A picturesque family portrait ... from Beijing

Prince-Papa, King-Father, Queen-Mother, Little Prince and Madam No. II
(Photo: http://norodomranariddh.org)

KI-Media note: Please check the above website where you will learn more about "Royal Degree" (we did not know that Cambodia now has a Royal Palace University), as well as Photo "Gall"ry of the prince (some gall he has!).

Still the same old rascal

The prince's faithfuls kneel in front of him (All photos: Frédéric Amat, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Uk Phalla, the prince's mistress, and their son helped out of the car by bodyguards
The prince is greeted by wellwishers and a young boy (Left), meanwhile the prince's son (Right) has a hard time seeing them.
The prince and his mistress offering a prayer at a pagoda
The prince presents a gift to monk after the prayer ceremony

Prince Ranariddh's life in exile in Kuala Lumpur

Prince Ranariddh and his young out-of-wedlock wife(?? mistress?? concubine??)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prince Norodom Ranariddh used to have a luxurious living condition when he was the president of the National Assembly, and when he was still presiding over the Funcinpec party. However, this luxurious life is nothing more than a shadow from the past when we met him, Ms. Phalla, and their lovely son.

Based on the few hours spent with the prince and Ms. Phalla in Kuala Lumpur on 09 February, we can understand the prince’s living condition during his exile in Malaysia. The prince does not own a modern villa to live in at all, and his car is not that new either. In Kuala Lumpur, the prince’s small family maintains a living similar to that of any ordinary family, which is to say that it is not that of royal family member.

The prince and his young out-of-wedlock-wife welcomed us in a room inside a condominium apartment costing more than US$1 million. This condo is not that spacious, and it is not that luxurious, but the inside is well kept.

Ms. Uk Phalla told us that, up to now, the prince and her have moved condos twice already. Based on this former Apsara classic dancer, the current condo is easy to live in and her utility costs are minimal.

Even with their ordinary life, the prince seemed to display a great affection for Ms. Phalla, and we can observe that she still has a lot of influence on him. During the interview, Ms. Uk Phalla seemed to indicate that the couple lack of funds, as for the prince, his face seemed to show that he is fed up with his life in exile.

For moving around, the prince owns an old white BMW, while Ms. Uk Phalla owns another small car for her own traveling needs inside Kuala Lumpur.

When we arrived at the couple condo, the prince did not come to greet us immediately because he was busy on the phone to organize the NRP party work in Cambodia. It was not until 20 minutes later that the prince came out to greet us.

In the conversation with the prince, who left the country for several months to live in Kuala Lumpur, said that he was fed up and wanted to return back to Cambodia soon if he can obtain a pardon.

In response to the answer about the progress made by his NRP party, the prince said that, currently, even though he is outside of the country, he is still busy organizing the party work still.

With pride, the prince indicated during the upcoming election, his party will surely receive seats at the National Assembly. He based his claim on the fact that, during the 2007 commune election, his party received more support from the people than the Funcinpec party.

With his desire to return back home, the prince viewed that King Sihamoni is his last resort to obtain a pardon. Nevertheless, Hun Sen declared on 11 February: “there’s no chance.”

Prince Ranariddh lives in a small condo apartment on the fifth floor of a building in Kuala Lumpur

Thursday, August 2, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Contrary to his opulent life he used to have in Phnom Penh, Prince Ranariddh is currently living with Mrs Uk Phalla and his cherished son in a small condo apartment in Kuala Lumpur.

A reliable source told us, on 01 August, that the prince bought a small condo in Kuala Lumpur. The condo is located on the fifth floor of a building, and it has 3 bedrooms and a living room. The same source indicated that because of the condo is too small for him, the prince plans to move out from there. The condo he is currently living with Mrs Uk Phalla and their son, costs a few tens of thousands of dollars only.

Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, declined to comment on the private life of the prince by saying that he is only a spokesman who is involved in political affairs only.

Looking at his condo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the prince lost his opulent lifestyle he used to have in Phnom Penh.

In Cambodia, the prince liked to maintain an opulent and happy lifestyle. The prince was often seen eating at the Topaz restaurant which serves expensive French foods, as well as in Chinese restaurants such as the Ting Ting restaurant. Furthermore, he prince used to live large villas in Veal Sbov and Tuol Kok in Cambodia, but now that his political life is on the downturn, his private life seems to be dragged down with it as well.

Support for Hun Sen in his warning of ministers' wives

Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime minister Hun Sen warned a number of unnamed ministers on Tuesday that he will remove them from their positions, if they let their wives continue to interfere in the government work. Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, declined to comment on Hun Sen’s speech in which the latter was alluding to Uk Phalla, the latest wife of Prince Norodom Ranaridh, but he agreed that a number of ministries are currently under the administration of family members of officials in these ministries. Muth Chantha told The Cambodia Daily that some ministries are governed by nepotism, while others are clannish, and that almost all ministries are currently administered by family members (of the ministers). SRP MP Yim Sovann, said that he agreed with Hun Sen’s speech, and that corruptions are usually initiated by the ministers’ wives. Yim Sovann said that the ministers’ wives are large company shareholders, and they use their husbands’ power to obtain agreements. Yim Sovann said that he strongly supports Hun Sen’s speech but he wants to see these words becoming reality, and that they will be forever executed.

Rumors central: Keo Puth Rasmei plans to resign from Funcinpec, “La Phalla” plans to leave Samdech Krom Preah (Ranariddh)

Keo Puth Rasmei (AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy)

20 April 2007
By Savery
Sralanh Khmer Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Keo Puth Rasmei, Funcinpec party president installed by Nhiek Bun Chhay on 18 October 2006, plans to resign from his party president position. The resignation plan comes on the heel of the low vote count received by Funcinpec during the recent commune election.

According to a source from the Funcinpec party, Keo Puth Rasmei, the current husband of Princess Norodom Arun Rasmy, aka Pov, the daughter of King-Father, made this unofficial decision because he does not want to continue being a tool of Prime Minister Hun Sen of the CPP. The same source indicated that Keo Puth Rasmey does not want to become a hostage of Hun Sen like Nhiek Bun Chhay, in particular, Hun Sen tightly tied Nhiek Bun Chhay’s legs preventing him to make any move with the recent drug raid in Treng Troyeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, on 01 April 2007.

A source close to the Royal Palace indicated that the information about Keo Puth Rasmei’s resignation was passed along among a number of royal family members who visited King-Father and Queen-Mother for New Year greetings. This source indicated that Keo Puth Rasmei and his wife also informed King-Father and Queen-Mother [about the decision], but King-Father did not pay attention to it, as he wants to remain neutral.

A member of Funcinpec permanent committee said that Hun Sen also plans to replace the Funcinpec president because Keo Puth Rasmei is not well known among the people and among the Funcinpec party members. The same source also said that Hun Sen has not yet determined who will be the candidates for the new president, but that it could be someone who is blood-related to a high-ranking CPP official.

A source close to Keo Puth Rasmei said that the latter plans to resign because he understands that Funcinpec has reached its final chapter. With the results from the commune election, Funcinpec party elders determine that the party is moving to its own demise during the 2008 general election.

An unofficial source said that Hun Sen wants to have a high-ranking Funcinpec official married to a daughter of a high-ranking CPP official becoming the candidate of Funcinpec presidency during a play-acting party extraordinary congress. The officials who fit Hun Sen’s description could be for example: Veng Sereyvuth, a current minister and former minister of the tourism, and also former husband of Princess Uk Phalla; Sun Chanthol, the minister of public works and transportation.

Keo Puth Rasmei was installed as Funcinpec party president by Nhiek Bun Chhay on 18 October 2006 under the pretense of bringing in a major reform to the party during the party extraordinary congress. Those who support Prince Ranariddh then accused Nhiek Bun Chhay of fomenting a coup-de-party to remove Prince Ranariddh from the party presidency.

Funcinpec party elders claimed that Nhiek Bun Chhay’s idea to install Keo Puth Rasmei as party president was because his wife is a royal family member, making it is easier for Nhiek Bun Chhay to cheat the voters. Nevertheless, the voters know that Keo Puth Ramsei and Nhiek Bun Chhay are creating a coup-de-party to remove their leader, and that the pair are traitors, that was why during the commune election held on 01 April 2007, people gave their low support to the party. Even though the people no longer support the party, Nhiek Bun Chhay cannot stop being Hun Sen’s tool.

Keo Puth Rasmei’s plan to resign coincides with the information provided by a NRP source close to Prince Ranariddh saying that Princess Uk Phalla plans to leave Prince Ranariddh also since he no longer holds any official position, and he can no longer return home, and therefore, he no longer has anybody paying him bribes anymore. The same source added that Princess Uk Phalla decided to leave Veng Sereyvuth, her legal husband, to go after Prince Ranariddh because then, the prince had power as the president of the National Assembly and the president of Funcinpec, and he had a lot of people visiting him, with [bribe] money flowing in daily. Everywhere they went, they had a lot of people in their retinue accompanying to serve them. However, now that Prince Ranariddh can no longer return home, there is no more [bribe] envelopes, nobody serving them anymore, that is why the princess wants to leave the prince right now.