Cambodia and France have announced the joint construction of a “Monuments aux Morts”, or memorial for the dead, which will be dedicated to the 184 Cambodian and French nationals who died in the service of France during World War I.

Cambodia was a French protectorate at the time of the 1914-18 war, and about 20,000 young Cambodians answered the call to fight against Germany.

The monument will be located in front of the French embassy, south of the Chroy Changvar bridge roundabout. Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Chea Sophara presided over the January 25 groundbreaking ceremony.

This will be the second monument of its kind to be built on the site. The original monument was inaugurated in 1925, but destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977. The two bronze elephants which once flanked the original monument can now be seen either side of the doors of the National Museum.

The top of the almost 13m tall monument will feature bronze statues of Cambodian and French soldiers. The base will be made of concrete and granite and marble, and will feature the names of the 151 Cambodians and 33 French residents of the Kingdom who perished, engraved in pink marble.

According to Sophara, construction of the monument will take eight months.

“This part of history was lost to us nearly 50 years ago. On March 1, 1925 King Sisowath and the French governor of Indochina conducted a solemn inauguration ceremony for the original monument,” he said.

“The Cambodians who fought in France at that time were nearly all young men with no experience of war, and had to deal with the terrible conditions and bitter cold of the European battlefields,” he noted.

Olivier Becht – delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs – was also present at the ceremony.

“This monument will reflect the deepening ties between our two countries as well as the 160 years of history we share,” he said.

“About 20,000 Cambodian volunteers participated in the war, which 100 years on we still refer to as the Great War. On behalf of France, I express my deep gratitude to the soldiers, as well as their brothers and sisters who toiled in the weapon factories,” he added.

Some of the volunteers were sent to France to work in factories, as nurses or truck drivers, or to do administrative work. Others joined the Indochina battalion, which took part in the Battle of the East at Chemin des Dames in 1917 and in the Vosges in 1918.

“We are thrilled with the decision to rebuild this monument. It is a place that recalls our common history and reaffirms our shared values,” said Becht.

“Prime Minister Hun Sen has made a grand gesture in approving this monument, which appreciates the supreme sacrifice of the Cambodian and French soldiers who gave their lives in the fight for France. It is important for me, as a representative of France, to remember their story. It was because of their courage that we were victorious in 1918,” he added.