Cambodia Honors Fallen Soldiers at French Embassy Armistice Day Ceremony​

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Nov.11, 2025)— Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Seiha led a ceremony at the French Embassy in Phnom Penh on Nov. 11 to honor soldiers who died during World War I.

The event marked Armistice Day, commemorating the end of the First World War in 1918. It was the third consecutive year the French Embassy hosted the ceremony in Cambodia, bringing together diplomats, government officials and members of the public to pay tribute to the fallen.

The commemoration took place in front of the “Two Figures” monument, which symbolizes the shared history and friendship between France and Cambodia. Originally inaugurated in 1925, the monument was destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s and later reconstructed by the Cambodian government. It was officially re-inaugurated on July 14, 2023, to coincide with France’s Bastille Day.

The monument depicts a French and a Cambodian figure, representing solidarity during World War I, when Cambodian soldiers served in the French colonial forces. Hundreds were sent to Europe, and many never returned.

In recent years, both governments have worked to strengthen cultural and historical ties. The French ambassador said such ceremonies reflect “the enduring friendship and shared sacrifices” between the two nations.