| The Coronation
Of A Cambodian King |
| King Norodom
Sihamoni |
| By Antonio Graceffo |
| A relentless
Cambodian sun played upon the highly-polished bayonets, affixed to the
rifles of the military honor guard, standing at rigid attention. Anxiously,
they awaited the arrival of Prince Norodom Sihamoni, who would soon be
crowned the new king of Cambodia. The droning chant of Buddhist monks could
be heard across the palace grounds, as history waited to be made. This
would be the first coronation of a new Cambodian king, in more than 60
years, when Prince Norodom Sihamoni's father, King Norodom Sihanouk, ascended
to the throne.
Fleets of limousines
arrived, bearing the many princes and princesses, representing the two
sides of Cambodia's royal family. |
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| The regal
guests were followed by the high ranking government ministers, and foreign
diplomats.
The coronation
of a king is always a special event, one of pageantry and national pride.
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It was unfortunate,
however, that the coronation of King Sihamoni was surrounded by speculation
and debate, regarding his father's abdication. King Norodom Sihanouk, was
the first Cambodian king, in recent memory, to quit his post, while still
alive. As recently as two days before the coronation, the constitutionality
of the King's abdication was still a subject of debate. |
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| A throne council
was called, also a first in recent Cambodian history. The council chose
Prince Norodom Sihamoni, a 51 year old ballet dancer, who had spent much
of his life in Paris, to be the new King. His brother, Prince Norodom Ranarith,
would have been the natural successor to their father. But Prince Ranarith,
who is head of the FUNCINPEC, royalist political party, had often stated,
that he had no desire to assume the position of king.
The appointment
of Prince Sihamoni, and the speed with which the throne council operated
surprised many Khmers. But most seemed pleased with the decision, echoing
sentiments like those of Sok Sop, a long time resident of Phnom Penh. "The
old King was very wise, he said. And was able to find a solution to the
French colonial situation. But the new King is young. And I believe he
will bring a new perspective to the Kingdom. I hope that he can find a
way to improve the lives of all the people". The fact that the new
king is unmarried and has no children appears to be a non-issue with the
Khmer press, as the crown is not a hereditary monarchy. |
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| Most Khmers
said that they loved the King, and seemed to have high hopes for the future.
Therefore, it was a shame that the only people permitted to attend the
festivities at the palace were a handful of dignitaries and foreign journalists.
Citizens were forced to watch the closed affair on television. Even the
attendance of opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, was up in the air. Many politicians
blamed Sam Rainsy for King Norodom Sihanouk delaying his return to Cambodia,
after his latest trip to Beijing. Some went so far as to blame him for
the King's abdication. The King had often threatened to resign his post
if the CPP, Cambodia's ruling political party, and the opposition could
not come to an amicable compromise. Most recently, Sam Rainsy had sent
a warning letter to the King, explaining that an anti-royalist protest
awaited him in Phnom Penh, if he returned from China, as scheduled. The
opposition leader claimed that the protests were arranged by the CPP, but
were to be blamed on Sam Rainsy. In the end, it is believed that
intervention by King Norodom Sihanouk himself secured an invitation for
Sam Rainsy. Although the press competed fiercely for photos of the new
king, Sam Rainsy was the only coronation guest who was asked to hold an
impromptu press conference. It was apparent that journalists wished to
ask Sam Rainsy a slue of poignant questions, about his relationship with
Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as rumors that he would be brought in for
questioning, regarding his letter to King Norodom Sihanouk. |
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| But out of
respect for the royal celebration, many questions remained either unasked
or unanswered. In an impressive display of linguistics, fielding questions
in English, French, and Khmer, Sam Rainsy diplomatically wished the new
king well.
"And support
the new King", said Sam Rainsy. "And I trust that he will use his
judgment, and make good decisions. I cannot speak for him."
The deep base
of a tremendous Buddhist drum could be heard, leading a procession of infantry,
in traditional Angkor dress. One by one, soldiers, armed with spears and
swords, took up their posts, along the path to the palace door. A contingent
of bearers marched down the center, carrying ancient artifacts, symbols
of the Buddhist faith, and of the divine power of the king. The artifacts
were put on display inside of the throne room. As the original Cambodian
crown disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime, a copy was made for this
occasion. |
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| But the crown
was for display only.The king would not be wearing it.
Once the
final preparations were completed, a gold colored litter arrived, borne
by strong soldiers in ceremonial Khmer costume. The passenger, mounted
on a beautiful and ornate seat, high above the heads of onlookers was his
majesty Prince Norodom Sihamoni. The litter was lowered to the ground,
and the prince was escorted into the great hall. The doors were closed,
but the chants of Buddhist prayers could be heard through the walls of
the regal building.
More hours
had passed. But when the doors reopened, and King Norodom Sihamoni emerged,
Cambodia had a new King. And hopes were high that a new age of Cambodian
prosperity had begun.
The following
are the previous articles that Antonio wrote for the magazine:
To see Antonio's
new book Click
Here
To contact
Antonio Click Here |
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