Cambodian people across the country today celebrate the 41st Anniversary of January 7 Victory Day over the Khmer Rouge Genocidal Regime (1979-2020).

In Phnom Penh, a mass meeting was held at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning with the participation of over 50,000 people.

This national commemoration took place under the presidency of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister and President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly and CPP Honorary President.

“January 7” is a historic day of the Cambodian people who overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), during which people had no rights, no freedom and lived in fear, overwork, torture.

Dr. Kin Phea, Director General of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia (IRIC) at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, underlined that “January 7” can mean the new day of life, new hope of development and foundation of peace in Cambodia after being battered by series of civil wars since early 1970s.

According to the director general, it is a historic day for the Cambodian nation and most people acknowledge the reality. Anyone denies it play down the day of their rebirths and those of their families. Those who were born before 1979 were reborn on January 7.

Mr. Sim Samrith, a resident on the outskirt of Phnom Penh shared the same impression as Dr. Kin Phea, adding that what January 7 has brought about is priceless. Some changes may not be able to show, but some are very obvious, such as improvement of roads, schools, hospitals, buildings, and beyond.

During the past 41 years, the Kingdom has struggled against poverty, transformed itself into a lower middle-income economy and is developing into an upper middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income nation in 2050.