October 16, 2012
Cambodians entered a second day of mourning Tuesday for their revered
former king Norodom Sihanouk, as preparations were made to return his
body from China.
Tearful mourners placed a small wreath outside the royal palace in the Cambodian capital and offered prayers for the man they called "King-Father," who died of a heart attack in Beijing Monday.
"I lost the king, it's like I lost a father," said one Cambodian mourner. "Fathers take care of their children, and it's like we lost a father. It's a big loss for the family."
His son, King Norodom Sihamoni, and Prime Minister Hun Sen have gone to Beijing to collect the body in a gold coffin. It will lie in state at the royal palace for three months before being cremated at a traditional Buddhist ceremony.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was among those who paid respects to Sihanouk Tuesday, calling him an "old friend of the Chinese people."
Other condolence messages continued to pour in from around the world. The United States, which helped topple Sihanouk in a Washington-backed 1970 coup, offered condolences in a brief State Department memo.
North Korea, whose founder Kim Il Sung was close with Sihanouk, on Tuesday praised the former leader's "unprecedented" friendship with Pyongyang.
Sihanouk died early Monday in Beijing following a long battle with cancer. He was 89.
Sihanouk came to the throne in 1941 and went on to rule Cambodia off and on for more than 60 years.
He was heralded for bringing his ancient kingdom through independence from France, war and genocide to form a fragile democracy. But Sihanouk's name is also still soiled from his association with the Khmer Rouge movement, blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians.
Sihanouk abdicated the throne to his son, Norodom Sihamoni, in 2004 citing old age and health concerns.
Tearful mourners placed a small wreath outside the royal palace in the Cambodian capital and offered prayers for the man they called "King-Father," who died of a heart attack in Beijing Monday.
"I lost the king, it's like I lost a father," said one Cambodian mourner. "Fathers take care of their children, and it's like we lost a father. It's a big loss for the family."
His son, King Norodom Sihamoni, and Prime Minister Hun Sen have gone to Beijing to collect the body in a gold coffin. It will lie in state at the royal palace for three months before being cremated at a traditional Buddhist ceremony.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was among those who paid respects to Sihanouk Tuesday, calling him an "old friend of the Chinese people."
Other condolence messages continued to pour in from around the world. The United States, which helped topple Sihanouk in a Washington-backed 1970 coup, offered condolences in a brief State Department memo.
North Korea, whose founder Kim Il Sung was close with Sihanouk, on Tuesday praised the former leader's "unprecedented" friendship with Pyongyang.
Sihanouk died early Monday in Beijing following a long battle with cancer. He was 89.
Sihanouk came to the throne in 1941 and went on to rule Cambodia off and on for more than 60 years.
He was heralded for bringing his ancient kingdom through independence from France, war and genocide to form a fragile democracy. But Sihanouk's name is also still soiled from his association with the Khmer Rouge movement, blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians.
Sihanouk abdicated the throne to his son, Norodom Sihamoni, in 2004 citing old age and health concerns.
3 comments:
To All Khmer Yeurng (all of Khmer citizens):
Please don't talk nonsense. You don't know what you are talking about. Stop being manipulated by other Anonymous mentioned. You need to be quiet and let's focus on Unity. We want CNRP and CPP to reunite as one without fight each others in order to change the leaders. We wish all Khmer/Cambodian citizens or members of major parties CNRP and CPP to merge after the merger of SRP and HRP including other small parties like Khmer Democratic, KPPM, etc.
So, stop fighting each others. We need to work together to save our Khmer nation.
It is timing. Khmer folks both at home and abroad (USA, Australia, NZ, France, Canada, S. Korea, Japan, and so on), please stop fighting each others and please take the positive outlooks and stop hating other because of the Vietnamese/Yuon manipulation and don't let our neighbors Yuon/Viet and Siam/Thai to see our weakness.
So, watch out on each others no matter what happen. Please think and be careful.
Thanks for listening.
Khmer Yeurng.
you khmerization now having biger hand to reach lovely khmer people and you yourself know only national unity that will bring geeat great and great victories. wasn't it right sir? so why so why some media like ki or else try realy realy hards to saparate us khmer. it make no sense to get rid youn but we all kmher preach and spread hatread among khmer it was wrong. wasn't it sir.mike
Thats good if you step into the light no more staying in the dark,but your messages remain the same anti democracy pro Cpp,benefits from Cpp wearing Hun sen's mouth pieces speak for him.
Lets make the next chapter of khmer's history as a UNITED FRONT against all enemies to our nation UNITED ALL KHMERS put away the different work together to fight corruption that killed our unity divided us into class war fair among our nation(Khmers) Lets stop the roots causes of these divisions among us,remember we all KHMERS united we stand,divided we fall.I personally welcome this guy Mike to joint democracy not Cpp thugs,you've been staying in the dark for too long,please step into the light for the SAKE of unity to benefits all KHMERS....By the way R.I.P your majesty highness X-king.
Kmenhwatt.
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