The resumption of this year’s celebrations of Kan Ben and Pchum Ben Festivals reflects the success of the vaccination policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

The comments were made by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen in a special voice message shared this morning.

Last year, he recalled, due to the COVID-19 community outbreak, we could hold only the 1st, 2nd and some part of 3rd days of Kan Ben Festival. But from the 4th day, the gathering was banned to prevent the infections and deaths caused by the pandemic.

Despite the low COVID-19 infections yesterday, the first day of Kan Ben Festival, the Premier called on all pagodas to well follow the health safety rules, and his compatriots to adhere to the Three Dos, Three Don’ts measure and to get vaccinated against the pandemic.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed hope that this year, there will be no risk of COVID-19 infection from the first day of Kan Ben to the Pchum Ben day.

The Prime Minister took the opportunity to appeal to taxis not to increase fares during the festival and ask Phnom Penh municipal hall to consider providing free transport to people as in the years before the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a press release of the Ministry of Health issued this morning, Cambodia registered only 9 new confirmed cases of COVID-19; bringing the tally to 137,719. Of the total cases, 134,590 have recovered while 3,056 have lost their lives.

Cambodia is celebrating since Sept. 11 the two-week-long Kan Ben Festival, which is part of “Pchum Ben” Festival or the Festival for the Dead, one of the biggest festivals in Buddhism. This religious festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of Kan Ben, is to celebrate this year on Sept. 25.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press