SIEM REAP — The Royal Residence Park in Siem Reap City has been named after former Prime Minister Hun Sen as the “Techo Peace Park,” fueling reactions from the public.

As the Siem Reap Province administration explained, the park actually had no official name and its was decided to name it to honor Hun Sen’s Win-Win policy.

The park, which spreads from the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor to the residence of King Norodom Sihamoni, has not yet been officially named. It has been known among the public as the Royal Residence Park, said Ly Vannak, spokesperson of the Siem Reap provincial administration.

The new name of “Techo Peace Park” was made known when the provincial administration announced the preparations for the upcoming Sangkran, that is, the traditional celebrations for the new year. This prompted reactions and criticism from the public, fearing losses of historical sites.

According to Ly Vannak, the administration requested the name change and permission to renovate and set up the park for the New Year celebrations of April 2025.

“I am aware of the public’s reaction,” he said. “In fact, the park doesn’t have an official name yet, and we don’t want any misunderstanding on the name. If we call it the Royal Park, it means that we are renovating the garden inside the residence with the statues of the 12 generals, which the Ministry of the Royal Palace has beautifully prepared. We use this name [Techo Peace Park] as a guideline to avoid any misunderstanding.”

The name Techo Peace Park is meant to mark having fully achieve peace since 1998 due to Hun Sen’s Win-Win Policy, Vannak said. This park is meant in gratitude to the soldiers who sacrificed themselves during the war, and recognition of the leaders who negotiated to bring peace throughout the country, which has led to the development that we see today, Vannak said.

The Siem Reap provincial administration explained that renovation work in the park aims to create a more beautiful, comfortable, and organized environment suitable for Siem Reap City's central tourist area.

As the provincial authorities explained, the west side of Techo Peace Park, which is in front of the Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa at one end, will be restored in preparation for the Angkor Sangkran event in April.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the park’s restoration was held on January 12. The restoration workers have removed the pond in which there was no water, and is improving some of the structures. The renovation process will continue after the Angkor Sangkarn events have been held.

According to Vannak, it is important for the public to understand history before reacting. Such as the fact that many public places have not been officially named, he said.

The public often refers to places in the city by unofficial names especially if there is no official name. Kesarkol Road and Soksan Road were recently officially named and linked to specific geographical areas by the Siem Reap provincial administration.

Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Chhuon Kongieng for Cambodianess.