Phnom Penh: Sunday, 10th of November 2019. BritCham organized the annual Remembrance Day at the Sunflower Ballroom and Terrace Garden venue of the Himawari Hotel Apartments.
Participating in the Remembrance Day ceremony was the group of St. John Phnom Penh, along with guests of honor Mr Andrew Tay, Senior Zone President of St. John Phnom Penh and Director of Himawari Hotel Apartments, Ms. Angela Corcoran, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, Mr. Cashel Gleeson, United Kingdom Deputy Head of Mission, Defense Attaches and a representative from the India Embassy in Phnom Penh, a representative from Czech Republic in Cambodia and a representative from Embassy of Russia in Cambodia.
Mr Andrew Tay read “In Flanders Field” poem by John McCrae, followed by a reading of “Lest We Forget”. All participated in a sing-a-long to “I Vow Thee My Country” followed by a liturgy for the prayer of peace. Ambassadors, Defense Attaches and embassy representatives laid the commemorative wreaths in memory of all soldiers who fought, suffered and were killed during the World Wars.
The significance of the poppy being associated with Remembrance Day is that the poppy is a lasting memorial symbol to the fallen, as described by John McCrae in this poem “In Flanders Fields”. The poppy came to represent the immeasurable sacrifice made by his comrades and quickly became a lasting memorial to those who died in World War I and later conflicts. It was adopted by The Royal British Legion as the symbol for their Poppy Appeal, in aid of those serving in the British Armed Forces, after its formation in 1921.
Photo by: Engly Tuy (Sakura)
