Cambodia celebrates 56th anniversary of Independence Day

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday kicked off its three-day celebration of the 56th anniversary of Independence Day in capital Phnom Penh with thousands of people attended the ceremony.

King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the ceremony of celebration with lighting the victory flame which will burn for the duration of three days. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Senate President Chea Sim and other government senior officials, as well as diplomatic corps, students, police and military also attended the ceremony held at the Independence Monument.

This year's celebration was held one day earlier in order to having a time for many people from each ministry to present their memorial wreaths. "We've done this because we don't want to make things too complicated for the King's day. We don't want to bother the King on the day he lights the victory flame," said Chea Kean, deputy secretary general of National Committee for Festivals.

Chea Kean, however, said earlier that this year, there will be no military parade even though the November 9 is also the 56th anniversary of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

He said Cambodia had already conducted a huge military parade last year at the 55th anniversary.

After Cambodia was under the French protectorate for 90 years, Cambodia claimed complete independence from France in 1953.