Peace Monument to Honor PM

A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district at a site where a monument will be erected to commemorate Prime Minister Hun Sen’s success at ending 18 years of civil conflict in Cambodia in 1998, when the last remnants of the Khmer Rouge were finally integrated into the military. The 80,000-square meter monument is being constructed by the Ly Yong Phat Group and is intended to commemorate the prime minister’s so-called “win-win policy” by which Khmer Rouge forces were integrated into the government’s army.

The monument will reflect national efforts, led by Mr. Hun Sen, to achieve peace and stability in Cambodia, Defense Minister General Tea Banh said at the ceremony. “It is also dedicated to our comrades who sacrificed themselves to bring peace and development to the nation,” he said. Gen. Banh said that Cambodia’s civil conflict was caused by the 1970 overthrow of Prince Sihanouk by General Lon Nol, which allowed Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge to take control of the country. Millions of Cambodians died between 1975 and 1979 from starvation, overwork or execution. Gen. Banh noted that the 1970 coup was supported by Washington.

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