PENH, Cambodia (AP) --As the sun sets and the last tourist departs his vast, fairy-tale
palace, the gentle, dignified man is left almost alone with memories of
happier times, before he became the reluctant king of Cambodia — and
perhaps its last.
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In this May 21, 2011 photo, Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni greets
wellwishers during an annual royal plowing ceremony in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia. The king may be heir to a royal line trailing back some 2,000
years, but he always seemed more suited to the arts scene in Europe,
than the rough and tumble politics of his homeland. Now, close aides and
experts say, he has become figuratively, and more, a prisoner in his
own palace. Heng Sinith / AP
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King Norodom Sihamoni may be heir to a royal line trailing back some
2,000 years, but he always seemed more suited to the arts scene in
Europe, where he was a ballet dancer, than the rough and tumble politics
of his homeland. Now, close aides and experts say, he has become
figuratively, and more, a prisoner in his own palace.
The chief warden: Prime Minister Hun Sen, who rose from a poor rural
background to become a brilliant and crafty, some say ruthless,
politician.
Hun Sen consolidated power in a 1997 coup as Cambodia slowly emerged
from being dragged into the Vietnam War and its own civil war. While the
country is nominally democratic, he uses all the machinery of
government to lock up critics and ensure his re-election. Human rights
groups allege that he and his business friends are enriching themselves,
while most of the population remains mired in poverty.
His control extends over the palace. The king is surrounded by the
government's watchdogs, overseen by Minister of Royal Affairs Kong Som
Ol, an official close to Hun Sen. Sihamoni is closely chaperoned on his
few trips outside palace walls, with the media kept away. Although the
constitution endows him with considerable powers, these have never been
granted.
"I think we can use the words 'puppet king.' His power has been
reduced to nothing," says Son Chhay, an opposition member of Parliament
and one of the government's few outspoken critics. "The king must please
the prime minister as much as possible in order to survive. It is sad
to see."
It wasn't always so. Sihamoni's flamboyant and charismatic father,
Norodom Sihanouk, bestrode the country like a colossus for decades. Many
regarded him as a god-king, and thousands flocked to the plaza fronting
the Royal Palace for fireworks and other lavish celebrations on his
birthday.
Sihanouk abruptly abdicated in 2004 following confrontations with Hun
Sen. Son Chhay and others say Sihamoni accepted the crown under
pressure from parents hoping to ensure the survival of the monarchy.
Seven years later, "sad, lonely, abandoned" are words sympathetic
Cambodians often use when describing Sihamoni. The 58-year-old monarch
spends much of each day signing documents, receiving guests and handling
other routine business, then retires mostly to dine alone and read,
says Prince Sisowath Thomico, Sihanouk's private secretary and an
adviser to his son.
Unlike his father, who had six wives and numerous lovers, Sihamoni is a lifelong bachelor and unlikely to leave an heir.
His birthday passed recently with little notice. Within the palace's
crenelated walls, among the graceful pavilions and gilt spires, there
was no sign of activity. Outside, knots of people went about their
normal evening pastimes at the grassy, riverfront square, feeding
pigeons, lounging on reed mats and snacking on lotus seeds and noodles.
"The king is a good, gentle man, a symbol of Cambodia. But he has one
problem: no power. He only stays inside the palace. On television the
leaders bow down before him but behind his back there is no respect,"
said Sin Chhay, a young civil servant at the plaza. "You could say that
Hun Sen is the real king of Cambodia."
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith insists the king is involved in
social and religious affairs and judicial reviews, receives a monthly
report from Hun Sen on government activities and makes recommendations
on them.
"The current King Sihamoni has played an important role in restoring
the ... monarchy. As a king and symbol of national unity he maintains
strict neutrality and doesn't become involved in any political
activities," he said. "To say that he's a prisoner in the palace would
be inappropriate."
Sihamoni, a former ballet dancer and cultural ambassador, spent 25
years in Czechoslovakia and France. That European past, Western
diplomats say, is his great escape.
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