State of Independence

The Independence Monument was designed by the father of New Khmer Architecture Van Molyvann and built in 1958 some years after Cambodia ceased to be a French protectorate in 1953. King Norodom Sihanouk had campaigned for the end of French rule, yet later domestic politics meant he had to live in exile in China and North Korea, though he remained politically active. He eventually returned to Cambodia, was incarcerated for several years and eventually re-instated as the head of the state.

The Independence Monument takes inspiration from the historic Angkor period and resembles a lotus shaped stupa. In the centre there is a pedestal on which a ceremonial flame is lit on important occasions. It stands tall on a roundabout at the intersection of two major boulevards - Norodom and Sihanouk.

I cycle past it nearly every day and sometimes again at night. I love this iconic structure which is synonymous with Phnom Penh. No matter how many times I see it, I find myself taking a moment to appreciate its unique beauty and how I have been made to feel so warmly welcome in this city, the capital of the Kingdom of Wonder as Cambodia is aptly called.

The country has a population of 15 million and half of that is comprised of people under the age of 25. I hope in the near future, independence will come to mean more than simply freedom from past colonial rule and in the modern day, an over reliance on international aid and foreign 'expertise', but rather that many young Cambodians will have access and opportunities for higher education and entrepreneurial pathways and become equipped to be at the helm and direct and create their own country's future vision and innovation.