Protests and Proceedings

The protests by the Cambodian National Rescue Party, the opposition, continue this week as they march on the UN and foreign Embassies to garner support for a full review of what they consider to be the corrupt elections that were held back in July. 

Over three days this week, thousands of protestors gathered together and marched from Freedom Park to the UN offices to deliver their thumbprint petitions. Yesterday they marched to the US and French embassies and today they delivered the petitions to the Australian Embassy as well.

Protest March in Phnom Penh

 

 Although a heavy military and police force is never far away, so far these marches have been very peaceful with no provocative action by either side. Only a few road closures disrupted daily life here as the afternoon procession marched down the road just down from our house.

This week, 22 years ago, the Paris Peace Agreement was signed by key members of the international community to set Cambodia on a path towards greater peace, democracy and human rights. The opposition believe the country is a long way off from that and is delivering their petition to offices of the UN and Embassies of countries who signed that Agreement in 1991.

Whilst all this has been going on and with a further reflection into the dark yet quite recent history of Cambodia, proceedings of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) have been taking place.

I know this will be interesting for those of you who have visited us and been out to the Toul Sleng (S-21)prison and The Killing Fields, and for others it may provide some insight into the happenings here back during the Khmer Rouge times.

Toul Sleng Prison (S-21)

The ECCC was set up in 2006 to bring to trial senior leaders and those most responsible for crimes committed during the time of Democratic Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge regime, which lasted from 17 April 1975 to 6 January 1979. During that period atleast 1.7million people are believed to have died from starvation, torture, execution and forced labour.

Memorial Stupa at The Killing Fields

 

 

The ECCC is an ad hoc Cambodian court with international participation. It was established by domestic law following a 2003 agreement between the Cambodian government and the United Nations. It is expected to bring justice to Cambodians, strenghten the rule of law in the country and promote national reconcilitation.

The ECCC has been investigating four cases so far, one of which was completed with the conviction of the accused.  Duch, the former chairman of the S-21 prison (Toul Sleng) was tried and convicted for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention of 1949. He was sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment in 2010. After appeals by both the prosecution and the defence, a final judgement in 2012 saw his sentence increased to life imprisonment, which he is currently serving. 

 



Mass grave, Killing Fields (GR)

 



Killling Fields (GR)

The second case is currently before the court and is against four former Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity,  breaches of the Geneva code and genocide. One former leader passed away in 2013 and his wife, another defendant, was found unfit to stand trial and her proceedings have been stayed since 2011.

The trial against the remaining two have been ongoing and closing statements have been heard this week with prosecutors requesting the harshest possible sentence – life in prison – for co-defendants Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, saying there were “no grounds” for any lesser punishment.

Khieu Samphan

Nuon Chea

                
In her request, national co-prosecutor Chea Leang maintained that the court must hold the two accountable for plunging Cambodia “into darkness and terror”, noting that any punishment would fall far short of the atrocities the pair stands accused of perpetrating against their own people.  “Today, on behalf of the Cambodian people and the international community, we ask you for justice – justice for the victims who perished, and justice for the victims who survived today who had to live through such a vicious and cruel regime under the leadership of these two leaders.”


 As proceedings continue over the coming months and people wait for the sentencing to be handed down, you are reminded that these are elderly men, and if found guilty, may not spend much of their life in prison,their suffering nothing in comparison to what they inflicted on others, but hopefully there will be closure, compassion and justice for the people who survived this period in Cambodia's history, and a more promising future for all Cambodians




Killing Fields Tree with memorial wristbands

 

 

Special thanks to Geraldine Ratcliffe for some of the photos in this post.

 

 
 
 

Interesting times here in the capital.

 

Riverside area late on Sunday night.

These are interesting times indeed for Cambodia as opposition supporters struggle to accept the election results held in July

Back on the 28th July 2013 elections were held with the Ruling Party, the Cambodians People Party (CPP) looking to extend their dominant rule. Cambodia's leader Hun Sen is the longest serving leader in SE Asia, ruling Cambodia for the last 28 years. The prime minister has repeatedly vowed to stay in power until he is in his seventies.

In the July vote, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won 68 seats, compared with 55 for the opposition - Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by Sam Rainsy. This is the most seats ever won by the CNRP and one of the few times since the 1970's that the CPP cannot form government alone. However the opposition have refused to accept the results and have accused the Prime Minister of rigging the vote and widespread corruption.  There has been many claims of people not being able to vote, names not being on the register, others voting in their place, and some people voting more than once. They believe they were cheated of 2.5million votes.

Sam Rainsy, leader of the oppostion party (CNRP)

The National Election Committee (NEC) confirmed the results earlier this month.

With all state institutions - including the NEC - allegedly under the thumb of Hun Sen, protests are the only way opposition supporters can challenge the result, correspondents say.

So, in the recent weeks there have peaceful demonstrations and rallies by the opposition as the date for the opening session of Parliament, September 23 draws near. Meetings between both leaders and adjudicated by the King in an attempt to reach a compromise have failed to reach a resolution. The opposition refuse to discuss forming a government until their demands for an impartial investigation into election irregularities are met.

And so the 3 day planned protest by opposition supporters began.

 

 

Gathering of supporters in Freedom Park

Sunday saw large crowds of up to 30,000 march into the city centre and gather at Freedom Park. Barricades, road blocks and riot police patrolled major thoroughfares into the city centre. What began as a peaceful demonstration, unfortunately saw some protesters break through barricades and violent clashes with police ensued.

 

Unrest in Phnom Penh

One person was shot dead and several others were badly injured.

As the opposition supporters vow to continue their protest, both leaders plan to again meet today to try and resolve the political deadlock.

Hopefully some peaceful compromise and stability will be the result as this country has already suffered such a terrible violent history, not that long ago.

Although there is some tension around we are all completely safe and not threatened at all. We are advised to stay away from the mass gatherings and remain close to home. The biggest impact on us has been that the kids school has been closed because of its location on one of the major roads, and I am therefore trying to channel my inner home schooling teacher versus watching another movie!

With our political focus also on the recently contended elections back home, which on the whole were conducted in mostly a civil manner, it makes us again appreciate how lucky we are to be Australian and belong to a free and fair democracy.

 

PS. With a consular officer as a husband and being advised to stay away from the drama I can't lay claim to the photos in this blog. These images have all been lifted from the internet.

 

Kep - The costa del sol of Cambodia!

Well it was a long weekend for the Embassy (Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth) and we thought it was high time we headed out of town to see a bit of regional Cambodia.  We were craving a swim in the ocean so the coast it was - but where? Decisions decisions, Kep. Kampot or Sihanoukville?? Had heard lots and varied reports about them all, but we decided on Kep - I think it was the thought of crabs, fresh from the markets, and the slightly shorter journey that got this little town over the line.

In the end our first stop was Kampot for lunch so we crossed two off our list! Kampot, famous for its world class pepper - but also Cambodia's main producer of the, shall I say "highly perfumed"  fruit - and therefore - home of the bug durian!

 

The big durian!

We will be back again one day to further explore this quaint riveside town, but after lunch it was off to Kep - via more road works!

Kep is about a 3 hour drive from PP and the road is really pretty good. We passed through lots of villages and saw daily life in full swing. We passed - watermelon village - banana village and also meat village - with stalls right on the roadside selling their wares from little wooden huts. I promise some photos next time - we were on a  mission and no time to stop! Meat village - or butcher boulevard - is a sight that well might make the biggest meat lover turn vegetarian!

Kep a tiny seaside resort famed for its spectacular sunsets and magnificent seafood was founded as a colonial retreat for the French elite in 1908. The Cambodian wealthy continued that tradition in the 1960's but the town was evacuated and severely looted under Khmer Rouge rule and many of the old french villas are blackened, empty shells still today. The town is slowly returning to its former glory and there are some great places to stay. It is a popular weekend retreat for Khmers and they come down to picnic by the sea in bus loads. It was nice to get there and having a relaxing drink or three by the pool, with views of the ocean.

 

Picnic on the pavement!

 

Sunset at the Sailing Club

The next day we headed out to Rabbit Island on a boat charter that got a bit rough during the crossing. It only took about 45 minutes but I couldn't wait to get there. Due to the weather we had to land at another spot which required us to jump off the boat into waist high water and trek through the jungle to get to the beach - not much ever really goes according to plan - but it all adds to the thrill! Didn't spot any rabbits - apparently the locals think the island looks like a rabbit - we couldn't quite see it.......but each to their own! The beach was really quite nice, we had been told not to expect too much, but the waves were fantastic and kept the kids happy for hours. We had a local lunch and a swing in a hammock and it was time to head back - before the afternoon storms!

 

Fun in the waves

That night it was off to the crab market restaurants for dinner - and it was delightful. There is a strip of waterfront shacks (restaurants and bars) where the crabs are kept in baskets tied off the decks just waiting to be cooked in Kampot pepper or chilli sauce.......bring on the nut crackers! We had crabs, prawns, scallops - in all different styles - and it was finger licking good!

The following morning we trecked the 8km loop through the National Park and were rewarded with some fantastic views down to the peninsula......and a cool off in the pool on our return. It was a fantastic walk, saw some butterflies and disturbed a family of monkeys in the trees - but that was about the only wildlife we came across.

 

On the trail!

 

The view

The rest of the weekend was spent sampling more of the local seafood - delicious,  lots of swims in the beach - better than expected, sunset drinks at the Sailing Club - stunning, and a tour of a local pepper farm - extremely educational! So all boxes were ticked, a great time was had by all and off we headed back to PP - via an alternative route, which taking a wrong turn saw us heading to Vietnam!! 5 hours later we were home. If only some of the roads had just a road number every now and then, or an occasional sign,  rather that continual advertising for the Cambodian Peoples Party - we may have been right! I suppose we are nearing the election - but still! Anyway we got to see a fair bit of the countryside and are already planning our next trip down to Kep ...........home of the big crab!!

 

yep - that's the big crab!

 

Sienna's shot from the sailing club - brilliant!

 

 

 

Cheers to Kep - see you next time!

MRISA - Volleyball Tournament

MRISA is an association of Mekong River International Schools where teams from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia compete in basketball, volleyball and soccer tournaments throughout the school year. This time it was our (ISPP's) turn to host the Middle Years Volleyball tournament and we were all very excited to be involved.

Samuel had decided to try out for the team even though he had never really played it before, unless you count  a few games on the beach on holidays! He wasn't that hopeful as it was for grades 6-8, but went to training and had a go. He was able to match it with the older kids and was selected in the A Team as their designated "setter". He does have amazing co-ordination, can read the play, excels at ball sports and has energy to burn! Phil and I can debate at length as to where the talent comes from - both claiming AFL footballing cousins, and I throw in the Stawell gift place getter (thanks Uncle Ted!), but I may have to admit that Phil has it over me on the tennis court! Either way -  he was rapt and we were pretty proud, although  I was then lamenting that it was a home tournament and I didn't get to travel......but I'm sure there will be other opportunities.

lets go ISPP lets go!

Part of the hosting duties is also to provide the "billets" for all the visiting teams so ISPP had to find beds for about 150 kids. We requested students from VIS (our previous school in Vientiane) and were lucky to be assigned Joji from Japan who Samuel used to play soccer with, and another lovely young boy, Daniel from Canada. They were great kids, and it was wonderful to welcome them into our home. They were bombarded with questions from us all about life in Laos, who was still there, friends, teachers etc,  and took us down memory lane!

 

Our visiting VIS friends!

The tournament was played out at The Beeline Arena, across on one of the islands on the Mekong. It's a pretty impressive stadium for Cambodia  although it did get  pretty hot under the tin roof. Pool games were played on the Friday and the rest of the school students from ISPP were in the crowd creating a fantastic atmosphere. ISPP lost their first 2 matches in what were nail biting 3 set matches - to a strong team from Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC) and our arch rivals here in Phnom Pehn, Northbridge (NISC)  We won the third game against a team from Thailand, the highlight being Samuel holding serve for 11 points straight.

The Saturday morning game was the all important match to determine if you played off for the top four spots, or played off in the consolation group for places 5 -8. It was another tight  game and the boys came up just short against UNIS, the tournament favorites from Hanoi. They were a big strong team and just had a bit too much power. The boys fought it out bravely though winning some magnificent rallies. So it was on to the play off for the plate trophy. The boys won the first match, producing some of their brilliance from the Friday games which meant they would play off for fifth spot and found themselves up against NISC again. Both the teams had a fair bit of home town support and the atmosphere was amazing, with plenty of cheering and drum banging going on. It was another nail biting match but our boys managed to win both tight sets, again playing some of their best volleyball. It was an amazing finish with Samuel serving at set point and being carried from the court on the shoulders of his teammates. He was rapt and we were really proud of his effort and sportsmanship. He had really matched it with the bigger taller kids and continually revved up his teammates on court. It was a wonderful experience for him, a great introduction to MRISA and was topped off with him being named MVP for his team and making it into the All Star Team for the tournament.  The smile couldn't be wiped off his face - hanging with the big kids was pretty cool stuff. 

Joji and Samuel, respective MVP's for their teams!

Hot Hot Hot

Hello again everyone. As you may have guesssed we are in the middle of the hot hot hot season and have been experiencing some extremely hot days with humidity levels off the page! I think it is a bit hotter here  than I remember Vientiane being but really, hot is hot - so we don't really worry too much about the actual degrees! I'm not really complaining - just letting off a bit of steam - so to speak!!  We are lucky enough to have a pool to cool down in, air conditioners to keep the house cool and a generator for back up to fight the constant power cuts - so we manage! There has been some rain storms already, some say a little early, but nevertheless very welcome. We all love it when the thunder rolls in and the sky clouds over - and then the torrents rain down bringing  much relief - and often it is gone just as quickly. Not sure how the drains in the streets will cope when the real rain starts - we'll probably need a canoe to get around in, as it doesn't take much for little rivers to form down our road. Life just continues on though, tuk tuks splash you as they scoot pass, umberallas and plastic ponchos pop up for sale on every corner, streets become uncrossable and you never stay dry for too long - but thats the wet season for you!

Speaking of being wet - we had an amazing time in Bangkok for the New Year Celebrations. Every time we ventured out of the hotel we got soaked by the Thais celebrating in the streets. It was fantastic to witness.....once........but by day 3 we were all a little over it. Some of the street scenes were amazing though with literally thousands of people swarming down the road drowning anyone in sight with water pistols, buckets of water and anything else they could think of. We thought we were prepared with a couple of pump action water pistols but no!

Some of the highlights of that weekend were catching up with loads of friends; Mark and Robert, Flavia and kids, David and Whinnie, Jo and the boys  and of course Uncle Stevie! It was great fun and wonderful to see everyone again.

Since then we have been keeping busy. Samuel has made the MRISA (Mekong River International Schools Association) school team for volleyball, which we are hosting here in Phnom Penh next weekend. He's done really well to be selected as the only grade 6'er in the team (grades 6-8) so we are very proud of him and are looking forward to chearing him on. We have some of the kids from Laos (VIS) staying with us so that should be fun. It's a whole weekend of volleyball so more on that next time.

Mixing it with the big kids!

Sienna has had another swim meet and did really well. The next one is at the Olympic Pool in a 50m pool which will test her out but she is training hard. She also performed at the school concert,  doing a guitar solo with her teacher playing "I've got a feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas -  she was fantastic. No musical talent from her mum or dad - so very proud of her too! (Note: I don't supose thats actually a solo, with her teacher, but anyway...)

Phil is busy breaking in a new Ambassador at the Embassy. They are a nice family with a son in Sienna's class and seem pretty relaxed. There has been a bit of a change in the demographics at post recently, and we now have more families with Samuel being the oldest of 16 kids. So the social scene is starting to change and we get together a bit more now and have a great time at the Akubra Bar at the Embassy. We recently had a very memorable dawn service for Anzac Day at the Embassy and it was attended by about 200 expats. Samuel read a poem and did a wonderful job. It was a really moving service complete with a Khmer bugler who did a fantastic job.

Kids pictured here with our Defence Attache, Captain Andrew Dakin.

I am still having trouble with the settings for this blog, so if you have subscribed to it and are or aren't getting notifications of these new posts, could you please let me know.  Hope you are all well and enjoying life......take care for now xMekong Molloys

Suor Sdei Chhnam Thmei - Happy Khmer New Year

Well the dry season rice is harvested and the smell of rain is in the air - which means only one thing here in Phnom Penh - Happy New Year! As we get ready to welcome the Year of the Snake (extra lucky for Samuel as he was born in the last Snake Year) preparations are being made for the festivities all across the country. 

Cambodia’s traditional New Year, “Chaul Chhnam Thmei” generally falls around mid April or during Chet, the fifth month of the Cambodian lunar calendar. This is the time when the farmers are relieved of their farm work after the dry-season rice harvest. Leading up to New Year’s Eve, houses and temples are decorated with flowers, lamps, candles, colored papers, incense sticks and small  mounds  of rice or sand which later will be carried to temples as an offering to monks.

During the New Year festival which lasts for three days, Cambodians, especially the aged, go to temples to make offerings to monks and pray for the souls of their ancestors and on New Years Eve an exorcist rite is held to pray for happiness and prosperity in the coming year.

Young people also enjoy the festival. They dance the Roam Vong (Cambodia’s most popular dance) and join in playing some of the traditional games such as; “Chol Chhoung” – knotted scarf throwing where those that fail to catch the scarf have to sing a song, and “Angkunh” – a nut throwing game similar to billiards but played on the ground rather than on a table. Nowadays several traditional games such as throwing colored water at people passing by as a wish for luck, or bamboo canoe racing are no longer seen - which is a shame because the water throwing from the back of our pick up in Vientiane, jammed pack with friends with semi automatic water pistols at  the ready, dressed in brilliant coloured floral shirts  is one of our special memories of our time in Laos!

I get the idea that celebrations are a bit more low key here.

In the countryside singers are invited to sing in praise of legendary or real heroes and of revolutionary exploits. People gather in temples to worship or in public parks to contemplate the natural beauty of their surroundings - taking time to smell the roses I suppose!  In urban centers, people dressed in their Sunday best stroll around public gardens and parks and visit sites and historical monuments. Cambodians on the whole enjoy picnicking or visiting ancient temples, including Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear during the New Year holidays.

 

The Embassy held a party for all staff and their families at the Ambassadors Resisdence last week and it was lots of fun. Set in the beautiful gardens and on a very hot night we all got together for loads of games, a wonderful buffet, some dancing and  karaoke (of course). It was quite a fun night as the Khmers love to get together and enjoy themselves . The kids had a great time playing the games and learning the dances......as for Phil - of course we couldn't get him off the dance floor. 

 

 

 

 

Now having said all that - we are actually leaving town for the New Year long weekend!  We are off to Bangkok for a few days and are all really looking forward to some time back in that buzzing metropolis that we love so much! As it turns out it looks like being a huge weekend of reunions as some of our dear friends from our Laos days and even Stevie from home will be in town.  So plenty to look forward to; reminiscing the old times, creating the new times, cocktails by the pool, seafood dinners, night markets  and of course a bit of shopping -  look out Bangers here we come!   It is also Thailands New Year festival (Son Kran) and like Laos they also take part in dousing everyone with water - so with a bit of luck it still may be water pistols at the ready!       

So we hope this post finds you all well - drop us a comment on the blog
bye for now and happy new year
xMekong Molloys                                                 

Easter with friends

Well firstly we are happy to report to the reflief of us all that  the Easter Bunny found his way to Phnom Penh!! He wisely chose the airconditioned lounge room downstairs  rather than the sweltering conditions poolisde to hide the bounty and the kids had a great time discovering the hiding spots. We were joined by our lovely Swiss friends from Laos who now live in nearby Myanmar - Meret, Michel, Elias and Benjamin - who know a thing or two about chocolate,  and a wonderful Easter was had by all.

It was wonderful to spend some time together and we enjoyed strolling the streets  downtown with them all.  Meret and Michel  had lived here back in 1999 and we even found their old apartment. We visited the National Museum and the kids had a great time playing out in the courtyard. The museum is a gorgeous old terracotta structure of traditional design built in 1917-20. Its bold red colour stands out and the lovely green garden in the courtyard  is very inviting on the hot days. The museum comprises four pavilions and houses the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture. Sienna had been there previously on a school excursion and she enjoyed telling the stories  of Vishnu and Shiva.

We visited the temple, Wat Phnom, atop the only hill in town. Legend has it that the first pagoda was erected here in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha that were deposited here by the waters of the Mekong River and found by Madame Penh. Today many people come here to pray for good luck and success in school exams and business affairs. When a wish is granted the faithful return to deliver the promised offering. Apparently the spirits have a liking for jasmine flowers and bananas! I'll have to go back and deliver the goods if the Kangaroos make the finals!!

The temple was really lovely and inside the walls  and ceilings were covered with brightly painted pictures of scenes from life in Cambodia.

We also took a trip out to visit the wildlife sanctuary at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, home for animals confiscated from traffickers or saved from poachers traps. Oh my goodness it was so hot and dry out there - it might be better to visit at a different time of year. Having said that I don't think any of the kids noticed - they were off!. As for my expectations, they  weren't that high and I definitely wasn't expecting the Melbourne Zoo - but some of the enclosures left a bit to be desired. The conditions are improving though, through help from international wildlife NGO's, and in particular the Free The Bears area was fantastic with wonderful enclosures and first rate viewing areas. We stood for ages looking longingly at one of the sun bears who was cooling off in his swimming pool and playing with a ball - the water was dirty but we all felt like joining him as it was so hot and we were all covered in dust. We saw otters, moon bears, sun bears, lions, elephants, crocodiles, gibbons and a range of eagles, owls and storks. Where possible the animals are released back into the wild once they have recovered and the centre also operates breeding programs for a number of globally threatened species. So its well worth a visit.

We enjoyed a sunset cruise on the river and enjoyed watching the local fishermen casting their nets. There is a whole floating village not far down the river and it is amazing to see how life goes on there. Some of the rickety old long boats don't look so sea worthy but then again some have satellite dishes on their roofs and tv's on their balconies!

We spent time browsing through central market and wandering the streets, sitting at the cafes to watch the world pass by and the kids always enjoyed getting home to cool off in the pool.

But it wasn't all about the kids!

Cheers to Meret and Michel - our first visitors - we look forward to catching up again soon!

Two months later.......

Hello everyone and welcome to our attempt at a blog! We are hoping this will be an easier way to keep in touch and share some photos and experiences with you all. It will also act as a bit of a travel diary for us - so I'll try hard not to bore you. We promise to try and update it......not too regularly.......but from time to time with some of the stories of life here In the Penh!

So two months have passed and we are really enjoying life here. Kids are happy at school and busy with their sporting commitments. Sienna has represented ISPP at a swimming carnival and also at a sports day.

 

 

Samuel is trying out for the Middle School Volleyball team and hoping to make it so he can play against some old friends from Vientiane International School. He is enjoying school and recently for the Week Without Walls program spent 5 days at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. He had a fantastic week making hammocks for the bears and enrichments for the animals, cleaning the enclosures, washing the elephants and collecting their poo, but the highlight was having a tshirt painted by "Lucky" the talented artistic elephant.........while he was wearing it!

 

 

Phil is settling into his role at the Embassy but he has been really busy and working long hours. I am enjoying the CLO (Community Liasion Officer ) role there and the 6hours a week hasn't been too taxing so far! The embassy had 2 new staff arrive this week so I had to give my first CLO tour of PP - it went well although it was a bit like the blind leading the blind. Importantly I had already discovered the good supermarkets, a great butcher and a lovely stop for lunch!

 

In the past month there has been a lot happening here. We had the 4 day funeral/cremation of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, which was an amazing event to witness. He died in Beijing in October 2012 and the funeral was held after the official 100 day mourning period. Millions were expected to arrive in town to honour him and be part of the ceremony. We were told to either leave town or get supplies in  and stay inside as streets, shops, roads, schools would all be closed as everyone flock into town for the ceremony. We stayed here because Phil still had to work and in the end it wasn't as crazy and unpredictable as first thought. We were able to wander down to the Royal Palace and witness the crowds of people set up outside lighting candles and incense and paying their respects

 

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There was a 6km procession of the gold casket through the streets on the  Friday with about 3000 people particiapting in the parade.

 

 

 

The cremation on the Monday was held at the purpose built Val Mean Crematorium and later the ashes were scattered in the Mekong River. Some will be also kept in an urn at the Palace.

 

 

 

The late King Father Sihanouk was a much loved figure,  revered by millions and was responsible for securing independence from France in 1953. I don't at all pretend to be an expert on Cambodia's history  because it is terribly complicated however I can tell you that he first ascended the throne in 1941, secured independence in 1953, stepped down from the throne to enter politics in 1955, became head of state at the death of his father in 1960, was toppled by the Lon Nol government in 1970, spent the Khmer Rouge years under house arrest in the Royal Palace and finally became the country's king again in 1993.