AKP Phnom Penh, July 13, 2025 —

UNESCO has officially inscribed “Cambodian Memorial Sites: From Centres of Repression to Places of Peace and Reflection” on its World Heritage List, marking a global acknowledgment of the Cambodian people's suffering, loss, and resilience under the Khmer Rouge regime. 

Minister of Information H.E. Neth Pheaktra announced the designation during a celebratory ceremony at the Ministry of Information this morning.

The listing, formally inscribed by UNESCO in France on July 11, represents international recognition of the profound pain, torture, interrogation, and executions endured by Cambodians during that dark period. 

H.E. Minister emphasised that these sites have now been transformed into powerful symbols of peace and reconciliation.

The newly recognised "Cambodian Memorial Sites" include the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, and the Former M-13 Prison in Kampong Speu province. Once epicentres of mass atrocities, these locations now serve as poignant memorials honoring victims and educating future generations about the Khmer Rouge era.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra highlighted that the initiative to inscribe these sites was first proposed in 2019 by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, who was then Prime Minister and now serves as President of the Senate and President of the Supreme Privy Council to His Majesty the King. 

Samdech Techo Hun Sen recommended that the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, in collaboration with relevant ministries, study the feasibility of inscribing Tuol Sleng on the World Heritage List to preserve Cambodia’s historical memory for generations to come.

Since Cambodia's liberation on Jan. 7, 1979, and the implementation of the Win-Win policy on Dec. 29, 1998, under Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s leadership, Cambodia has transitioned from a "killing field" into a nation of peace. The country’s pursuit of justice, national reconciliation, and peacebuilding is now seen as a global model, reflecting its long and arduous journey from genocide to peace and development.

The Minister reaffirmed that the registration of these three sites under the unified title “Cambodian Memorial Sites: From Centres of Repression to Places of Peace and Reflection” holds shared value for humanity. 

He stressed that this designation ensures the painful lessons of Cambodia’s past will serve as a constant reminder and a commitment to peace for all future generations.

By K. Rithy Reak