Historic Renakse Hotel Under Threat | Heritage Watch - Preserving thePast, Enriching the Future

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A petition is being ciruclated to appeal to the government and Royal Palace that the historic Phnom Penh landmark, the Renakse Hotel be saved from demolition.
The petition reads:
We are a number of Cambodian and International institutions and individuals involved in the preservation of Cambodia’s culture and cultural heritage who felt it was necessary to alert Your Majesty and Your Excellencies on the threatened heritage of a number of historical landmarks in the city of Phnom Penh. One of them, the Renakse Hotel, located in front of the Royal Palace, is both a building of considerable architectural value as well as an historical milestone. From its foundation in the early part of the twentieth century, the building was part of the Royal Court of Justice instituted during the French Protectorate. It was there that the world famous writer/adventurer André Malraux was first tried for his attempt at looting the temple of Banteay Srei in the Angkor region. Later, in 1979, the first post-Khmer Rouge Cambodian government settled in its walls. For many people engaged in the reconstruction of a post-conflict, modern and democratic Cambodia (including members of the Cambodian People Party which owns the building), the Renakse was their meeting-ground, and an important place of activities. The old walls of this venerable building are therefore charged with the history of modern Cambodia. Moreover, and if the old front building is well preserved, the Renakse represents an attractive tourist site that could both generate jobs and incomes for many, while continuing to serve its role as a one of the architectural pillars of the city of Phnom Penh.

For these reasons, we call on Your Majesty, Your Excellency Samdech Prime Minister and on Your Excellencies Members of the Royal Cambodian Government, to do all what is in Their Capacities to save this historical landmark from destruction, total or partial. We also take this opportunity to call upon Your Wisdom to continue to raise awareness among the Cambodian people on the priceless value of the country’s architectural built heritage, which cannot be limited to the temples of the Angkor times.

To sign the petition please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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"Remembering where you have come from is as important as knowing where you are going."

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