AKP Phnom Penh, January 07, 2019 –Some 70,000 people from all walks of life gathered here this morning at the National Olympic Stadium to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of January 7 Victory Day over the Khmer Rouge Genocidal Regime (1979-2019).
This national commemoration took place under the presidency of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister and President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly and CPP Honorary President.
Addressing to the public, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that January 7, 1979 is the historic day of the Cambodian people who overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime which killed nearly 3 million people, thus ended the darkest period in Cambodia.
The three-year, eight-month and 20-day genocidal regime, during which people had no rights, no freedom and lived in fear, overwork, torture, has gone after January 7, 1979, which opened a new era of independence, liberty, democracy and social progress, he underlined.
According to the Premier, after the total ending of civil war thanks to the Win-Win policy in 1998, Cambodia has the full opportunity to rehabilitate, rebuild and develop the country under the shade of peace. Cambodia’s economy has been booming. Trade and investment volume keeps increasing, which could maintain the country’s annual economic growth of over 7 percent in the past two decades. At the same time, Cambodia is becoming an attracting international tourist destination.
The Kingdom has struggled against poverty, transformed itself into a lower middle-income economy and is developing into an upper middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income nation in 2050, said Samdech Techo Hun Sen, stressing that Cambodia is currently building its prestige internationally though its foreign policy. At the same time, the country is also transforming itself from a nation depending on agriculture into a country depending on industry and services.
This year, he added, Cambodia is launching more action plans and policies to further develop the country.
The Premier continued that Cambodians must join hands to protect and preserve peace because peace brings about development and progress.
In the sixth-mandate Royal Government, Samdech Techo Prime Minister was committed to lead Cambodia to achieve its vision, especially safeguard peace and continue to build more physical infrastructure to meet the people’s needs and improve their livelihoods.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also expressed his gratitude to all partners and friendly countries for their cooperation and assistance for the reconstruction and development of Cambodia.
He took the opportunity to call on his compatriots to be united in maintaining peace, strengthening national unity, and preserving all national achievements for the benefit of all generations.
Before concluding his speech, Samdech Techo Hun Sen extended best wishes of happiness and prosperity to all his compatriots as well as foreign guests and diplomats.
