A giant portrait of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni in Phnom Penh. The king has marked his 53rd birthday with hundreds of rural families(AFP/Khem Sovannara)Sun May 14, 2006
AFP
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni has marked his 53rd birthday with hundreds of rural families, palace officials said.
Fifty-four monks -- one for each year of the monarch's life, plus one for next year -- and some 300 families, held a low-key ceremony with the king in Kompong Speu province, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the capital Phnom Penh, palace press officer Heng Kim Kun said.
King Sihamoni handed out food to the villagers and monks, Heng Kim Kun said, adding that the monarch had wanted to spend part of his birthday weekend among people in an isolated part of his kingdom.
"The place is so remote that His Majesty wanted to come here," he said.
King Sihamoni was formally sworn in as monarch on October 29, 2004, in an elaborate ceremony at the royal palace.
Since then, the largely ceremonial king has made frequent trips to the countryside, following in the footsteps of his hugely popular father, former king Norodom Sihanouk, who remains an influential figure.
Over the three-day birthday celebrations that began Saturday, state television broadcast birthday messages to King Sihamoni, and portraits of the monarch adorned buildings across the capital.
Fifty-four monks -- one for each year of the monarch's life, plus one for next year -- and some 300 families, held a low-key ceremony with the king in Kompong Speu province, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the capital Phnom Penh, palace press officer Heng Kim Kun said.
King Sihamoni handed out food to the villagers and monks, Heng Kim Kun said, adding that the monarch had wanted to spend part of his birthday weekend among people in an isolated part of his kingdom.
"The place is so remote that His Majesty wanted to come here," he said.
King Sihamoni was formally sworn in as monarch on October 29, 2004, in an elaborate ceremony at the royal palace.
Since then, the largely ceremonial king has made frequent trips to the countryside, following in the footsteps of his hugely popular father, former king Norodom Sihanouk, who remains an influential figure.
Over the three-day birthday celebrations that began Saturday, state television broadcast birthday messages to King Sihamoni, and portraits of the monarch adorned buildings across the capital.
1 comment:
I am not surprise to hear this year birthday celebration for our king because there are no supports for this king in the cities and towns in Cambodia.As his father, who lost trust among cities and towns dwelers who has learned from the Cambodian history who created the KILLING FIELD? How many CAMBODIAN died under his influences? This son of a b... is trying to follow the footsteps of his father is starting to influence the under-educated people in the countrysides, please help our countrysides people not to be fooled by this KING. His father made an anouncement that he coming home soon in website, but does not want any officials to welcome him at the airport. What the hell is this? That's not his nature? I remembered when I was young, he threw a piece of cloth from a helicopter to the people on the street. Those people had to fight each other for that piece of cloth. And now without anybody to welcome him? NOT IN HIS REAL LIFE?
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