Phnom Penh: The Kingdom of Cambodia will celebrate its 68th anniversary of national independence on Tuesday. A ceremony will be led by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni lightening the “victory flame” at the Independence Monument. It will be attended by heads of different ministries and government leaders to pay a tribute to all Cambodians who have sacrificed their lives to get independence.

For nearly a century, Cambodia was part of the French Colonial Empire in Southeast Asia.

During World War II, the Franco-Thai War left the French Indochinese colonial authorities in a position of weakness. The protectorate was established in 1863 when the Cambodian King Norodom requested the establishment of a French protectorate over his country. Cambodia was integrated into the French Indochina union in 1887 along with the French colonies and protectorates in Vietnam.

In 1946, Cambodia was granted self-rule within the French Union and had its protectorate status abolished in 1949. Cambodia finally gained its independence 9 November 1953, thanks to the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk. His several negotiations resulted to full control of Cambodia’s national defense, police, courts and financial matters.

The Cambodians were finally declared free of any foreigner ruling, with the command of military forces given to the King in October 1953 in which the the official ceremony date set is the 9th of November, 1953. Since then, King Sihanouk became a hero for the Khmer people, being known as the “father of Independence”.

On Monday afternoon, delegations from different government ministries and institutions have given laurels under the Royal Statue of the late King-Father Norodom Sihanouk.

A way to pay a high gratitude to the late King Sihanouk for the heroism he did for everyone to be freed.