Cambodia Honors 2 Chinese Peacekeeping Soldiers Killed in 1993 Blast

Cambodia on Friday commemorated two Chinese U.N. peacekeeping soldiers killed in a blast in the country's Cheung Prey district in Kampong Cham province on May 21, 1993.

The ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant General Nim Sovath, chief of Cambodian Defense Ministry's Department of Politics and Foreign Affairs, and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue, with the participation of local Chinese communities and some 100 locals.

The ambassador recalled that nearly 800 Chinese U.N. soldiers were on mission in Cambodia in 1992, and there was a mid-night explosion on May 21, 1993, killing the two soldiers -- Chen Zhi Guo and Yu Shi Li, other three were wounded.

"Even though they passed away, their braveness is still kept in our hearts forever," he said, "Their sacrifices have made closer relations between Cambodia and China."

On behalf of Cambodian Royal Armed Forces, Nim Sovath expressed deepest condolences to the Chinese government and the victims' families for the death of the two Chinese U.N. peacekeeping soldiers in the engineering unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

"The government of Cambodia would like to express its gratitude to Chinese Communist Party and the government of China for sending engineering forces under the U.N. umbrella to Cambodia for peacekeeping," he said, "Their sacrifices were in the cause of seeking peace and security for Cambodia."