Monday, October 15, 2012

China VP offers condolences for Sihanouk

Xi Jinping
October 15, 2012
AAP

CHINA'S Vice President Xi Jinping has expressed sadness at the death of former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk in Beijing, paying tribute to an "old friend of the Chinese people", the foreign ministry says.

"I was shocked to learn that His Majesty King Sihanouk died of an illness in Beijing early this morning", Xi told Sihanouk's wife Queen Monique in Beijing, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website.

"We are deeply shocked and grief-stricken," Xi said, adding that he expressed "deep condolences and sincere sympathy," to the Cambodian people on behalf of China's government and people, the statement said.

Xi stood in silence before a portrait of the deceased monarch, and lauded Sihanouk as an "old friend of the Chinese people" who made an "indelible contribution to the development of friendly relations between China and Cambodia".


Other high-ranking Chinese officials including State Councillor Dai Bingguo - China's top official on foreign relations - and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also offered condolences, calling Sihanouk "a great friend of China," the ministry said.

Sihanouk, whose life mirrored the turbulent history of his country where he remained a revered figure, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Monday at the age of 89, his long time personal assistant Prince Sisowath Thomico said.

He was a frequent visitor to China where he received most of his medical treatment.

The former king, who abruptly quit the throne in October 2004 in favour of his son, had been staying at his Beijing residence since January.

Early in his long political life and especially during the war in Indochina and the Cold War, Sihanouk found an influential ally in China, and was close to revolutionary leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.

"I've always considered China as my second homeland ... only China has supported us," he said in 1971.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

From T in Ldn

As a human being, I offer my sincere condolences to N Sihamoni and his family for the loss of his father.

Personally, I think Sihamoni should use this occasion to grant amnesty to all Khmer political prisoners, prisoners of conscience,...,i.e. all non murderers.

From now on, he should also use all the powers granted to him by the constitution to right all the wrongs done by his father from 1975 and show to Hun Sen he's a human being with a conscience and not his puppet.

Anonymous said...

អ្នកសម្លាប់ខ្មែរវាល់លាននាក់គឺអាយួនយៀកកុង,
និងអាហ៊ុន សែន អាមេអបគមន៍!
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មិនមែន SIHANOUK & POL POT ទេ!

Anonymous said...

Si jamais je pouvais vous détester pour avoir détruit notre mère patrie!!!

Passer-By

Anonymous said...

ខ្មែរអស់ស្រុក!..ទៅជា ÑÂM̀B́ƠĐỈÂហើយ!
ហ្នឹង!នៅតែមិនទាន់ដឹងខ្លួនទៀត។
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ក៏ព្រោះតែខ្មែរចាញ់ក​លល្បិចយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រសត្រូវ(បំបែកបំបាក់ខ្មែរ)របស់
អាយួនយៀកកុងនិងអាហ៊ុន សែន(CPP)ពេលនេះ....ខ្មែរខំបៀមអាចម៍ព្រួសដាក់គ្នា!...
ព្រួសអាចម៍ដាក់គ្នា....ដល់ណាទៀត?
ពួកវាអរណាស់!
__________________________________
អ្នកសម្លាប់ខ្មែរវាល់លាននាក់គឺអាយួនយៀកកុង,
និងអាហ៊ុន សែន អាមេអបគមន៍!
__________________________________
មិនមែន NORODOM SIHANOUK & POL POT ទេ!