Death of former king is ‘great loss to Cambodia’
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Mr Sihanouk died yesterday of natural causes in Beijing, where he had travelled for medical treatment.
Prince Sisowath Thomico, a royal family member who was also Mr Sihanouk’s assistant, said the former king suffered a heart attack at a Beijing hospital.
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Hide Ad“His death was a great loss to Cambodia,” the prince said, adding that Mr Sihanouk dedicated his life “for the sake of his entire nation, country and for the Cambodian people”.
Mr Sihanouk was a key figure in Cambodian politics for six decades but abdicated in 2004, citing poor health, and was succeeded by a son, Norodom Sihamoni.
The former king had been in China since January, and suffered a variety of illnesses including colon cancer, diabetes and hypertension.
Mr Kanharith said arrangements were being made to repatriate the body for an official funeral in Cambodia.
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Hide AdMr Sihanouk saw Cambodia reel from colony to kingdom, US-backed regime to Khmer Rouge killing field and foreign-occupied land to guerrilla war zone – and finally to a fragile experiment with democracy.
He was a feudal-style monarch beloved by his people, but he was seldom able to deliver the stability they craved through decades of violence.