"Sihanouk also believed he had the right to run the state in a manner not very different from that of the ancient Khmer kings -- that is, as an extension of his household."
As prince, head of state and king, Norodom Sihanouk accomplished many things. Sihanouk, who abdicated the throne in 2004, was born Oct. 31, 1922, oversaw independence in 1953, was exiled by a US-backed coup in 1970, held under house arrest by the Khmer Rouge, and finally returned as king. King Norodom Sihanouk was only 19 years old when the French colonial government picked him for the throne in 1941. Despite being a political novice, King Sihanouk transformed the role of a Cambodian monarch from merely ceremonial to immensely powerful and popular.
Political power was largely exercised in by Prince Norodom Sihanouk or, when held by others, usually derived from him. He was Chief of State, a position granting him all rights allowed the King under the Constitution. He was also Supreme Councilor of his party, the People's Socialist Community (Sangkum Reastr Niyum, usually referred to as Sangkum), to which all persons who wish to participate in political life should belong. He was also President of the Council of Ministers, or chief executive, and President of the Royal Khmer Socialist Youth (Jeunesse Socialiste Royale Khmere-JSRK), which organized and led the nation's young people. His strength was further legitimized by his former position as King, a factor which, combined with his paternal rule, made him an object of reverence.
From 1947 through 1955 political parties competed for power in periodic elections, but the situation was altered by the gradual consolidation of power by Prince Sihanouk, first as King and, after 1955, as Supreme Councilor of the Sangkum. He overwhelmed his opponents, obtained for his adherents the primary political offices and concurrently won the reverence and allegiance of the majority of citizens.
"Ultimately, the eccentric humanity of Sihanouk was to contrast poignantly with the random brutality of his Khmer Rouge successors."
Such exclusive political control found its origins in the country's long history of absolute monarchy, which was only slightly altered by short periods of foreign domination. The contemporary pattern of periodic elections and representative government was supported by a majority of the citizens.
David Chandler, an American expert on Cambodia said Sihanouk was a hard-working and patriotic leader, but he was also an authoritarian. "He was a dictator certainly, but a very popular dictator among the ordinary people," he says. "The opposition couldn't get itself organized, political parties were smashed." Sihanouk endeared himself to the Cambodian people by reaching out to his subjects in a way no other monarch did. At times, he indulged in his extravagant artistic hobbies such as filmmaking, music and publishing.
One critic, Michael Vickery, asserts that beneath the neutralist rhetoric Sihanouk presided over a regime that was oppressively reactionary and, in some instances, as violent in its suppression of political opposition as the Khmer Rouge. According to Vickery, the royal armed forces under Lon Nol slaughtered women and children in pro-Khmer Issarak regions of Batdambang in 1954 using methods that were later to become routine under Pol Pot.
Another critical observer, Milton E. Osborne, writing as an Australian expatriate in Phnom Penh during the late 1960s, describes the Sihanouk years in terms of unbridled greed and corruption, of a foreign policy inspired more by opportunism than by the desire to preserve national independence, of an economy and a political system that were rapidly coming apart, and of the prince's obsession with making outrageously mediocre films -- one of which starred himself and his wife, Princess Monique.
Sihanouk was all of these things -- patriot, neutralist, embodiment of the nation's destiny, eccentric, rigid defender of the status quo, and promoter of the worst sort of patron-client politics. He believed that he single-handedly had won Cambodia's independence from the French. The contributions of other nationalists, such as Son Ngoc Thanh and the Viet Minh, were conveniently forgotten. Sihanouk also believed he had the right to run the state in a manner not very different from that of the ancient Khmer kings -- that is, as an extension of his household.
Shortly after winning independence from France in 1953, the king abdicated the throne in favor of his father and chose a more hands-on political role as Cambodia's head of state. For the most of the 1950s and 1960s, Sihanouk ruled unopposed. His personal popularity continued at a level difficult for Westerners to comprehend, yet the Prince courted his followers like a dark-horse candidate for county clerk.
Sihanouk was neither psychologically nor physically distant from the people; he identifies himself as one of them and told them that he was the leader whom they have chosen. The relationship was often likened to that of father and children; Prince Sihanouk was fondly called Samdech Euv (Venerable Father), and he termed all Khmer as "his children." He repeatedly told the people that he worked only for their benefit and that Cambodia was their nation, belonging to all of them. This approach seemed to have succeeded in winning the loyalty of the great majority of the Khmer, and it made them aware of belonging to a nation.
Unlike the ancient "god-kings," however, he established genuine rapport with ordinary Cambodians. He made frequent, often impromptu, trips throughout the country, visiting isolated villages, chatting with peasants, receiving petitions, passing out gifts, and scolding officials for mismanagement. Prince Sihanouk informed the public of his government's policies and objectives in two ways. The National Congress convened semiannually in the capital, Phnom Penh; any citizen may attend, listen to the discussions and submit questions. The Prince is an ardent speechmaker and often travelled throughout the country, missing no opportunity to tell the population about the policies of the government.
According to British author and journalist William Shawcross, Sihanouk was able to create a "unique brand of personal populism." To ordinary Cambodians, his eccentricities, volatility, short temper, sexual escapades, and artistic flights of fancy were an expression of royal charisma rather than an occasion for scandal. Sihanouk's delight in making life difficult for foreign diplomats and journalists, moreover, amused his subjects. Ultimately, the eccentric humanity of Sihanouk was to contrast poignantly with the random brutality of his Khmer Rouge successors.
Source: globalsecurity.org
10 comments:
I will always be missed my Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk. The King had done tremendous job for our country, and claimed back four provinces from Siamese (Thailand) and Preah Vihear temple from Siamese as well. I, Khmer people love and will always pay respect to the King.
12:31am
what is the purpose of claiming them back for, when he ended up involving in the killing of his own people? who will live in that land when they all are gone, dead? how can you justified saving a country and killing the innocent people? How can you balance between this two? In other words, he was not a good king. He was a crazy king. His attitude was like a wild child, a child who would never listen to no one but himself. He was a self-centre, arrogant and mean. He did not know which role he should perform, a king? a playboy? a womaniser? or a movie star??????. But yet, some people are still so blinded e.g 'some people have eyes but can not see and have ears but can not hear', thats it!. As a result of of this a whole nation collapsed and ruined. Right now we are continuing to have the same problems, e.g. Hun's behaviour is no different. He yells, swears, screams, arrogant and very nasty. His language is very filthy with no class whatever so ever. He looked down on everyone including to the high profile people with Phd. He is such a shame for our khmer nation. I hope the VC will pay for what they have done to our people innocent khmers in the end. 'The truth will always be the truth' , Gandhi.
Burn his body over there (China). Don't bring back to Cambodia. He was a Traitor to Khmer people. The Khmer people have suffered enough by him. He did not respect even his own mother. He was an evil king . He should be alive until he can serve his punishement in the Khmer Rouge trail. Please don't forget he was the person who killed Lok Protean Sam Rainsy's father.
Pang Sokheoun, Secretary-General of SRP in Sweden.កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ
8:53am
I know that you are one of a CPP members because no one would put their real ID in this page. But the information that is given by you is very crucial as to the real facts of life and that is why your CPP team is so paranoid that the SR team might take revenge on your evils' actions but don't worry because SR is not a killer like some, you know what I mean? only a ruthless killer and a coward would do that in this world e.g. if you play with fire, you will be burned or whatever you play with shall die by it'.
A chea sim, a hang surin, a hun sen and their wives are bloodsuckers!. They all are pretending to be nice to one another in front of cameras but in real life, they are at each others' throats. They a bunch of psychopath who only rule to ruin their own nation and country. All are sick headed people. Anyway, this is the name of the game in srok-khmer, VC loves this game very much and soon. srok khmer will meet with the same fate, just like Laos, champa, Khmer krom and khmer indigenous....by then hopefully, we all be at peace, just like them all, how nice. For once, we will be free from all wicked leaders of srok khmer, how about that?. For the traitors, kiss VC ass goodbye.
Can KI media or RFA or VOA or anyone out there confirm with real documents that say Kos Tral Island and other islands were one belong to Cambodia under King Norodom Sihanouk's regime after Cambodia gain indepandant from France?
This is kind of very important to Cambodia and Cambodians and The Khmer nation!
អាឆ្កែដែលដាក់ឈ្មោះថា កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ អាចុយម្រាយ កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ, អាក្រដួយម៉ែវា, អាកើតពីក្តិតឆ្កែ កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ. អាចុយម្រាយឯង មិនសមដាក់ថា កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ
អាក្បត់ជាតិ,អាមេបិសាច, អារត់ចោលស្រុក, អាកើតពីក្តិតឆ្កែ, អាហែង មិនមែនកើតពីក្តិតម៉ែអា ហែង ទេ, បើអាហែង កើតពីក្តិត ម៉ែអាឯង, អាឆ្កែ កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរឯង ចេះស្កល់គុណគេខ្លះ, ពូជអាឆ្កែ ម៉ែអាឯង កើតចេញពីក្តិតដែបានជាមិនចេះប្រដៅកូនដូចអាចប់គុក ឯង. កុលបុត្រមហានគរខ្មែរ មិនយូប៉ុន្មានអាឆ្កែឯងង៉ាប់តៃហោង ដូចខ្មោចឆ្កែ, ជនជាតិបរទេសគេខំគោរពស្តេចខ្មែរបែជាអាឆ្កែមួយក្បាលនេះ ព្រុះដាក់ស្តេចខ្មែរខ្លួនឯង ដែលជាអ្នកមានគុណបំណាច់លើប្រទេសជាតិទៅវិញ។ តើអាហែងមានខួរក្បាលជាអ្វី? មនុស្ស រឺ សត្វ?
8:53am
AH IDIOT, DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY CLUE THAT NOBODY LISTENS TO YOU THAT'S WHY THEY ALREADY BROUGHT HIS BODY TO CAMBODIA? STOP BARKING DUMB ASS AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!!
អាចម៍អុកដំ សម រង្ស៊ី...ឆ្កែកន្ទុយវខ្វៀននៅតែខ្វៀន
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សំរាប់ពួកចោរ តែប៉ុណ្ណោះ!
Sangkum Reastr Niyum is mistranslated here. It is not People's Socialist Community. Sangkum in this context was a way of life, a regime, a country, something a little bigger than community. Reastr here meant the populace, or the King's subjects (his "petit peuples"). And last, Niyum meant prefered or liked.
It is more like Society People Prefer, which was more suitable to the King's effort, intention, and ego, and the result that until this day everyone could see, the profound affection from his ordinary (reastr) people.
People's Socialist sounds more a label for a communist or socialist party, which Norodom Sihanouk was not.
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