Vietnamese, Cambodian provinces step up efforts in searching, repatriating martyrs’ remains

Delegates at the signing ceremony of cooperation documents on searching, gathering and repatriating  martyrs’ remains between Vietnam and Cambodia for the 2023-2024 dry season in Kien Giang on November 15. (Photo: VNA)

Kien Giang (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang and the four Cambodian provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kam Pot and Kep on November 15 agreed to continue cooperation in searching, gathering and repatriating remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia during the wartime.

Speaking at the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the two sides for the 2023-2024 dry season, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial People’s committee Nguyen Luu Trung emphasised that over the past time, K92 Team of Kien Giang province has received enormous support from the authorities, armed forces and people of the Cambodian provinces in searching and repatriating martyrs' remains.

Since the implementation of an agreement signed between the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments on August 28, 2000 on the search, gathering and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts, the K92 Team of Kien Giang province has searched and collected 2,105 sets of remains in the four provinces of Cambodia. In particular, in the 2022 – 2023 dry season, the unit searched and collected 25 sets of martyrs' remains.

Despite countless efforts, many martyrs’ remains have not been found due to changing topographical conditions. Kien Giang province hoped that the Cambodia side will continue to create favorable conditions to help the K92 Team to carry out the task of searching, gathering and repatriating remains of the martyrs, Trung said.

You Sokun, Deputy Governor of Cambodia’s Kampot province, stressed that Cambodia will continue to coordinate closely with relevant units and the K92 Team of Kien Giang province to locate and mobilise people to provide clear information about graves to search, gather and repatriate the remains of martyrs to their homeland./.