Pistols into Ploughshears - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Peace Memorials on Waymarking.com

I was unable to find detailed information about this monument, but, from what I can learn from Cambodians, who have translated the text on this monument, the text largely discusses the benefits of peace.

On the 5th May 1999, at this spot, in north eastern Phnom Penh, in a park area/traffic roundabout, several thousand weapons were destroyed. 1999 was a year, at the end of a decade of a long and slow effort to work towards peace and reconciliation in Cambodia, which saw several landmark changes in Cambodia, the most obvious being its membership in ASEAN.

The various bas relief on the sides of the monument celebrate the process of laying down arms and living peacefully together.

My Cambodian informants told me that there is no monument name listed. I suspect that there might be a translation misunderstanding there, however, the name given here is my own. The monument is in a busy and visible place in the city.


Copied from the Cambodian government website listed below:
"Two ceremonies were held to destroy these weapons as a symbolic gesture to show national and international opinions Cambodia’s desire for peace, stability and social order. The first ceremony took place in Phnom Penh on 5 May 1999 with the destruction of 3,399 firearms and the second in Kompong Cham province on 2 June 1999 with the destruction of nearly 4,000 firearms."

Text on Monument/Memorial Sign or Plaque: The text on the monument is in Khmer. I do not have the means to provide a detailed translation at this time. The weblink below (Cambodian government report on its activities in the first semester of 1999) lists the background details of the event (I. Security and social order). Website about the Peace Monument/Memorial: [Web Link]

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