Cambodia grateful to Vietnam for overthrowing Khmer Rouge genocidal regime

Hun Sen made the affirmation at a ceremony in Phnom Penh on January 7, marking the 45th anniversary of the victory over the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime led by Pol Pot (January 7, 1979 - January 7, 2024).

He said the January 7, 1979 victory put an end to the darkest period in Cambodian history and opened an era of independence, peace, freedom, democracy and development.

He recalled the previous trips to Vietnam to seek support for the national liberation struggle, and said thanks to the large-scale and timely support and assistance of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, as well as the support of peace-loving and justice-loving forces around the world, the Cambodian people overthrew the genocidal regime and won a historic victory on January 7, 1979.

In his speech, Hun Sen stressed that Cambodia remembers the noble deeds of the officers and soldiers of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation and the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who sacrificed heroically to defeat the Pol Pot regime and prevent its return.

Delegates attending the ceremony spent a moment of silence commemorating more than 3 million people brutally and unjustifiably killed under the genocidal regime.

Over the past 45 years, Cambodia has undergone drastic changes, especially in the past 25 years after Cambodia achieved complete peace. It is aiming to become a high-middle income economy by 2030 and a high-income economy by 2050.

On this occasion, many organizations and localities across Cambodia celebrated the 45th anniversary of the victory over the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime.