October 6, 2006The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Cambodia's retired King Norodom Sihanouk says he will fly five Buddhist monks to join him in China for blessings on his birthday later this month.
Sihanouk, who turns 84 on Oct. 31, and his wife, former Queen Monineath, left Cambodia in early September to undergo medical examinations in China. The former monarch — succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni in 2004 — spends much of his time in the Chinese capital, Beijing.
Sihanouk, in a message seen on his official Web site Friday, said a small group of Cambodian clergymen and five Buddhist monks "will arrive from Cambodia at my expense" to take part in prayers and a Buddhist religious ceremony to be held at his Beijing residence.
His message also said he wanted no fanfare for the occasion and "strongly" urged foreign and Cambodian dignitaries not to send him any birthday correspondence.
"I request my beloved fellow countrymen and women not to organize religious ceremonies in my favor," he said in the message dated Sept. 25. It was not clear why it was posted Friday.
Sihanouk has suffered from a number of ailments, including colon cancer, diabetes, hypertension and two strokes. He travels regularly for medical checkups to China, which granted him a comfortable exile after he was ousted from power in a 1970 coup.
Sihanouk has said he will not return home until next year.
Sihanouk, who turns 84 on Oct. 31, and his wife, former Queen Monineath, left Cambodia in early September to undergo medical examinations in China. The former monarch — succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni in 2004 — spends much of his time in the Chinese capital, Beijing.
Sihanouk, in a message seen on his official Web site Friday, said a small group of Cambodian clergymen and five Buddhist monks "will arrive from Cambodia at my expense" to take part in prayers and a Buddhist religious ceremony to be held at his Beijing residence.
His message also said he wanted no fanfare for the occasion and "strongly" urged foreign and Cambodian dignitaries not to send him any birthday correspondence.
"I request my beloved fellow countrymen and women not to organize religious ceremonies in my favor," he said in the message dated Sept. 25. It was not clear why it was posted Friday.
Sihanouk has suffered from a number of ailments, including colon cancer, diabetes, hypertension and two strokes. He travels regularly for medical checkups to China, which granted him a comfortable exile after he was ousted from power in a 1970 coup.
Sihanouk has said he will not return home until next year.
3 comments:
Why was it necessary to remind anyone about the birthday that may have been worthwhile?
SiS
With due respect, I think our former king talks too much; some of it not necessarly good for Cambodia and respected king. He seeks to stay away of attention but somehow he gathers attention to himself. I wish he would just let Cambodian people do whatever they want if they love him. It is nothing wrong with that. I also notice that he change his mind a lot.
Let's hope his letter would not be read on TVs or radios if he wants to keep his birthday a low profile. Otherwise, it would be like telling people "Don't forget my birthday from now on even if I wish to keep the publicity to a minimum".
Who else can have the privilege of the eminent Buddhist abbots attending and blessing his birthday? Certainly not for the little people of Cambodia.
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