On Monday, November 9, 2026, Cambodia staged a ceremony at the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh to mark 73 years of independence from French colonial rule. The event was attended by senior government officials and foreign diplomats and concluded with the symbolic release of pigeons and balloons.
The Xinhua report described the ceremony as a one‑hour event presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni, who lit a ceremonial "victory fire" inside the monument and laid a wreath. Members of the top political echelon, including Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, National Assembly President Khuon Sudary and Prime Minister Hun Manet, joined the king, alongside a delegation of foreign diplomats and citizens.
The Khmer Times coverage echoed Xinhua’s description, noting that the main ceremony likewise took place at the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh under the royal presidency of King Norodom Sihamoni. It added that the event was attended by Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, Prime Minister Hun Manet, and representatives of foreign missions.
Both outlets frame the event as a symbolic reaffirmation of national sovereignty. The repeated focus on the victory fire, wreath, and the release of pigeons and balloons highlights the ceremonial tradition that celebrates Cambodia’s sovereignty after ending 90 years of French colonial rule that began in 1863 and culminated in the 1953 independence decree.
