Personnel of the Gia Lai provincial armed forces conduct the interment ceremony for the remains of martyrs. VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Điệp

GIA LAI - Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai held a respect-paying, memorial and reburial ceremony on Friday at Đức Cơ District martyrs’ cemetery for the remains of 23 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia during the war.

The remains were recovered during the 2024–2025 dry season by Team K52 under the provincial Military Command, with support from Cambodian authorities and residents in Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, and Preah Vihear provinces. Since 2021, 1,512 sets of remains have been repatriated.

At the ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyễn Thị Thanh Lịch highlighted the sacrifices made by Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in helping Cambodia escape the genocidal Pol Pot regime, symbolising the enduring solidarity between the two nations.

Meanwhile, Yong Kim Hien, Deputy Governor of Preah Vihear, expressed deep gratitude and reaffirmed the wish for lasting friendship between the two countries.

Following the memorial ceremony, the remains were reburied at Đức Cơ District's martyr cemetery. VNA/VNS