In Memory of the King Father

By William E. Todd, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia 

My sincere thanks go to everyone who sent comments and questions for my weekly column.  I really appreciate the chance to hear from you, as that’s the reason I write this column each week – to hear your thoughts and comments.  This week, we had several questions about the King Father’s funeral and how this event is viewed by the U.S. Embassy.  First, and foremost, I would again like to take a moment to offer my heartfelt condolences to His Majesty King Sihamoni, Her Majesty Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, the entire Royal Family, and the Cambodian people for the loss of His Majesty King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

The events of this week – the funeral procession for the late King Father and the enshrinement and cremation ceremonies – are the culmination of the hundred days since the King Father died.  This time has given all of us an opportunity to reflect on what the King Father meant to Cambodia and to the Cambodian people.  The King Father was an active participant in the history of Cambodia for more than seven decades, which is, in itself, remarkable, and there is little doubt that the legacy of the King Father has made a lasting impact on this country.

When I ask Cambodians about the King Father, I hear about the warmth and respect people feel for him.  Some people speak of him as a fatherly figure who shepherded their country through the first decades of independence.  Many speak of the admiration that their grandparents felt for him when he served as Prime Minister in the 1960s.  Others demonstrate respect for the King Father’s legacy while also examining history with an eye to the future progress of Cambodia.  Regardless of whom I speak with, one message remains clear: the King Father’s love for Cambodia was the central theme of his life.

Last October, it was humbling to see the thousands of Cambodians who traveled from all over the country to pay their respects to the former King.  I believe His Majesty would be deeply moved by the love and reverence the country is showing at this time.  Following the King Father’s death, members of my staff at the U.S. Embassy shared with me their remembrances of him, and discussed what the King Father meant to the country.  I would like to share a few of these remembrances with you.

One young woman recalled that when she was little the King seemed mythical.  She spoke of his return to Cambodia in 1991, describing the event in this way:  “I sensed the excitement in the air.  I saw King Norodom Sihanouk for the first time on TV.  He was riding in a car waving his hands to the people lining the streets who were waving flags to greet him.  Two decades later, I was among the people who gathered along Russian Boulevard, but this time the atmosphere was different.  There was no cheering or clapping.  People were wearing white, with ribbons pinned on their shirts.  Monks and old people were chanting.  I can’t help thinking that if my grandmother was still alive, she would have been among those sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the return of King Sihanouk’s body, no matter how hot the weather was.  When the motorcade arrived, some people started to cry; it was an emotional moment.”

For this young woman, the feelings of those who witnessed the return of the King Father’s body showed how he had remained close to the Cambodian people and had earned their respect.  She explained, “I think that he always had good intentions for his country, and is one of the most important people in Cambodian history.  I am glad that my family and I took time to pay respect to the King Father.”

Another person on my staff shared that the King Father’s legacy is intertwined with Cambodia’s history.  Here are her words:  “I was overwhelmed by the passing of the King Father.  The whole nation was in profound grief.  As part of Cambodia’s youth, I have learned about the King, how he achieved independence for Cambodia, his Sangkum Reastr Niyum (the unopposed era), his being deposed in 1970, the country’s descent into genocide and civil war, his 1991 homecoming, and his 2004 abdication.  The King Father’s final years were marked by his concerns about the poverty and abuse in what he called ‘my poor nation.’

“Such a legacy over a long period of time made him an icon, and Cambodia is unlikely to see such a personality ever again.  Sadly, his passing marks the end of an era for Cambodia.  I had an opportunity to pay my final tribute to him at the Royal Palace.  As a Cambodian, he left our nation and our people with profound nostalgia beyond words.”

I join with my staff and with the Cambodian people in mourning the passing of a remarkable man.  It is a privilege to represent the United States and to be in attendance for the King Father’s enshrinement ceremony and cremation ceremony, and I extend the heart-felt condolences of the U.S. Embassy and the American people to the Cambodian people on this somber occasion.

William E. Todd is U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia