Cambodia: 40,000 people attend the 40th Anniversary of the overthrow of the Pol Pot genocidal regime

Mass organizations demonstrate force.

The ceremony was attended by President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia Samdech Techo Hun Sen; Honorary President of the CPP, President of the National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin; leaders of the Government, National Assembly, Senate; representatives of organizations, unions, and people from all walks of life. Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Quang Minh and representatives of embassies of several countries attended.

Speaking to 40,000 people present at the Olympic Stadium, CPP President and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen highlighted the great significance of the January 7 Victory, the day Cambodian patriots rose up to overthrow the brutal genocidal regime, bringing life and lasting peace to the land of pagodas.

The rally was attended by about 40 thousand people.

During its rule from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot forced labor, tortured, and killed more than three million Cambodians and ethnic minorities, destroying social infrastructure and basic human values.

In that context, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and his comrades went to Vietnam to call for help in establishing a resistance force against the genocidal gang, to save the Cambodian people who were on the verge of extinction. The Cambodian United Front for National Salvation, established in December 1978, gathered all patriotic forces, with the wholehearted help of the Vietnamese Volunteer Army and peace-loving people around the world, rose up to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime, liberating the capital Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979.

Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasized that the January 7 Victory saved the lives of millions of people who were waiting to die, revived the thousand-year-old values ​​of the nation buried under the genocidal regime, closed a dark page in Cambodian history and opened a new era for the nation, which is the era of independence, freedom, democracy and social development, where people are masters of their own destiny. The Cambodian people consider January 7, 1979 as their second birthday, without the January 7 Victory, there would be no today. This is a historical truth, no one or force can distort or destroy it.

The President of the ruling Cambodian People's Party affirmed that the January 7 Victory was achieved thanks to the close combination of two strengths, which are the strength of the great unity of the Cambodian people under the leadership of the Cambodian People's Party and the great and timely assistance of the Vietnamese Volunteer Army. Without the combination of these two strengths, the January 7, 1979 Victory would certainly not have been possible.

On that basis, Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, Government, army and people of Vietnam for responding to the call of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation to liberate the country and people of Cambodia from the genocidal regime, and continuing to help prevent its return. This great service will forever be engraved in the history of Cambodia.

In his speech at the 40th anniversary of the overthrow of the genocidal regime, the President of the Cambodian People's Party also highlighted the proud achievements of the Cambodian people in recent times. In the economic field, Cambodia has achieved a growth rate of more than 7% continuously for many years. Gross domestic product reached 24.605 billion USD in 2018. The economic structure is shifting from agricultural production to industry and services. Infrastructure is strongly developed, people's lives are constantly improving. In the field of foreign affairs, Cambodia actively integrates internationally, and has made many contributions to the United Nations' peacekeeping activities in a number of countries.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Hun Sen called on all Cambodian people to promote the spirit of the historic January 7 Victory, strengthen national solidarity, join hands to preserve peace, and build and develop a civilized and prosperous Cambodia.