Cambodia on Sunday commemorated the 72nd anniversary of its national independence from French colonial rule.

The celebration was held under the auspices of the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni and was accompanied by Prime Minister Hun Manet, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and National Assembly President Khuon Sudary.

Representatives of foreign diplomatic corps were also among thousands of celebrants at the one-hour event held at the Independence Monument in the capital, Phnom Penh.

During the commemoration, Sihamoni laid a wreath and lit the ceremonial victory fire inside the Independence Monument to symbolize the country's independence.

Hun Sen said Nov. 9 reminded the people of a noble mission conducted by the late Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk to demand independence from the French colony.

"King Norodom Sihanouk, the Father of Independence, had greatly sacrificed both physical and mental energies in his royal crusade to gain full independence for Cambodia," he said in a text posted on his official social media platforms.

At the end of the ceremony, pigeons and balloons were released as a sign of independence and freedom.

The Southeast Asian country gained its independence on Nov. 9, 1953, after 90 years of the French protectorate.