Norodom Sihanouk oversaw independence,
genocide, civil war and a gradual move towards stability
Norodom Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who
was a key figure through decades of upheaval, has died.
The former king died at a hospital in the Chinese
capital, Beijing, after having a heart attack. He had been in poor health for
several years, reports the BBC.
Sihanouk, who was 89, came to the throne in 1941
and led Cambodia to independence from France in 1953.
Despite long periods of exile and his abdication
in 2004 due to ill health, he remained an influential figure.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 in favour of his son,
King Norodom Sihamoni.
"His death was a great loss to Cambodia," said
his assistant and relative Prince Sisowath Thomico. "King Sihanouk did not
belong to his family, he belonged to Cambodia and to history."
His body is expected to be returned to Cambodia
for an official funeral at the royal palace in Phnom Penh. King Sihamoni is
flying to Beijing to accompany the late king home, a Cambodian government
spokesman said.
A statement from China's foreign ministry hailed
Sihanouk as a "great friend of the Chinese people".
Political broker
Political broker
Born in 1922, Sihanouk was the eldest son of King
Norodom Suramarit and Queen Kossamak.
No comments:
Post a Comment