Paris Peace Agreement’s Day
Paris Peace Agreement Day was a former public holiday in Cambodia and commemorates the official end of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War and the Third Indochina War in 1991. This holiday is observed annually on October 23rd and prior to 2019 was a public holiday in the country.
Cambodia (Observance)It was removed from the public holiday schedule in order to reduce the number of publicly observed holidays from 28 holidays down to 22 holidays. Even though it’s not an official public holiday on which businesses and schools are closed and the general public has a day off, some people still use the holiday as a teaching tool.
The History Of Paris Peace Agreement Day In Cambodia
Cambodia was ravaged for years by the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, beginning in 1975. The Vietnamese invaded the country in 1978 as a response to the border raids that were being conducted by the Khmer Rouge in their country.
The Vietnamese did help to unseat the Kmer Rouge and end the senseless killing of Cambodians, but many people felt like it came at a price. They felt that the regime that replaced the Khmer Rouge was merely a puppet of the Vietnamese government. As a result, several resistance groups were formed.
These resistance groups waged a war against the Vietnamese that would last over a decade. International pressure would eventually compel Vietnam to leave Cambodia in 1991. The Paris Peace Accord was signed in Paris, France on October 23rd, 1991 by Cambodia and Vietnam and it brought the war to an end.
Observing Paris Peace Agreement Day In Cambodia
This isn’t a public holiday anymore, but schools and educational facilities use the anniversary of the holiday to give lessons to the war and the peace agreement that ended the war. It’s not a day off for most people, and most businesses operate normally.
Cambodia (Observance)
