Orders, decorations, and medals of Cambodia

Last updated

Cambodian honors system consists of a number of orders, decorations and medals through which the country's sovereign awards its citizens for actions or deeds that benefit the nation. The modern system was established under Colonial French Rule and continued with modification after independence until the fall of the Khmer Republic on 17 April 1975. The current system was reinstated on 5 October 1995 by the Decree for the Establishment and Use of Decorations of Honor of the Kingdom of Cambodia No. 1095/01. The system includes an array of awards, both civil and military, for gallantry, bravery, distinguished service, meritorious service and long service. Various campaign and commemorative medals have also been struck.

Contents

History

The Cambodian honors system is based on European/French models. Many of the honors are orders of chivalry granted by royal decree or sub-decree. This system was established under Colonial French Rule and continued with modification after independence until the fall of the Khmer Republic on 17 April 1975. The current system was reinstated on 5 October 1995 by the Decree for the Establishment and Use of Decorations of Honor of the Kingdom of Cambodia No. 1095/01. Many of the modern awards have origins from Cambodia's period as a French colony or under the Kingdom of Cambodia under the rule of King Norodom Sihanouk.

Nominating for awards

Under the current system, candidates are nominated by government ministries through a Decoration of Honor Candidate Qualification Review Committee. [1] These committees refer nominations, with justification, to the Council of Ministers for a decision.

Categories of honors and awards

As established by Royal Decree, the hierarchy of decorations of honors are: [2]

Awards for National and Motherland Defense

(์old version)(์new version)
KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Grand Croix BAR.png KHM Royal Order of Cambodia - Grand Cross.svg Knight Grand Cross
KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Grand Officier BAR.png KHM Royal Order of Cambodia - Grand Officer.svg Knight Grand Officer
KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Commandeur BAR.svg KHM Royal Order of Cambodia - Commander.svg Knight Commander
KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Officier BAR.png KHM Royal Order of Cambodia - Officer.svg Knight Officer
KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Chevalier BAR.svg Knight or Chevalier

Royal Household Awards

Medals of National Defense

Multi-Category

(์old version)(์new version)
KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Grand Cross rib (1956-1975).png KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Grand Cross rib.svg Knight Grand Cross
KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Grand Officer rib (1956-1975).png KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Grand Officer.svg Knight Grand Officer
KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Commander rib (1923-1975).png KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Commander rib.svg Knight Commander
KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Officer rib (1923-1975).png KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Officer.svg Knight Officer
KHM Royal Order Of Sowathara - Knight rib.svg Knight or Chevalier

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norodom Sihanouk</span> Cambodian politician (1922–2012)

Norodom Sihanouk was a Cambodian politician, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in various capacities throughout his long career, most often as both King and Prime Minister of Cambodia. In Cambodia, he is known as Samdech Euv. During his lifetime, Cambodia was under various regimes, from French colonial rule, a Japanese puppet state (1945), an independent kingdom (1953–1970), a military republic (1970–1975), the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), a Vietnamese-backed communist regime (1979–1989), a transitional communist regime (1989–1993) to eventually another kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer Republic</span> Country in Southeast Asia from 1970 to 1975

The Khmer Republic was a Cambodian state under the United States-backed military dictatorship of Marshal Lon Nol from 1970 to 1975. Its establishment was formally declared on 9 October 1970, following the 18 March 1970 coup d'état which saw the overthrow of Norodom Sihanouk's government and the abolishment of the Cambodian monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French protectorate of Cambodia</span> 1863–1953 protectorate in Southeast Asia

The French protectorate of Cambodia refers to the Kingdom of Cambodia when it was a French protectorate within French Indochina, a collection of Southeast Asian protectorates within the French colonial empire. The protectorate was established in 1863 when the Cambodian King Norodom requested the establishment of a French protectorate over his country, meanwhile Siam renounced suzerainty over Cambodia and officially recognised the French protectorate on Cambodia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Cambodia</span> Royal arms of Cambodia

The royal arms of Cambodia is the symbol of the Cambodian monarchy. They have existed in some form close to the one depicted since the establishment of the independent Kingdom of Cambodia in 1953. It is the symbol on the royal standard of the reigning monarch of Cambodia, currently King Norodom Sihamoni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norodom Suramarit</span> King of Cambodia from 1955 to 1960

Norodom Suramarit was King of Cambodia from 3 March 1955 until his death in 1960. He was the father of King Norodom Sihanouk and the grandfather of Cambodia's current king, Norodom Sihamoni. Suramarit was born in Phnom Penh to Prince Norodom Sutharot. When his grandfather King Norodom died in 1904, Norodom's brother Sisowath took the throne. King Sisowath died in 1927 and was succeeded by his son Monivong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norodom Chakrapong</span> Cambodian prince (born 1945)

Norodom Chakrapong is a Cambodian politician, businessman and former major-general of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. He is the fourth son of Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and also a half-brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni. Chakrapong started his career as a military pilot in 1963. After Sihanouk was overthrown in 1970, Chakrapong spent time under house arrest, then in Beijing as the Head of Protocol of then-Prince Sihanouk, afterwards living overseas before he joined the Funcinpec in 1981 and fought against Vietnamese occupation as a commander of the Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste. In 1991, Chakrapong left Funcinpec to join the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia between 1992 and 1993. When the CPP lost the 1993 general elections, Chakrapong led a secession attempt in 1993. In 1994, he was accused of joining a failed coup attempt which led him to be sent into exile. After Chakrapong was pardoned in 1998, he founded a private airline company, Royal Phnom Penh Airways. The airlines later stopped all operations in early 2006.

Orders, decorations, and medals of Georgia are the orders, state decorations and medals that are granted by the national government of Georgia for meritorious achievements in national defense, state improvement, and the development of democracy and human rights.

The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system. The order is awarded for meritorious service to the sovereign of Belgium, and as a token of his personal goodwill. It can be awarded to both Belgians and foreigners, and is seen as diplomatic gift of merit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orders, decorations, and medals of Romania</span>

The National Decorations System of Romania is divided into six categories, listed below. It was re-established in 1998 after a 50-year period in which Romania used a Soviet-style system of decorations. It is very similar to the system used in Romania during the interwar period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norodom Monineath</span> Queen of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004

Norodom Monineath Sihanouk is the Queen Mother of Cambodia. She was Queen of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King Norodom Sihanouk. She is the widow of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, whom she married in 1955 as the "secondary consort". After Sihanouk and Norleak divorced in 1968, Monineath became the official spouse of the King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Order of Cambodia</span>

The Royal Order of Cambodia was a colonial order of chivalry of French Cambodia, and is still in use as an order of chivalry in the present-day Kingdom of Cambodia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum</span> Cambodian politician (1905–2009)

Chau Sen Cocsal, also known as Chhum, was a Cambodian civil servant and politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia in 1962 and President of the National Assembly twice, in 1962–1963 and 1966–1968. Chhum was awarded the honorary title "Samdech" in 1993 by King Norodom Sihanouk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Order of Sahametrei</span>

The Royal Order of Sahametrei is a chivalric order conferred by the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Royal Order of Sahametrei was instituted in three classes on 9 September 1948 and was expanded to five classes on 23 August 1956. The order was not used during the Khmer Rouge period and was reinstated on 5 October 1995 by Royal Decree No. 1095/01. It is conferred primarily on foreigners who have rendered distinguished services to the King and to the people of Cambodia, particularly in the field of external relations and diplomatic services or, as a token of friendship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norodom Chantaraingsey</span>

PrinceNorodom Chantaraingsey was a member of the Cambodian royal family and a Cambodian nationalist. Initially a leader of the guerrilla resistance against the colonial French, he went on to become a prominent general in the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) during the Cambodian Civil War, as well as a businessman and occasional writer.

Dap Chhuon, also known as Chuan Khemphet, Khem Phet, Chhuon Mochulpech or Chhuon Mchoul Pich (1912–1959) was a right-wing Cambodian nationalist, guerrilla leader, regional warlord, and general.

The Japanese occupation of Cambodia was the period of Cambodian history during World War II when the Kingdom of Cambodia was occupied by the Japanese. Vichy France, which was a client state of Nazi Germany, nominally maintained the French protectorate over Cambodia and other parts of Indochina during most of the Japanese occupation. This territory of Cambodia was reduced, by concessions to Thailand after the Franco-Thai War, so that it did not include Stung Treng Province, Battambang Province, and Siem Reap Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol</span> Highest knighthood order of the Kingdom of Laos

The Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, also called the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Umbrella, is the highest knighthood order of the Royal Family of Laos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Order of National Merit</span>

The Grand Order of National Merit was founded by King Norodom Sihanouk on 5 October 1995. It is awarded in one class to foreign Heads of State and to Cambodian nationals who have performed exceptional services to the nation.

The Royal Order of Monisaraphon was founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905. It is conferred for accomplishment and outstanding support in the fields of education, arts, science, literacy, or social works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945)</span> 1945 Japanese puppet state

The Kingdom of Kampuchea was a short-lived puppet state of the Empire of Japan, which existed from 9 March 1945 to 16 October 1945.

References

  1. Geoffrey Oldham & Brett Delahunt (2004). "Cambodian Decorations of Honor". Milymen Books. ISBN   9780473097998.
  2. King Norodom Sihanouk (5 October 1995), Royal Decree for the Establishment and Use of Decorations of Honor of the Kingdom of Cambodia No. 1095/01, Kingdom of Cambodia.