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| Fireworks are lit at the cremation of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk, near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on February 4, 2013. Tens of thousands massed in the Cambodian capital as the kingdom cremated its revered former king, who steered his country through six turbulent decades |
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| Cambodian mourners gather for the cremation of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk in Phnom Penh on February 4, 2013. Tens of thousands massed in the Cambodian capital as the kingdom cremated its revered former king, who steered his country through six turbulent decades |
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| Cambodians enter the crematorium where king Norodom Sihanouk's cremation is being held in Phnom Penh on February 4, 2013. Tens of thousands massed in the Cambodian capital as the kingdom cremated its revered former king, who steered his country through six turbulent decades |
By Suy Se | AFP News –02/04/2013
"But now he has gone, I cannot see what the future of the country will be without him"
Tens of thousands of mourners massed in the Cambodian capital Monday as the kingdom cremated its revered former king Norodom Sihanouk, who steered his country through six turbulent decades.
The cremation was part of a week-long funeral for the mercurial ex-monarch, which started with a lavish procession through the streets of Phnom Penh on Friday and will see his ashes returned to the palace on Thursday.
Sihanouk died of a heart attack in Beijing in October, aged 89. His embalmed body had been lying in state since then at the royal palace.
Official guests including French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Japan's Prince Akishino and several Southeast Asian leaders attended the cremation, bowing in respect in front of the gilded casket.
After religious ceremonies led by chanting monks, Sihanouk's tearful widow Monique and son King Norodom Sihamoni symbolically lit the pyre.
Smoke was seen rising into the sky from the crematory, an elaborate pagoda built specially for the occasion and illuminated as darkness fell.
A 101-gun salute echoed in the night and fireworks burst over the city.
Sihamoni said people across the nation "wish his majesty to stay in heaven... near the Lord Buddha forever".
"And please the revered king father help protect the kingdom of Cambodia and the Cambodian people forever," he added.
Earlier mourners jostled to get to the front of the queue to enter the cremation site to pay their last respects to the chameleon king, who was deft at moving with the political tides.
"He liberated the country from colonial France, brought peace and development for the country," said 72-year-old Chum Lao.
"But now he has gone, I cannot see what the future of the country will be without him," he added.
A father of 14 children over six marriages, Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime, his own exile and finally peace.
But even though the ever-changeable monarch had allied himself with the Maoist movement, Sihanouk -- a self-confessed "naughty boy" who loved to direct films, write poetry and compose songs -- remained hugely popular.
Many elderly Cambodians credit him with overseeing a rare period of political stability in the 1950s and 1960s, following independence, until the Khmer Rouge emerged in the 1970s.
Up to two million people died under their reign of terror, including five of Sihanouk's own children.
Thousands of people had already queued up at the crematorium over the weekend for a glimpse of the gilded casket, but the general public was kept several hundred metres (yards) away from the site for the actual cremation.
"We're frustrated with the barricades," said Tos Toch, 47.
"We wanted to see the cremation with our own eyes. I love him very much. He was the best king ever," she added.
After the cremation, some of Sihanouk's ashes will be scattered where the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Tonle Bassac rivers meet.
The remainder will be taken to the royal palace on Thursday where they will be kept in a royal urn in accordance with the former king's wishes.
For several days mourners grouped outside the royal palace to hold prayers, light incense and place lotus flowers in front of portraits of Sihanouk.
But attendance at Friday's funeral procession appeared to fall well short of the one million people predicted by the government.
"I'm too busy to go to the funeral. It's important, but I don't have time," said a 25-year-old man who gave his name as Sna.
Observers say that while the royals remain highly revered by many elderly Cambodians, the monarchy appears to be growing less relevant in the eyes of the younger generation.
The myth surrounding Sihanouk is fading, said historian Hugues Tertrais. Since his abdication in 2004 "Sihanouk was no longer as present or spectacular", he said.
7 comments:
May you rest in hell for what you did to the Khmer nation.
Useless coward.
Without him, we are Freeeeeeee!!!!!!!! Go to hell to a VC supporter Kingta shithanock, die, die, die...let his whole family be doomed too then, we will be totally at peace.
Thank god, we are now free from this evil khmers killer. He is not a god-kingta, but a murderer. Because of him 3million innocents dead including 20 of my relatives, plus millions more are suffering until these present days. So, to hell son of an evil man!, we are freeeeeee forever. He doesn't deserve such respect, but doing so, is to collect more donated money for the Hun dynasty, to gain more power to continue to corrupt, to rob and steal from the poor and national communities to benefit both himself and the VC to continue to protect him and his clan like as always. So, this is what CPP are good at, lying, decieving and manipulation. Well done! but how long? time will come for you too, since you are a thief of the nation. Hun said 'thanks to a kingta lop lop, i am now a king' sick headed
Prince Norodom Ranaridth and Mr Sam Rainsy betrayed Ex king Norodom Sihanouk at 1993 after win election.
Norodom Sihanouk supposed to be Prime Minister and lead the Cambodia but Norodom Ranaridth and Sam Rainsy betrayed Norodom Sihanouk from leading the country.
Mr Sam Rainsy must remember what had you done to your country and Norodom Sihanouk at 1993 election?
If Ex king Norodom Sihanouk was a leader after 1993 election, Cambodia will not be suffered as today.
Betrayal of Norodom Sihanouk are "Norodom Ranaridth and Mr Sam Rainsy after 1993 election"
Karma of Mr Sam Rainsy and Norodom Ranariddth, they are both serving their karma.
Does Mr Sam Rainsy find justice for his supporters, yet so far? Liar! Liar! and Liar!
Cambodia is calling, let's care enough to give our very best.
For if we give our very best,
I know that we will more than pass the test.
If I could have three wishes, I'd wish that you'd live free,
I'd wish for amber waves of grain from sea to shining sea.
Yeah, let's do it for our country, the red, white, and the blue.
It's Uncle Sam Rainsy who's asking, so your mother will approve.
Tomorrow I'll be fighting, and I'll win this war for you.
Let's do it for our country, our country wants us to.
Bullets are exploding, they'll soon be at the door,
Give something to Cambodia you never gave before.
Yeah, let's do it for our country, the red, white, and the blue,
If the President were standin' here, I'm sure he would approve.
I'll be a mighty soldier before this night is through.
Let's do it for our country, our country wants us to.
(Spoken)
Just think about it -- it would be like as if we were doing it for the Statue of Liberty, or the Grand Canyon, or the New York Yankees... it would be like as if we were doing it for... Disneyland!
Yeah, let's do it for our country, the red, white, and the blue,
It's not a lot to ask of us, our parents will approve.
Tomorrow I'll be fighting, and I'll win this war for you.
Let's do it for our country, (spoken) we owe it to our country.
Let's do it for our country, our country wants us to.
His majesty the King Ta Lout cannot do nothing he had to support the winner North Vietnam not the loser South Vietnam. You have to remember the South Vietnamese who occupy Khmer Krom and kept expand into Cambodian territory, South Vietnamese Thieve Ky who constantly invade Cambodia and prosecute our Khmer Krom (please look at the map made by Youn Thieve Ky). King Ta Lout did not give much financial support to North Vietnam but a little bit moral support because North will win the war and one day American will leave Vietnam and only Cambodia who live forever with Vietnam so he had to make friend rather than foe toward Vietnam in order to save our nation. King Ta Lout knew both North and South Vietnamese are the same no matter he support other side. America never ever has the true friend in the world, American support only the winner as left Lon Nol when Lon Lol need American the most for an example.
King Ta Lout policy want to be a neutral but American and Soviet did not allow that why he choose Khmer instead of American and Soviet. Khmer mean in those days must survive between those two storms.
The minority of Khmer Rough, Khmer Republican, Khmer Communist Max Lenin, Khmer Thai, Khmer Youn, Khmer all other ideology were not big issue because most of Khmer behind King Ta Lout policy anyway but King Ta knew that the country just got independent so the youth and intellectual were flourish so they want this and that they have all sort of ideas, they want to follow American model, Communist model, neutralist model, democracy model so King Ta Lout offered alternative model was neutral democracy, everyone can challenge everyone by gradually learn how to use ballot box instead of war.
King Ta Lout did not killed intellectual instead he gave so many scholarship to a lot of poor Cambodian to have better education in French, USA, German but those people ate the head of their owner anyway.
By contrast Lon Nol was uneducated, not a politician, poor health and corrupt mind, no clear policy and try to wipe out Vietnamese in three day in Cambodia instead he wipe out 500, 000 Khmer and let Pol Pot finish 2.5 million while he enjoy peaceful beach front house at Hawaii. Lon Nol regime exiled and killed his opponent too, he created Happee gangster to terrorise the population that why the regime had no support and almost forgotten and only a few opportunist that still support his regime. All infrastructure created by King Ta Lout were destroyed by Lon Nol and finish it off by Pol Pot and Hun Sen.
I knew like many other Khmer family and your family got killed by the event but it did not blind you from the true, you have to learn how accept the Karma that you created and learn how to respect 14.5 million Cambodian are mourning their King Ta Lout and they are got respect from King Ta Lout in return as well.
9:57 AM
It's easy for you to say here than you had been through yourself, your ass should have been skin off by the Khmer rouge in the killing field such as finger nail pull out and sting by scorpio, those are the crime committed by khmer rouge your king ta lout's comrade robos ah chkuot aeng!
stop talking south or north vietnam they are all yuon and never have any good intention toward khmer.
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