refused and also couldn't afford the 'tea money' needed to get all the documents together. Fast forward, his partner visits my cousin in Malaysia 2-3 times a year for a month each and he would fly there once a year. Son 6 years old and daughter 2 years old were born in Cambodia without his name on their birth certificates. Embassy couldn't help. She was born in a remote rural village and there are no government offices there from which she can obtain such a certificate. She has a birth certificate and a passport. Officials in her Sangkat (province) demanded $2500.
 

Anyone with fiancee/fiance from Cambodia and has successfully gone through the process of gathering documents and bringing the family out of the country? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[Kush_Omaded 29]

While I'm not from Cambodia, I do have some experience fighting with the "tea money" culture elsewhere in Asia. If your cousin is an American citizen, he could always try having the U.S. embassy put pressure on the local provincial government. If the "fees" being requested aren't standard, the Embassy could pressure the provincial government into compliance gathering the requested documents, but that's not always the case. And it may be best to tread lightly in that regard, because if the provincial government knows your cousin's partner is in the K-1 process with a foreigner, they might assume she can afford to pay more in bribes. If she has a Cambodian passport, however (which obviously she must, if she's traveling to Malaysia), you could ask the U.S. embassy if that could satisfy the proof of citizenship for the K-1 process. I'm sure they're similarly familiar with the "tea money" culture, so they might be willing to make an exception, given that some countries are more notorious than others for withholding documents.

[BoonL 0]

Thank you for your comment, Kush-Omaded.  He has gone to the embassy for advise with his case but was told they cannot help.