whats the legality of other people holding a cambodians ID and family papers? can banks do this?

If you mean retaining the originals, no, not legally. They can certainly require copies of them before opening an account, issuing a loan etc.

 

But what is legal has very, very little to do with what happens in Cambodia.

 

However this is the first I've heard of a bank or the like withholding someone's original ID or family book.

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

If you mean retaining the originals, no, not legally. They can certainly require copies of them before opening an account, issuing a loan etc.

 

But what is legal has very, very little to do with what happens in Cambodia.

 

However this is the first I've heard of a bank or the like withholding someone's original ID or family book.

actually I suspect the woman that told me this was lying

Most likely, yes. It is not something I have every heard of happening. And I can't imagine a Khmer parting with their original  ID or Family Book. These are very important papers and people don't just hand them over.