15 October 2012
ABC Radio Australia
A look back at the life and times of Norodom Sihanouk (Credit: ABC)
The eccentric monarch was known as the God-King of the Nation, and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the political leader to have held the most positions.
He was ousted in a coup, became a leader-in-exile, and served as both president and prime minister before being reinstalled as King in 1993. He then voluntarily abdicated in 2004 in favour of his son.
ABC's South East Asia Correspondent Zoe Daniel looks back at the life and times of one of the region's most prominent figures.
Correspondent: Zoe Daniel
DANIEL: Norodom Sihanouk was a popular politician known for flamboyance. Born in 1922, he ascended to the throne in 1941, and was seen first as a puppet of the French and a playboy. But in the 1950s, he conducted an international campaign for Cambodian independence and then abdicated and took control as Prime Minister.
He was to be the only key political player until the emergence of the Khmer Rouge. After he was ousted in a coup by his own military in 1970, largely as a result of his strong-arm rule. Known then as Prince Sihanouk, he led a resistance government, he returned aligned with the murderous regime in 1975, but was then imprisoned in his palace as Pol Pot's extreme Communist model was enforced and killed millions.
Sihanouk narrowly escaped the country, when the Vietnamese moved in. He became a pivotal figure in international negotiations about the future of Cambodia. He argued that the Khmer Rouge would have to be part of any new government.
SIHANOUK: Nobody is capable of wiping them out. They exist.
DANIEL: When a deal was finally reached, he returned to Cambodia, first as a ceremonial President and in 1993, was reinstated as King.
Critic say Sihanouk should have been tried in court for backing the Khmer Rouge, but he denied that he legitimised the regime, which viewed him as an enemy.
In 2004, he voluntarily abdicated, passing the title of King to his his son, Norodom Siamoni.
3 comments:
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.
Pang Sokheoun, Secretary-General of SRP in Sweden.
អ្នកសម្លាប់ខ្មែរវាល់លាននាក់គឺអាយួនយៀកកុង,
និងអាហ៊ុន សែន អាមេអបគមន៍!
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មិនមែន SIHANOUK & POL POT ទេ!
ខ្មែរអស់ស្រុក!..ទៅជា ÑÂM̀B́ƠĐỈÂហើយ!
ហ្នឹង!នៅតែមិនទាន់ដឹងខ្លួនទៀត។
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ក៏ព្រោះតែខ្មែរចាញ់កលល្បិចយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រសត្រូវ(បំបែកបំបាក់ខ្មែរ)របស់
អាយួនយៀកកុងនិងអាហ៊ុន សែន(CPP)ពេលនេះ....ខ្មែរខំបៀមអាចម៍ព្រួសដាក់គ្នា!...
ព្រួសអាចម៍ដាក់គ្នា....ដល់ណាទៀត?
ពួកវាអរណាស់!
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អ្នកសម្លាប់ខ្មែរវាល់លាននាក់គឺអាយួនយៀកកុង,
និងអាហ៊ុន សែន អាមេអបគមន៍!
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មិនមែន NORODOM SIHANOUK & POL POT ទេ!
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