AKP Phnom Penh, June 29, 2026 --

The remains of 19 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers have been repatriated from Cambodia’s Kampong Thom province to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, marking the latest milestone in a long-standing bilateral humanitarian effort.

The official repatriation ceremony took place in Kampong Thom on June 28. The event was co-presided over by Major Gen. Som Sun, Commander of the Kampong Thom Military Sub-Operation Area of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Excavation Commission and Lt. Col. Nguyen Van Long, Representative of Vietnam's Dong Nai Specialised Excavation Commission.

During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Nguyen Van Long highlighted that the excavation operations were carried out through seamless collaboration between Cambodia’s Kampong Thom military command and Vietnam’s Team K72. He expressed profound gratitude to Cambodian local authorities, armed forces, and residents for their continuous support and facilitation in locating and returning the remains of the fallen soldiers.

For his part, Major Gen. Som Sun emphasised that these joint operations strictly align with the humanitarian agreement established between the governments of Cambodia and Vietnam. The treaty underscores a shared commitment to locating and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer troops who lost their lives during the war in Cambodia.

To date, 1,197 remains of fallen Vietnamese volunteer troops have been successfully returned home from this region.

Article in Khmer by Sum Vanna
Article in English by Lim Nary