Cambodia announces 2nd official mourning for King-Father Norodom Sihanouk

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will hold the second time of a week-long mourning for the most revered King Father Norodom Sihanouk from Feb. 1-7 during which the King Father's body will be cremated, according to a government's circular released to the media on Wednesday.

Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on Oct. 15, last year and his body was returned to Phnom Penh by Air China jumbo jet on Oct. 17. The country announced the first 7-day period of mourning from Oct. 17-23; then, his body is lying in state at Cambodian capital's Royal Palace for the public to pay their last respects.

According to the circular signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday, Sihanouk's body will be moved from the Royal Palace to a cremation site, built at the Meru field next to the Palace, on Feb. 1 and kept it for another three days at the site before it is cremated on Feb. 4.

"During the 2nd mourning period, all radios and TV stations as well as entertainment places must suspend broadcasting joyful spectacles, performances, and concerts," it said. "Flags must be all flying at half-mast."

The circular also instructed all Cambodian people to pin black ribbons to their shirts as a sign of mourning.

It added that all civil servants will be allowed to take a two- day holiday on Feb. 1 and 4.

The procession of moving the King's body from the Royal Palace to the cremation site on Feb. 1 and the cremation ceremony on Feb. 4 will be live broadcast through all radios and TV channels in the country.

Born on Oct. 31, 1922, Sihanouk ruled Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication on Oct. 7, 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni.

He suffered from various forms of cancer, diabetes and hypertension and had been treated by Chinese doctors in Beijing for years before his death.

Sihanouk wrote in a royal letter in January, 2012 that he requested his body to be cremated instead of being buried and his ashes to be put in an urn, preferably made of gold, and placed in a stupa at the Royal Palace.

Sourced: DAP News