Monday, February 18, 2013

COMMENTARY: The royal thanks and gratitude and words of praise bestowed upon Prime Minister Hun Sen by His Majesty the King, Preah Sihamoni and Queen Mother



On 9 February 2013, His Majesty the King Preah Boromneath Sihamoni and Queen Mother Preah Boromneath Sihanouk officially expressed their very sincere royal thanks and gratitude for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s generosity and wisdom and his wife, Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen for having had an elaborate royal funeral dignifying the late King Father to fit His colossal honor and reputation of the Heroic Greatest King of the Cambodian Nation. They warmly congratulated Prime Minister Hun Sen for his leadership in serving the interests of the nation, the country and the people and for realizing many great achievements. True to their kind words of praise, in silence millions of Cambodian people join their beloved King and the Queen Mother to express their thanks, gratitude and praise to Prime Minister Hun Sen, and his wife Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen as well.

The elaborate ceremony to carry the golden casket of the body of King Father, Preah Sihanouk, on 1 February 2013 from the Main Chamber of the Royal Palace to be mounted on a motorized majestic float that left the Main Gate of the Royal Palace in the early hours of the morning marked the last and final departure of King Father from his beloved Kingdom. The more than 6 km procession route from the Royal Palace, around Wat Phnom, to the Monument of Independence, before passing in front of the Main Gate of the Royal Palace one more time was the King Father’s last symbol of expressing his caring and loving for his subjects, among those there were older people who travelled from the farthest and nearest provinces, as well as his gracious act allowing his subjects to bid farewell to their revered King Father. The last leg of the procession going from the front of the Main Gate to the cremation site was highly emotional for His Majesty King Sihamoni and Queen Mother. Millions of Khmer people who came to pay respect to the body of King Father along the procession route or watched television at home fully appreciated the wisdom of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia for having organized such an elaborate ceremony to honor King Father. 

It was totally untrue and irresponsible when some indecent and ill-intended people told and then it was reported by the Cambodian Daily on 9-10 February 2013 publication, saying “the royal family never organized anything,” or “as far as the King Father is concerned, one of his wishes was to organize a humble and modest funeral so that people would not spend too much money”. In so saying and reporting as such, the pair seemed to know nothing about the recent Cambodian history and they seemed to be ignorant as who was King Father, Preah Sihanouk. 

He was King, twice. He was Prime Minister, many times. He was Chief of State. And more, as this is what Denis D. Gray of the Associated Press wrote during the week before the cremation date: “For over half a century, Sihanouk bestrode this Southeast Asian country like a colossus, wresting independence from France, keeping the opposing Cold War powers at bay while maneuvering adroitly through domestic minefields. A larger-than-life character, Sihanouk survived wars and the Khmer Rouge reign of terror before succumbing to a heart attack last October at the age of 89. The King-Father, as he is called, will be cremated Monday.” It was thought along those lines that Prime Minister Hun Sen came up with those elaborate ceremonies, from the day when the body of King Father returned home from Beijing, the People’s Republic of China to Phnom Penh on October, until and during the cremation ceremony, on 4 February 2013.

There were “National Mourning Weeks” during which the Cambodian people, including people in some segments of the country business community took the mourning to their heart without complaining about the slowdown of the business. There were traffic inconveniences but the people were more patient. On the other hand, there was great sense of urgency, respect, gratitude and pushing to the limit by the organizers, fearing that they have not done sufficiently to honor their late greatest King, their late active Prime Minister, their late astute Chief of State, their Father of National Independence and National Unity. Prime Minister Hun Sen, as he is no different than millions of other fair-minded Cambodians would likely  agree that the Royal Government of Cambodia avoided extravagance but pushed to the limit to honor King Father.

It was brutally indecent, abnormally ill-intended to voice such a shameful and irresponsible opinion as to say that: ““the royal family never organized anything”. This is bigger than a lie. This is slanderous. Speaking only about the Royal Funeral of the King Father, everything from A to Z, including every tiny detail were consulted with and were getting the nod of approval by His Majesty the King and Queen Mother. During the moment of profound sadness of His Majesty the King and Queen Mother, Prime Minister Hun Sen, out of his great concern about their well-being, out of his deep respect and admiration of the late King Father, His Majesty the King Preah Sihamoni, the Queen Mother and the monarchy had pushed for the perfection in every aspect, architecture, sequences of the event, the mood and the conduct of the ceremony.

Prime Minister Hun Sen deserves the royal recognition of his wise leadership, the royal thanks and gratitude and words of praise bestowed upon him by His Majesty the King Preah Sihamoni and Queen Mother.

18 February 2013
Professor Pen Ngoeun
Advisor,
University of Putisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia