Over 100 nations to pay respects to Late King Father Norodom Sihanouk in Middle East

Chhay Sophal

Kuwait City (15 October, 2012): Cambodian ambassador to four nations in the Middle East said Monday that representatives of more than 100 nations will come to the embassy based in Kuwait to share condolences to Late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

Speaking at the Cambodian embassy in Kuwait in the evening of Monday, Ambassador Long Kem said he is shocked after immediate hearing about the King Father’s death.

“He [King Father] is not only the hero of Cambodia but he is also the hero of the world. He gains love, favour and respect from the Cambodian people and gains influence from the world. I feel very sad about his death,” he told a group of Cambodian journalists inside the Cambodian embassy in Kuwait.

Five Cambodian journalists from Phnom Penh also joined H.E. Roland Eng, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Long Kem and his embassy staff to pay respect to the soul of the Late King Father in the embassy. The journalists and H.E. Roland Eng attended the First Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit in Kuwait city of Kuwait held on 15-17 October, 2012.

King Father Norodom Sihanouk, 90, left the world early Monday in Beijing. King Norodom Sihamoni who is Late King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s son and Prime Minister Hun Sen who is Late King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s foster son left to Beijing in the same day to bring the body back home on Wednesday with a special flight of China.

The world leaders are expected to send letters to share their condolences to Cambodia for the death of the Cambodian hero. The world media are also busy with the news on the death.

The official funeral of the Royal Family will be done in days ahead for the first time since the 1960s.