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In pictures: Cambodia’s Victory Day

Cambodia’s ruling party celebrates ‘Victory Day’ to mark the overthrow of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime.

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Cambodians celebrate the day the Khmer Rouge was overthrown.
By Omar Havana
Published On 7 Jan 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The nation has been celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1979 victory that overthrew the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party commemorated the day – known as Victory Day – with an event on Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich island, which was attended by tens of thousands of CPP supporters.

During the event, presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife Bun Rany, senior CPP leader Heng Samrin praised the achievements of his party’s rule, stating “we have realised these achievements neither with ease nor without taking up challenges, struggle and making sacrifice”.

In reference to the ongoing political deadlock with the opposition and the recent violence between security forces and demonstrators, Heng Samrin also condemned “certain political forces and ill-willed circles” for having “made constant attempts to deceive history from white to black and vice versa to inflict adverse attacks on the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party to realise their strategic ambition for power”.

The Khmer Rouge killed about one in every five Cambodians - approximately two million lives - from when they seized power in 1975 until their ousting on January 7, 1979.
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The country has faced continuous trouble since national elections that took place in July 2013. The opposition claims widespread election fraud and vote rigging.
Many still remember the atrocities committed by the regime.
This year(***)s anniversary celebrations came days after clashes between protesters and police.
The protests of the past week have provided a significant challenge to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling party.
More than 10,000 people attended a rally organised by the ruling Cambodian People(***)s Party (CPP) at Koh Pich Hall, which is also known as Diamond Island.
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Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, made no comments to the media about the crackdown that left four dead and many more injured.
Hun Sen made his first public appearance on Tuesday since a violent crackdown cleared anti-government protesters and striking garment workers from the streets of Phnom Penh.
During the event, senior CPP leader Heng Samrin praised the achievements of his party(***)s rule in Cambodia, stating "we have realised these achievements neither with ease nor without taking up challenges, struggle and making sacrifice".
Protests since the election have been generally peaceful, but a strike by garment workers - a key economic sector -  has put extra pressure on Hun Sen(***)s government.