AKP Phnom Penh, February 19, 2025 --

Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, this morning reacted to criticism against a new historical book published by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

This criticism, made on social media, has accused the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of trying to change the country’s history by publishing a new book for the students to be grateful to Vietnam, said the Premier at the graduation ceremony for some 2,550 students of Asia Euro University, at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet explained that this new book is actually a supplementary document that the ministry put in use to contribute to the history study for the primary school students.

This is a book series about the history of Cambodia, from the prehistoric period until the current 2nd Kingdom of Cambodia, he added.

“The new books will not replace, but supplement the old ones. This is part of teaching modernisation by making it easier for students to understand and remember,” the Premier underlined. “Expressing concerns about this issue is not wrong, but most of the critics have not yet read the books.”

Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister thus called on the citizens to read the books first before making any comments, and asked the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to post the books online.

By Heng Panha