Ashes of Cambodia’s late King Sihanouk scattered into river

                                        Ashes of late King Norodom Sihanouk

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) — Cambodian royal families brought late King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s ashes to scatter at the confluence of the four rivers in front of the capital city’s royal palace on Tuesday after his body was cremated.

Sihanouk’s body was cremated on Monday evening in an elaborated Buddhist ceremony at the Veal Preah Meru Square next to the palace.

On Tuesday morning, after Sihanouk’s wife Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and his son King Norodom Sihamoni took some parts of Sihanouk’s ashes for putting in an urn, the remaining ashes were brought to spray into the river in accordance with Sihanouk’s wish.

The late monarch died at the age of 90 in China’s capital of Beijing on Oct. 15 last year.

He suffered from various forms of cancer, diabetes and hypertension and had been treated by Chinese doctors in Beijing for years before his death.

Sihanouk reigned over Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication on Oct. 7, 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni.

Prince Sisowath Thomico, spokesman for the Royal Cabinet and former aide to the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, said Sihanouk’s ashes will be put in a gold platinum-made urn and placed in a stupa at the royal palace to comply with his wish.