Cambodia to open national museum in Siem Reap

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- A national museum designed to display the Khmer culture will be opened next Monday in the capital town of Cambodia's Siem Reap Province, said a government statement released on Saturday.

The Angkor National Museum, covering 20,000 square meters and built with the Khmer architecture style, will highlight the cultural heritage of the Khmer nationality through a rich collection of artifacts and multimedia exhibition, said the statement.

Siem Reap province, where the world-renowned Angkor Wat temples are situated, is the kingdom's top tourism destination. The museum is expected to become another cultural landmark for the province, the release said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to preside over the museum's inauguration ceremony.

It will function as a complete tourism facility and education site for future generations to know about the kingdom's history, the statement added.

Cambodia officially opens new parliamentary headquarters

Jul 7, 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia officially opened its 24 million- dollar new National Assembly Saturday in a lavish traditional Buddhist ceremony presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni and seven of the nation's most venerable Buddhist monks.

With 7,777 guests in attendance, the timing of the opening to coincide with the anniversary of factional fighting in 1997 which ousted then First Prime Minister and Funcinpec leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh was almost certainly for its astrological significance rather than irony.

Cambodian People's Party (CPP) lawmaker Cheam Yeap declared that 2007 was the anniversary of democracy which was established in Cambodia in late 1946. Observers noted that Prince Norodom Sihanouk's rule from 1953 until UN-organized elections in 1993 Cambodia was ruled by single parties.

The new National Assembly was built entirely by Cambodians, from architectural design to construction, and using only Cambodian funding, Cheam Yeap added.

King Sihamoni said the new building was 'a great monument to Cambodia's idealism and commitment' to democracy.

Neither the CPP nor its junior coalition partner Funcinpec marked the anniversary of the July 5 and 6 fighting, which left hundreds dead, saying that was in the past. Instead they turned their full attention to Saturday's ceremony.

A public museum inside the National Assembly includes a remarkably record of Cambodia's strides towards its current multi-party democracy, with a rollcall of parliamentarians from 1946 onward listing 10 names of the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime leaders.

Brother Number 2, Nuon Chea, who is expected to be a prime candidate to face impending 56-million dollar joint Cambodia-UN trials of former leaders of the regime, tops the list rather than the movement's deceased leader Pol Pot. It was unclear why only 10 of 250 DK parliamentarians' names were recorded.

Saturday's ceremony was attended by the nation's parliamentarians and senators from all parties, as well as a range of dignitaries and representatives from foreign embassies.

Although the building is extensively and almost exclusively decorated with prime examples of Cambodian artwork, one tribute from a foreign nation was prominently displayed during the opening tour - a gift of a large painting of the Great Wall of China presented by the Chinese government just days before the inauguration.

07/07/07: A good Feng Shui event which cost poor Cambodia $30 million, not counting the cost of security yet

Today: New National Assembly building official inauguration

Saturday, July 7, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The new National Assembly buildings will be inaugurated on 07 July 2007, under the presidency of King Norodom Sihamoni, and it will be participated by 7,777 guests. The inauguration can be considered as a national event for Cambodia which selected the date on the 7th day of the seventh month of 2007 and will be participated by 7,777 guests, the number 7 is considered a lucky number, or as the Chinese call it: a good feng shui number. The new building and its furnishing cost Cambodia $30 million, the largest expense ever paid for a building in Cambodia. The massive building is much bigger than the old building, and it is built on a 20,213-square-meter plot. The new National Assembly consists of 5 buildings, and 300 rooms, one meeting room with a seating capacity for 445 people. The new National Assembly building is located in front of the Basac Theather, next to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation, the Buddhist Institute, and the Naga casino. The construction of the new National Assembly started on 08 February 2003.
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KI-Media Note: The Cambodia Daily reported that 4,000 police and troops will be deployed to provide safety for the VIPs during the inauguration ceremony. SRP MP Son Chhay said that for security purpose, PM offices were locked up since Friday, thus preventing all MPs from doing their job. Son Chhay also added that lawmakers were locked out of their offices every time Hun Sen came to visit. The Cambodia Daily quoted Son Chhay wondering aloud: “If there is [security tape] on our doors does that mean the prime minister thinks we are his enemy … or a threat?”

7 the lucky number for the National Assembly?

Friday, June 22, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A CPP MP said that the number 7 is a lucky number that is why the National Assembly (NA) decided to inaugurate its new office building on 07 July 2007 (07/07/07). CPP MP Chiem Yeap, whose son-in-law Ly Chhuong was the contractor of the new NA building, said that the selected date is a good date because it can be easily remembered. The number 7 carries a significant historical importance for the ruling CPP party: every year the CPP celebrates its victory over the Khmer Rouge (mainly with the backing of the colonialist Vietnamese army) on 07 January. Chiem Yeap said that King Sihamoni will preside over the inauguration of the new NA building which will take place at 07:00 AM on 07/07/07 and the ceremony will be participated by 7,777 guests.