‘Monuments aux Morts’ in front of the French embassy in Phnom Penh on July 4. Hong Menea
The “Monuments aux Morts” – a memorial to the Cambodian soldiers killed in the service of France during the World War I – has been completed, with the reconstructed statue to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 14.
Ly Rasmey, secretary of state at the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction, said that the monument was finished on July 7, after 163 days of work.
The leadership and other officials from the Ministry of Land Management will sing the Cambodian national anthem Nokor Reach to celebrate the inauguration of the monument, said Rasmey on July 11.
Expert architect Rasmey said that to preserve Cambodia’s historic heritage, the monument was rebuilt as an exact replica of the original, which was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.
The monument faces east in line with Khmer tradition to allow those who lost their lives a favourable rebirth, while it facing a river also a represents an auspicious direction.
“The monument, first completed in 1925, is to commemorate the people who sacrificed their lives in World War I. The monument was destroyed by soldiers of the Democratic Kampuchea regime in 1975.
“It is being rebuilt to not only commemorate the sacrifices of the Cambodians who gave their lives to support France during the vicious fighting on the western front in Europe, but also as a symbol of Cambodian-French friendship and cooperation,” Rasmey said.
The decision to rebuild the monument was taken by Prime Minister Hun Sen after a request by Minister of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction Chea Sophara.
The 12.7m tall monument sits on a 14.22m hexagonal base with three levels of granite, and features bronze statues of Cambodian and French soldiers.
The base is made of concrete and granite and marble, and includes, engraved in pink marble, the names of the 151 Cambodians and 33 French residents of the Kingdom who perished.
Ground was broken on the project on January 25 by Sophara and Olivier Becht, the French delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad.
The Cambodian and French governments consider the monument to be a memorial to those who gave their lives in support of France in the horrors of World War I as well as a symbol of Cambodian-French friendship and cooperation.
