Cambodia marks 41st anniversary of victory over genocidal regime

Phnom Penh (VNA) – Tens of thousands of Cambodians attended a ceremony in Phnom Penh on January 7 to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the victory over the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime.

The event was chaired by President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and CPP Honorary President and President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin.

Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Quang Minh also joined hundreds of Cambodian and foreign guests at the event.

In his speech, PM Hun Sen affirmed that January 7, 1979, witnessed a significant event which was the fall of the Pol Pot genocidal regime, ending a dark chapter in Cambodia’s history, helping the country to revive, and heralding an era of independence, freedom, democracy and social development.

He stressed that celebrating this day, people across Cambodia always keep in mind the great services by the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, experts and cadres, and the Cambodian patriots who heroically fought and sacrificed their lives to liberate the Cambodian people from the scourge of genocide and revitalise the nation.

The leader recalled a historic turning point that was the establishment of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation on December 2, 1978.

With the strong support from the Cambodian people, along with the enormous assistance by Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and peace and justice lovers around the world, the front led the Cambodian people to topple the brutal genocidal regime, saving the lives of the Cambodian people, regaining the freedom rights that had been tripped completely under the rule of the Pol Pot regime, and revitalising the thousands-of-years spiritual and material values of the Khmer people, he noted.

The PM hailed January 7 as Cambodia’s “second birthday”, adding that without this day, the country would not have had what they have today./.