Kun Kim, Senior Minister and secretary-general of the Cambodian Veterans Association (CVA), awarded medals to 200 Cambodian veterans in Kampong Cham province on May 9 to commemorate the merits of loyalty to the motherland of Cambodia.

Nearly 3,000 additional veterans in Kampong Cham are scheduled to be similarly honoured in the future.

During the ceremony, Kim noted that the awards were offered in response to the noble efforts of the veterans who had risked their lives to liberate the Kingdom from the genocidal regime of Pol Pot.

“It is thanks to their sacrifices that the country is now peaceful and prosperous,” he said.

“It was in response to these merits that Prime Minister Hun Sen, president of the CVA, requested that the King award medals to the remaining 86,931 Cambodian veterans,” he added.

He said Kampong Cham province received 3,149 medals, and now that the first 200 have been awarded, the provincial leadership will organise further ceremonies in the province’s remaining districts.

“Cambodian veterans have given so much to the motherland, but their standard of living is not always as good as they deserve. Many of them are poor, and suffer from ill health,” he added.

He asked that the relevant authorities provide ID Poor cards to the families of veterans. While veterans have been issued National Social Security Fund (NSSF) cards, and can therefore access healthcare free of charge at public hospitals, many of their families cannot.

Un Chanda, provincial governor and honorary president of the CVA of Kampong Cham province, instructed all district and town governors to prepare to hold medal presentation ceremonies in the near future.

“120 veterans in Kampong Cham town and 80 in Kampong Siem district were awarded. Four were knighted, 98 were honoured with gold medals, and 98 received silver medals today, along with a gift of 80,000 riel,” he added.

He also called on Cambodia’s veterans to join together to protect peace and social order.