Cambodian King Celebrates Anniversary Of Coronation

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Cambodian king celebrates anniversary of his coronation

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodians began two days of official holidays Monday to celebrate the third anniversary of King Norodom Sihamoni's ascension to the throne, while the king marked the occasion in typically modest and devout style.

Sihamoni, who succeeded his father, Norodom Sihanouk, 84, who abdicated in 2004 citing age and ill health, marked the anniversary with a private Buddhist and Brahmanist ceremony at the palace attended by the nation's highest monks, his cabinet and family, according to the palace.

He was scheduled to spend the afternoon donating rice and other gifts to the poor, a palace source said by telephone.

Ordinary Cambodians still revere the royal family as living gods, and Sihamoni also serves as the country's head of state and the leader of Buddhism in the country - the religion of 95 per cent of the population. Cambodian law places him as a king who "reigns but does not rule." The monarch quickly won popularity from all political parties for his dignified air, his devotion to religious matters and his reluctance to become involved in the country's turbulent political scene.

Born in the capital in 1953 to Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monireath, Sihamoni was held prisoner in the royal palace by the Khmer Rouge during its 1975-79 regime and was forced to flee the capital with his father and mother when the genocidal ultra-Maoists were overthrown by Vietnamese-backed troops.

He later studied in Czechoslovakia for many years, becoming fluent in Czech, and was an acclaimed classical dancer before becoming Cambodia's cultural ambassador to UNESCO prior to ascending the throne.//dpa

- The Nation