Upon receiving the dreadful news of an air crash accident of a Vietnam Airlines flight No.VN185 in the afternoon of September 3, 1997, near Pochentong International Airport of Phnom Penh, causing the death of 65 passengers and crew members and one seriously injured, the Royal Government of Cambodia is in a deep sorrow and regrets over this sad accident.

The Government took immediate emergency measures with great responsibility for the victims by setting up a mix working group including the police force, the civil aviation authorities, the committee for the disaster management and the team of health department to undertake responsibilities including transport of the bodies to the Calmette Hospital and to provide protection for those bodies awaiting to be transferred.

The surviving victims have been given all the necessary emergency care. The dead bodies have been given appropriate care awaiting the decision of their family members.

The Royal Government regards this event as a great sorrow for the Royal Government and for the Cambodian people. The Royal Government issues the following instructions:

1. The Council of Ministers meeting in the morning of September 4, 1997, observed a minute of silence in respect of the memory of all those who lost their lives in the accident;

2. All Government institutions, provincial authorities, etc., all over Cambodia will fly flags at half mast on September 5, 1997;

3. Letters of condolence of the Prime Ministers have to be immediately sent to the Governments and the families of the victims;

4. Working groups stationed at the Pochentong Airport, and another working group at the Calmette Hospital have to be set up to facilitate a speedy procedure for the families of the victims to repatriate bodies;

5. Instruct the Cambodian Airlines having schedules flights between Phnom Penh and Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore to facilitate the travel of families of the victims who wish to come to Cambodia to investigate and to repatriate the bodies and the injured;

All the institutions, municipal and provincial authorities must implement these instructions in an effective manner.

  Ung Huot                  Hun Sen 

First Prime Minister      Second Prime Minister