Cambodia on Tuesday repatriated the remains of 11 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died during the war against the Khmer Rouge regime.

 

It was the last repatriation under an agreement signed between the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments to search for the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts between 2003 and 2011.

 

So far the remains of 240 soldiers have been found and sent back to Vietnam.

 

At the ceremony organized in Kongpong Chnang Province, Dr. Tut Marim, advisor to Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, said his people would always be grateful for the sacrifices made by the Vietnamese government, soldiers and people in helping free the Cambodian people from the genocidal acts of Pol Pot (1925-1998).

 

Colonel Phan Van Thu, deputy chief of political affairs at the 9th Military Region of the Vietnam People’s Army, and other Vietnam officials also attended the ceremony.

 

It was estimated that under Pol Pot’s leadership between 1975-1979, between 750,000-3 million people died from executions, forced labor, malnutrition and poor medical care, accounting for about 21 percent of the then Cambodian population.

 

Polpot also ordered an invasion of Vietnam in December 1978, which killed more than 3,000 Vietnamese civilians.