Former King Norodom SihanoukPHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's former King Norodom Sihanouk on Monday threatened a local magazine with a possible lawsuit after it reprinted portions of a 1971 French article that critiqued his performance as film director and actor.
The article initially appeared in France's Le Monde newspaper in 1971, but earlier this month extracts from the original were republished in a Cambodian-based monthly called L'Echo.
Parts of the piece by Serge Thion critiqued a film that then Prince Sihanouk directed and appeared in.
"The article is unjust to me," the 84-year-old former monarch said on his official Web site in a posting from his residence in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. "The purpose of the writer was to damage my reputation and credibility."
He said he asked his top adviser, Say Bory, to find a lawyer in Cambodia to look at a possible lawsuit against L'Echo.
He called on the government to help him pursue the libel case, noting the "arrests and jailings of some of the people who criticize or strongly defame Prime Minister Hun Sen."
Sihanouk, who stepped down in 2004 and passed power to his son Norodom Sihamoni, moved to North Korea in February to recuperate from cancer treatment.
Sihanouk has been an avid movie maker throughout his life, especially during the 1960s. He directed and sometimes starred in nine films between 1966 and 1969.
He also started an international film festival, and won the top prizes during its two years of existence.
"Official vehicles, planes, ships, infantry, youth, ministers, generals and officials were all requisitioned for the needs of the production," wrote his one-time French adviser Charles Meyer.
The article initially appeared in France's Le Monde newspaper in 1971, but earlier this month extracts from the original were republished in a Cambodian-based monthly called L'Echo.
Parts of the piece by Serge Thion critiqued a film that then Prince Sihanouk directed and appeared in.
"The article is unjust to me," the 84-year-old former monarch said on his official Web site in a posting from his residence in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. "The purpose of the writer was to damage my reputation and credibility."
He said he asked his top adviser, Say Bory, to find a lawyer in Cambodia to look at a possible lawsuit against L'Echo.
He called on the government to help him pursue the libel case, noting the "arrests and jailings of some of the people who criticize or strongly defame Prime Minister Hun Sen."
Sihanouk, who stepped down in 2004 and passed power to his son Norodom Sihamoni, moved to North Korea in February to recuperate from cancer treatment.
Sihanouk has been an avid movie maker throughout his life, especially during the 1960s. He directed and sometimes starred in nine films between 1966 and 1969.
He also started an international film festival, and won the top prizes during its two years of existence.
"Official vehicles, planes, ships, infantry, youth, ministers, generals and officials were all requisitioned for the needs of the production," wrote his one-time French adviser Charles Meyer.
7 comments:
What Lawsuit is going to do? It's not false at all. Everybody knows that he was a big shot stars during the 60's and 70's. That's what he wanted to be know beside being a King. As you and I know. This King want to be everyting in this time. He wanted to control the whole world if he ever got his hand on. Maybe now he feels embarassed of being in the movies that why he denied any part of it. Can't teach an old dog a new trick. Look what has happened to Cambodia, because of him. Now what is left is Cambodia still run by Former Khmer Rouge..under a direction of Vietnam and China..The old King is running from one country to another.. from Cambodia, to join hand with Pol Pot and then China and now with North Korea...(axis of evil) ohhh man....I'm so ashame.
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By his old age, the king should go to do the meditation in order to purify his mind from heatred, evil and aversion. In any rate, he should clear his path way before he is passing away otherwise, he still wandering too much with unimportant thing. Anija ! anija! anija!
With love & compassion
Sihanouk should not be angry with newspaper and magazine.He should embarass him selves is better than he goes to lawsuit journalist. Everybody around the world know what he did for his own country and for khmer people. If Cambodia don't have Sihanouk, Cambodia don't have killing field.
Why the king so angry? When journalist wrote about his past. I think he should know by kimself, what he has dane to Cambodia during he was the leadership in 1960-1970. Please look at his past, what he has dane with Khmer Rouge. He joined Pol Pot and other communist leaders to topple Lon Nol government. In 1973 he joined Khmer Rouge leader on a trip to Khmer Rouge controlled area Siem Reap for sight seeing. (Photographs and film record ) When the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975, Sihanouk issued a statement in China heralding the event as a great victory against Lon Nol government. So who is created the killing field regime? Between 1960 and 1969 he produced 9 film. When journalist write about his past, he threat to sue them. Is that ok he dose what ever he wants?
Please read Sideshow by William Shawcross, Nixon and Kissinger the destruction of Cambodia. Without Lon Nol, KR would never be in power. Just like killing in middle east, Evil against Evil resulted in 2 million deads of innocence. Stop blaiming your leaders. Blaim the super powers. Why the warlord continues to come up with new world order so she occupies other smaller countries? She was friend with Sadam, China, Pol Pot, now with Vietnam and HS. Those whom you hate the most.
maybe his way of find some money,, if the politic don't work..well suing mean money!!. eeyore!
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