Condolence​s to former King - By CambodiaWatch Team, Australia

15 October 2012

CambodiaWatch Team, Australia

We are saddened by the news that our former monarch has died in Beijing today aged 89. We would like to offer our deepest condolences and sympathy to the Cambodian royal families during this hard time.

This is not just a great loss for the Khmer royal families but also for the Khmer people and nation as a whole.

For nearly a century he worked tirelessly to advance his people and country. He gained independence from the French and brought Cambodia into modernity. While the Vietnam War was raging on in neighbouring countries; for many years, he had managed to steer the country out of the war.

During the 1980s while the Vietnamese troops were invading and occupying Cambodia, King Sihanouk played a major role in forming and leading the resistance movement to evict them out of the country which later resulted in the Paris Peace Conference in 1991.

In the 1960s while many Southeast Asian countries were backward in development, but Cambodia under his rule was visibly advanced, according to a group of Australian students who noticed the differences while travelling the regions.

Among the Asian leaders from the Vietnam War Era, he survived the longest and was the last to pass away. And with his passing Cambodia has entered a new era and new chapter of history.

Despite his flaws during his life, he was a figure of stability and durability for Cambodia and hope for the majority of poor rural Khmer people; and we hope that history will judge him kindly and fairly.

We also pray that his absence will act as a unifying force and defining moment in bringing Khmer leaders of all political persuasions closer togther for the sake of our national healing and reconciliation and for the long term survival of our country, and may our current rulers be enlightened with humanity, justice and kindess in their hearts toward their long suffering Khmer people.

May Your soul rest in peace and, thank you so much, Your Majesty, for all the hard works and sacrifices you have done for the Nation and Khmer people.

CambodiaWatch Team, Australia