Cambodia to Beat Gongs and Drums on Sunday to Celebrate UNESCO Listing of “Cambodian Memorial Sites”

Cambodia to Beat Gongs and Drums on Sunday to Celebrate UNESCO Listing of “Cambodian Memorial Sites”

AKP | Phnom Penh, July 11, 2025 – Government ministries and institutions at both national and sub-national levels have been instructed to beat gongs and drums simultaneously across the country at 7:00 a.m. on July 13, to celebrate the inscription of “Cambodian Memorial Sites: From Centres of Repression to Places of Peace and Reflection” on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The directive was issued this evening by Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet following the official recognition of the sites during the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France.

The Premier stated that the celebration aims not only to mark this historic achievement but also to reaffirm Cambodia’s unwavering stance against war, genocide, and crimes against humanity. It is a reminder of the vital importance of unity in preserving peace as a legacy for future generations.

“I call on all Cambodians—regardless of age, background, occupation, or social status—to lay flowers and pay tribute to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime at the ‘Cambodian Memorial Sites’ in any way they can, each year on July 11,” said Samdech Thipadei.

The newly listed serial site Former M-13 Prison (Kampong Chhnang province), Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Phnom Penh), and Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre (Phnom Penh).

While the Kingdom already has four World Heritage Sites (Angkor complex, Preah Vihear Temple, Sambo Prei Kuk complex and Koh Ker), this is Cambodia’s first nomination for a modern and non-classical archaeological site, and it also among the first in the world to be submitted as sites associated with recent conflict, according to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

By C. Nika