Samdech Krom Preah Moves Towards Being Lonely

Posted on June 12th, 2007.
The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 512

“Three royal family members of the Norodom line decided to leave politics. This decision shows publicly that three of them follow Samdech Euv [the Father King], who had appealed in February to the royal family members to stay outside politics.

“Princess Norodom Vacheara, the older sister of Prince Norodom Sirivuddh and the younger sister of Samdech Euv, told a local newspapers yesterday, ‘I decided that from 2008 on, I will stop entering politics.’ The Princess stated that she does not want to be with remorse in the future, and she does not want to go back and forth [between different parties?]. She joined Funcinpec in 1998, because Funcinpec followed the political line established by Samdech Euv, Preah Norodom Sihanouk. The Princess said that her decision to leave politics is to follow Samdech Euv, who had appealed for this earlier this year.

Click here to read the article on the Mirror website

Prince Sirivudh to leave politics as his sister sits out of NRP

Monday, June 04, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prince Thomico and a number of other politicians in Cambodia said that Prince Sirivudh has decided to abandon politics when his sister, Princess Vacheara, will return to Cambodia sometime in June, after her long political hiatus of several months.

Prince Thomico said on 01 June that Prince Sirivudh told him many times that he (Sirivudh) will abandon politics to serve King Sihamoni instead. Prince Thomico added that: “I understand that Prince Sirivuddh will abandon politics at the end of the mandate. But, I could be mistaken.”

Keo Remy, Phnom Penh SRP MP, told Rasmei Kampuchea on 02 June that Prince Sirivudh told him that he will abandon politics and he does not want to be involved with any political parties. Keo Remy added that the prince may go to work at the UN in his position as the vice-president of human rights issue, or he may remain as the advisor to the king.

Ok Socheat, Prince Ranariddh’s information advisor, said on Saturday that Prince Sirivuddh believes that royal family members should stop being involved in politics. However, he added that one should not trust too much a politician when he says that he will abandon politics. He said that those who were involved in politics, they never abandon it.

Information about Prince Sirivudh’s departure from the political scene appeared when the prince disappeared from the political scene for a long period of time, and also after the distancing of the relationship between himself and Prince Ranariddh. Prince Sirivudh was removed from his position as Funcinpec Secretary-general by Prince Ranariddh, and he was replaced by Nhiek Bun Chhay who still occupies this position up until now.

In another development regarding royal family members, Prince Thomico said that Princess Vacheara will return to Cambodia some time in June after several months of stay in France away from the Cambodian political scene. Princess Vacheara’s name is still on the National Assembly roster, and Prince Thomico said that she is not part of NRP yet.

Prince Thomico declined to comment on Princess Vacheara’s current political standing. He only discussed about her return to Cambodia.

Nevertheless, Prince Thomico believes that there is no rift among royal family members, and he still maintains his relationship with Prince Sirivudh and Princess Vacheara as usual.

NRP officials accused Prince Sirivudh of lying

Prince Norodom Sirivudh, former Funcinpec secretary-general (Photo: RFA)

16 Feb 2007
By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) officials accuse Prince Norodom Sirivudh, the former Funcinpec secretary-general, of lying in front of the Phnom Penh municipal court yesterday while he was acting as a witness providing clarification on the sale of Funcinpec party’s headquarters.

Muth Channtha, NRP spokesman, told RFA that on Friday, Prince Sirivudh’s claim made in front of the court that he does not know about the sale of the Funcinpec party’s headquarters, is simply not true.

Muth Channtha said: “The prince [Sirivudh] did not know anything, that’s not true. In reality, Prince Sirivudh annotated on the report prepared by the construction committee that he agrees to the sale of the headquarters for $3.6 million, and Prince Ranariddh only agrees to the annotation and the signature of Prince Sirivudh in his position as Funcinpec secretary-general.”

NRP officials show a document dated 10 July allegedly bearing the annotation which the officials claim to be that of Prince Sirivudh.

NRP spokesman said that Prince Ranariddh will return back to Cambodia at the end of February, and that the prince instructed his defense lawyer to request a delay for the date of his court appearance to 05 March. This court appearance would be to provide an answer to the accusations made by Nhiek Bun Chhay who accuse the prince of involvement in the corruption sale of Funcinpec party’s headquarters.

Prince Sirivudh Agrees With Retired King: Royals Should Quit Politics [-Thomico: Not until Cambodia gains back her independence]

Friday, February 16, 2007

By Prak Chan Thul
THE CAMBODIA DAILY

Prince Norodom Sirivudh told reporters Thursday that he supported retired King Norodom Sihanouk’s suggestion that royals should quit politics.

On Feb 2, the retired King suggested on his Web site that royals should be removed from politics altogether.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has also since proposed that the royals could initiate their own political retirement.

"We would like to support this highly royal thought," Prince Sirivudh said of his half-brother Norodom Sihanouk's proposal.

"But this is up to the individual royal member to decide," he added.

Prince Sirivudh made the comments after being interviewed at Phnom Penh Municipal Court over a lawsuit filed by Funcinpec against Prince Norodom Ranariddh, accusing the former Funcinpec president of selling off the party's headquarters for personal benefit.

Prince Sirivudh declined comment on his court visit.

But Investigating Judge Ke Sakhorn said the prince said he could not remember any details of the sale because he has been sick with diabetes, Ke Sakhorn said.

Until recently, Prince Sirivudh had been a key figure in Cambodia's political scene, serving as acting president of Funcinpec and as co-minister of interior and deputy prime minister.

He resigned from the Funcinpec position in March 2006, after the National Assembly voted to remove both his senior government positions.

Prince Sisowath Thomico, leader of the Sangkum Jatiniyum Front Party, said royals should not quit politics.

"Cambodia is not independent yet so the royal family members have a duty to continue in politics until it is independent," he said by telephone, though he declined to elaborate on how the country is not independent.

Om Yentieng, an advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, called on Prince Thomico to clarify his claim.

"So is the Prince [Thomico] going to crusade for the independence for Cambodia?" Om Yentieng asked.

VOA Thursday’s News Briefs

Mony
VOA Khmer
Washington
15/02/2007

Phnom Penh airport’s custom officials found 265 grams of heroine Thursday, a police officer said.

Wang Tienfu, 48, was found with a hidden condoms tied underneath his trousers when undergoing a security checkpoint, he was later arrested at the airport.

Chhay Bunna, International border crossing director Chhay Bunna has confirmed the content to be heroin, and said the content was on its way to Taipei.

***

Prince Norodom Sirivudh was at a hearing today in a legal dispute between Prince Norodom Ranariddh for the alleged illegal selling of its former FUNCINPEC party’s headquarters. More than 5 witnesses were called to appear in court for this case.