Death of former king is ‘great loss to Cambodia’

Norodom Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who remained an influential figure in his country’s politics through half a century of war, genocide and upheaval, has died at the age of 89.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Oct 2012, 18:12 BST

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Mr Sihanouk died yesterday of natural causes in Beijing, where he had travelled for medical treatment.

Prince Sisowath Thomico, a royal family member who was also Mr Sihanouk’s assistant, said the former king suffered a heart attack at a Beijing hospital.

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“His death was a great loss to Cambodia,” the prince said, adding that Mr Sihanouk dedicated his life “for the sake of his entire nation, country and for the Cambodian people”.

Mr Sihanouk was a key figure in Cambodian politics for six decades but abdicated in 2004, citing poor health, and was succeeded by a son, Norodom Sihamoni.

The former king had been in China since January, and suffered a variety of illnesses including colon cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

Mr Kanharith said arrangements were being made to repatriate the body for an official funeral in Cambodia.

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Mr Sihanouk saw Cambodia reel from colony to kingdom, US-backed regime to Khmer Rouge killing field and foreign-occupied land to guerrilla war zone – and finally to a fragile experiment with democracy.

He was a feudal-style monarch beloved by his people, but he was seldom able to deliver the stability they craved through decades of violence.

Related topics:China