October 23 marks the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements in 1991 - the accords that formally ended Cambodia's civil war after two decades of conflict spanning Lon Nol's coup, Pol Pot's genocide, the Vietnamese occupation, and years of UN-brokered diplomacy. Eighteen nations signed the agreement, establishing the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and setting the path for the 1993 elections that restored constitutional democracy. Cambodia removed the date from its official public holiday calendar in 2019 when public holidays were reduced from 28 to 22 days, but the day retains deep historical meaning. The 1991 settlement was the mechanism that allowed Cambodia to rejoin the international community - and without it, the tourism industry in Siem Reap that you are part of today would not exist in its current form. Government offices and businesses operate normally. Angkor is open.
- Location
- Siem Reap