Cambodia mourns its former ruler

Norodom Sihanouk, the former revered king of Cambodia, died early on Monday morning in a Beijing hospital at the age of 90, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, Nhik Bun Chhay, described the former king's death as "a great loss for Cambodia", and told the Chinese media that Sihanouk "was a great king who we respected and loved".

Born on Oct 31, 1922, Sihanouk became revered in Cambodia as the Father of Independence, Territorial Integrity and Khmer Unification.

Sihanouk held many of the highest offices of state from 1941, including two terms as king, from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 to 2004, one term as president, two as prime minister, and one as the country's unofficial head of state.

At the age of 19, Sihanouk was installed as king by Cambodia's French colonial rulers, amid hopes that the mild-mannered young man would be easily manipulated.

However, Sihanouk proved less malleable than expected and helped to end French rule in 1953. Two years later, he abdicated and transferred power to his father, Norodom Suramarit. The former king then established the Sangkum Reasniyum regime, becoming Cambodia's prime minister just a few months later.

Sihanouk attempted to steer Cambodia through an uneasy neutrality at the height of the Cold War, but was unable to keep the country out of the conflict completely.

On March 18, 1970, Cambodia's National Assembly, convened by the then Prime Minister, Lon Nol, voted to depose Sihanouk, who went into exile in China. During Lon Nol's Khmer Republic (1970-1975), Sihanouk remained in exile, mostly in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but he maintained contact with the opponents of the Khmer regime.

After 13 years in exile, Sihanouk returned to Cambodia in 1991, once more as king. In 2004, he abdicated voluntarily in favor of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.

Sihanouk had been treated for cancer, diabetes and hypertension by doctors in Beijing.

zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn