Chinese diplomats in Cambodia mark 1st Martyrs' Day

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo on Tuesday led Chinese embassy officials to pay homage to the deceased Chinese heroes on the first Martyrs' Day.

The commemorative ceremony was held at a memorial monument in Kampong Cham province's Cheung Prey district, where two Chinese United Nations peacekeeping soldiers, Chen Zhiguo and Yu Shili, were killed in a blast in 1993.

Representatives of the Chinese Association in Cambodia and the China Hong Kong and Macau Expatriate and Business Association in Cambodia also attended the event.

After laying wreaths and paying silent tribute at the memorial monument, Ambassador Bu said China's top legislature approved Sept. 30 as the Martyrs' Day last month, to commemorate those who had lost their lives in fighting for national independence and prosperity.

"Even though they passed away, we all still remember their great courage forever," she said. "They had sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace."

Martyrs, as defined by the Chinese government, are "people who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity, as well as the welfare of the people in modern times, or after First Opium War (1840-1842)."