BBC News, Phnom Penh
Cambodia's former king, Norodom Sihanouk, is due to return to the country on Friday after an absence of almost a year.
He has been receiving medical treatment in China, and has also spent time in North Korea.
The 83-year-old was a key figure in the country's political life for more than six decades.
But in his absence the royal family's role in Cambodian politics has declined significantly.
Norodom Sihanouk has requested there should be no official welcome at Phnom Penh airport.
But his long-term sparring partner, Prime Minister Hun Sen, has arranged for a limousine to meet the former king, and it would be surprising if supporters did not turn out to cheer him into the city.
But Sihanouk will find that the political climate is much changed from the time of his departure 10 months ago.
Then, the royalist party Funcinpec was the coalition partner to Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party.
Now Funcinpec is rudderless. Its leader, Prince Ranariddh, resigned in the aftermath of a well-engineered scandal, and Hun Sen has been steadily removing its ministers from office.
It could mark the beginning of the end of the royal family's involvement in politics.
Sihanouk has returned to his other great love - film making.
He was behind the camera once again in North Korea.
But he is also keen to ensure the future of the monarchy.
He abdicated in favour of his son Norodom Sihamoni two years ago, and recently described the prime minister and the king as a Buddha-blessed duo.
He has been receiving medical treatment in China, and has also spent time in North Korea.
The 83-year-old was a key figure in the country's political life for more than six decades.
But in his absence the royal family's role in Cambodian politics has declined significantly.
Norodom Sihanouk has requested there should be no official welcome at Phnom Penh airport.
But his long-term sparring partner, Prime Minister Hun Sen, has arranged for a limousine to meet the former king, and it would be surprising if supporters did not turn out to cheer him into the city.
But Sihanouk will find that the political climate is much changed from the time of his departure 10 months ago.
Then, the royalist party Funcinpec was the coalition partner to Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party.
Now Funcinpec is rudderless. Its leader, Prince Ranariddh, resigned in the aftermath of a well-engineered scandal, and Hun Sen has been steadily removing its ministers from office.
It could mark the beginning of the end of the royal family's involvement in politics.
Sihanouk has returned to his other great love - film making.
He was behind the camera once again in North Korea.
But he is also keen to ensure the future of the monarchy.
He abdicated in favour of his son Norodom Sihamoni two years ago, and recently described the prime minister and the king as a Buddha-blessed duo.
4 comments:
King Father!!!
I, your truly loyal servant, love you but can not help you
May be you will be the OBJECT of the Khmer Rouge tribunal because China would not defend you after his affairs, no one could save you
China always defended me.. as long as i don't go to the UN or US to tell the true about the khmer rouge that i created in the 6o's. hehehe! you wish? go find the way to catch me! i'm sdach den dey the fyinging man! eeyore eeyore!
Maybe Cambodians victims, me too, from
the khmer rouge regime will attack you firstly because you are the cause of killing 2 millions Cambodian people
He is not my father, and he is not my king, my parents are. These just a scum bag,, that the chinese got sick of him, and kick him out!!
better of to your own place to die stopid idiot..chinese don't recognize you, idiot...hehehehe!!
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