Kaun-Chao, you can all go to sleep without fear now, Samdech Ta changes his mind, he will not become a “ប្រេត” “Pret” (zombie) anymore

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

ប្រេត=សត្វ កើត ក្នុង អបាយភូមិ
អបាយភូមិ=នរក តិរច្ឆាន

(អក្ខរានុក្រមខ្មែរ នួនប៊ុត ១៩៥៤)

Pret = Animal born in the “Abayphum”
Abayphum = Hell, beast
(Khmer Dictionary – Nuon Buth, 1954)

“Pret”
By N. Sihanouk

Lately, Cambodian newspapers (in Phnom Penh, in particular) published articles about me indicating that, at my death, I would like to become a “ប្រេត” (pret). My Khmer-Khmer dictionary gives the explanation, the meaning, the significance of “ប្រេត” (pret): an animal born in hell; a being which is an animal with an undeniable and authentic savagery.

In reality, in my prayers held in front of the august statue of my great grandfather, H.M. King Norodom, at the Silver Pagoda, I had asked His Majesty who already became a Tevoda (angel) that my ambition was modest: I wish to become a “SPIRIT” at my death.

A “SPIRIT” would be less scary than a “ប្រេត” (pret) which is a monster much worst that those created by “Dr. Frankenstein” in the movie.

If I were to become a “ប្រេត” (pret), watch out you Lonnolian men and women, Republican men and women!!

(Signed) N. Sihanouk
May 2008

Political Cartoon: Posthumous Honor for Lon Nol & Pol Pot - by N. Sihanouk

Click on the toon to zoom in

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Political Cartoon: Sdach-Asorikay

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

The eternal battle: Where King-Father wishes to become a "zombie" (អសុរកាយ) after his death

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

I will never forget, even after my death, all the injustices and humiliations that others inflicted and (still) inflict on me
By N. Sihanouk

1- Each time that I go to the Silver Pagoda to salute Buddha and the Stupa and Statue of H.M. Preah Norodom (on his horse), I pray to my revered Ancestor (after he exhausted my prayers, between 1975 and 1978, to rid the Khmer People and country from the Pol Pot yoke and his Khmer Rouge) not to let me be reborn as human, but to condescend to accept me to be next to his august equestrian statue as a zombie* spirit. In this manner, I will not have any other homeland than Cambodia to which I will remain forever faithful to. And I will escape all these intolerable injustices and unsupportable humiliations that others inflicted from the 70s to 2008 and in the ensuing years. They will “hurt” N. Sihanouk even after his death. But, at least, they will not be able to see me, (or) touch me physically. And I hope that the zombie* spirit that I will be, will have the possibility to acquire a certain serenity.

(Signed) N. Sihanouk
May 2008
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KI-Media note:
* អសុរកាយ: These are harmful spirits, invisible demons which the tradition call ghosts, demons, vampires, zombies. These spirits are supposed to appear sometimes to scare the human beings.