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Posted by: | Posted on: October 26, 2012

Lim Pisith: an inspiring young man of Cambodia

While Cambodian people around the world are mourning and remembering their august King Somdach Preah Norodom Sihanouk who passed away at the age of 90 on 15 October 2012, younger Cambodian generations are shocked by the death of Lim Pisith who championed to anchor Cambodian flag on the top of Himalaya mountain. Pisith came back to Cambodia with different body but his heart, bone and spirit are still Pisith, a farmer boy of Cambodia who is not defeated by the Shangri-La or a Himalayan Utopia of the world. He is among those champions of the highest top of deadly adventuring. In the pictures, his mother is hugging Pisith with love and sorrow and his remains will be altered at his hometown of Srok Puok, Siem Reap. Pisith will be missed by many of his friends and Cambodian compatriots.

May he rest in peace and realize the challenges of life Buddha taught, Nibbana.

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Posted by: | Posted on: October 16, 2012

For sincere condolence, love and shared responsibility of Cambodian nation: special collection of news outlets regarding Somdech Ta King Norodom Sihanouk

For sincere condolence, love and shared responsibility of Cambodian nation: special collection of news outlets regarding Somdech Ta King Norodom Sihanouk

Cambodia’s Mercurial Former King, Norodom Sihanouk, Dies at 89

Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk greets his subjects at the annual crop-planting ceremony outside the royal palace in Phnom Penh on April 30, 2002 (Chor Sokunthea / Files / Reuters)
Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk, pictured in July 1941 (AP)
The former monarch, who died Monday in Beijing at 89, was at various times a playboy prince, a teenage King, an independence leader, an elected Prime Minister, an exile and, later, a peace negotiator
By Kay Johnson | October 15, 2012
Time Magazine (USA)
In the end, he couldn’t script a happy ending for Cambodia.
Filmmaking was a favorite hobby of Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk, and in his long, extraordinary life, he played enough roles to fill a Hollywood epic. The former monarch, who died Monday in Beijing at 89, was at various times a playboy prince, a teenage King, an independence leader, an elected Prime Minister, an exile and, later, a peace negotiator. Along the way, he found time to compose jazz tunes, throw champagne-soaked soirées and rub shoulders with the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru, Charles de Gaulle, Mao Zedong, Jacqueline Kennedy, Sukarno and Kim Il Sung. The part he loved to play most, though, was that of Samdech Euv, or Papa King, to the Cambodian people, known as the Khmer. “My people love and admire me and respect me so very much,” he once said. “They continue to believe I am a god-king.”
Though he cast himself as heroic, Sihanouk, like the country he once led and long symbolized, was most defined by tragedy. His carefully cultivated status as a benevolent and glamorous ruler wasmarred by his cooperation with the murderous Khmer Rouge, whose “killing fields” regime of the 1970s left 1.7 million dead. It was a decision that cost him dearly: he himself was held prisoner by the Khmer Rouge, who killed five of his 14 children. His passing is a reminder of a long-past era when Southeast Asia, not Afghanistan and Pakistan, was the focus of a protracted U.S. war. During the Vietnam War, Cambodia was carpet bombed by the Nixon Administration trying to root out “safe havens” across the border, an eerie precursor to today’s drone campaign in northwestern Pakistan.
The mercurial Sihanouk was a man of contradictions — an avowed Cambodian patriot who wrote mostly in French, a man who sought peace for his people, but whose decisions seemed to lead them, time and again, to disaster. “Sihanouk was certainly one of the most interesting leaders of the 20th century,” said Milton Osborne, author of the critical biography Sihanouk: Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness. “But I wouldn’t say he was one of the best leaders.”

Posted by: | Posted on: October 14, 2012

Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk passes away

 Beings eventually disappear from this earth, no one is exceptional. Three characteristics Buddha exposed “Anica = impermanence, Dhukkha=decaying and Anatta=non-substantial, are omnipresently existing and no one can resist these natural forces. I am sad to hear that our Somdach Ta Norodom Sihanouk passed away at Beijing on 15 October 2012 at 2:25 am today. Of course, there are different views from Cambodians and non-Cambodians regarding the political leadership of King Norodom Sihanouk, but for me who have closely followed all political movements in Cambodia, the post Cold War positioned King Norodom Sihanouk and other world leaders at a critical angle in governing their country. 

I am very sorry for one thing that our King Ta should not be undone is to be a witness at the current Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 15 Kyodo – Former King Norodom Sihanouk passed away in Beijing early Monday morning, government officials said. He was 89.
Nhiek Bunchhay, deputy prime minister and secretary general of royalist FUNCINPEC Party told Kyodo News that King Norodom Sihanouk who is in Beijing for medical check-up died of heart attack early Monday morning.
“I have just received information from Beijing and that I was told that His Majesty (the former King Sihanouk), he had heart problem and was sent to hospital where he passed away there,“ Nhiek Bunchhay said.
Prince Sisowath Thomico, personal assistant to Sihanouk told Kyodo News, “It is true that His Majesty passed away by heart attack in Beijing at 2:25 am (Beijing time),“ he said.
“Because of his heart is weak that is why His Majesty continued to stay in Beijing for treatment since January this year,“ he added.
Posted by: | Posted on: October 7, 2012

Cambodia, Nepal Can Learn From Their Shared Experiences

After following all news regarding to the debate between Cambodian Prime Minister and Special Rapporteur of the United Nations, Surya Subedi, and I try to avoid prejudice through my personal judgement, this current streamline is absolutely inspirational. First, I was inspired by the debate between PM and MP Son Chhay regarding the invitation of PM to give a speech at the National Assembly about his approach in dealing with Vietnam on border schemes. That time I was astonished by tense and dichotomy of both speeches. It was very different level in principle, intention and the conclusion. MP Son Chhay was educated in the West, his speech was open-minded and strongly attached to the principle (through my observation, not follow his own word of “my political career is to bring about collective interests of the nation, nothing is personal”). But our PM is in a way behind our the modern age of IT and globalization. But my prime puzzling question in my next research is “how Cambodian people and his supporters cheer his speech and rhetoric during that nearly 5 hours speech in the assembly?” For more info on the debate, please listen this interviewing by RFI.

At the present, I am closely following the debate and political interaction between PM Hun Sen and Subedi. Suriya Subedi is not different from many previous UN’s Special Rapporteurs who were publicly and personally lashed out by the PM. I read Subedi’s letter to the Cambodia Daily with close attention and balancing. The good intention of his work is not bad for Cambodian people and its nation. But a puzzling question for my next research as well come to my mind that “why our PM must come out to the public to lashing out to him like this?”

Everyone must join me to work out this mini project of “Research Questions”.

Op-Ed: Cambodia Daily

By Surya Subedi

First of all, I have a great deal of respect for the prime minister of Cambodia both as a person and as the leader of the country and the government. I recognize that he has achieved a great deal for Cambodia. But there is room for improvement in the governance of Cambodia and my job is to identify the shortcomings that exist in the system and offer my recommendations to address them.

I do not wish to descend into the personal level and do not wish to have a dialogue with him or anybody in the government through the media. I have had a good level of cooperation from the government of Cambodia and my dialogue with the prime minister has been productive in the past. I look forward to working with him. Our approach may differ on some issues, but they can be addressed in a mutually respectful manner and through dialogue.

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