Khmer

90x105px
Top: Jayavarman VII • Norodom I • Sinn Sisamouth • Sihanouk Bottom: Loung Ung • Virak Dara • Ros Sereysothea • Chuon Nath
Total population
16 million (2008 est.)
Regions with significant populations
Cambodia      14.2 million[1]
Thailand 1.4 million  Vietnam 1.3 million  United States 241,025[2]  France 68,000  Australia 25,710[3]  Canada 25,000  Malaysia 11,381  South Korea 10,000[4]  New Zealand 6,918[5]  Taiwan 5,219[6]  Laos 5,200  Belgium 3,500  Germany 3,000  Japan 331[7]  Russia 110[8]
Languages
Khmer, Northern Khmer dialect, French
Religion
Theravada Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Mon, Wa, and other Mon–Khmer groups

This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

Khmer people (ខ្មែរ, English pronunciation: /ˈkmɛər/ or /kəˈmɛər/) are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million^[1] people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia. The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretic version which blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, animism and ancestor-spirit worship.^[9] Significant populations of Khmers reside in adjacent areas of Thailand (Northern Khmer) and the Mekong Delta region of neighboring Vietnam (Khmer Krom).

History[link]

Angkor Wat

Migrations into the mainland regions of Southeast Asia from the north continued well into historic times.^{[citation needed]} Most scholars believe they came at least 3,000 years ago, much earlier than Tai people who now inhabit many parts of what was originally Austroasiatic territory. The reason they migrated into Southeast Asia is generally debated, but scholars believe that Mon–Khmer were pushed down by invading Sino-Tibetans from the north as evident by Austroasiatic vocabulary in Chinese or because of agricultural purposes as evident by their migration routes along major rivers. The Khmer are relatives to the Mon who settled further to the west.

After establishment in Southeast Asia, the history of the Khmer people parallels the history of Cambodia. Like the other early peoples of Southeast Asia such as the Pyu, Mon, Cham, Malay and Javanese, the Khmer were influenced by Indian and Sri Lankan traders and scholars, adapting their religions, sciences, and customs and borrowing from their languages. The Khmer also acquired the concept of the Shaivite Deva Raja (God-King) and the great temple as a symbolic holy mountain. Although Cambodian kingdoms waxed and waned and were eventually eclipsed, the Cambodian penchant for building temples of stone throughout their kingdoms left monuments still extant today.

Jayavarman II (802–830), revived Cambodian power and built the foundation for the Angkorean empire, founding three capitals—Indrapura, Hariharalaya, and Mahendraparvata—the archeological remains of which reveal much about his times. After winning a long civil war, Suryavarman I (reigned 1002–1050) turned his forces eastward and subjugated the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati. Consequently, he ruled over the greater part of present-day Thailand and Laos, as well as the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. This period, during which Angkor Wat was constructed, is considered the apex of Khmer civilization. The Khmer kingdom became the Khmer Empire and the great temples of Angkor, considered an archeological treasure replete with detailed stone bas-reliefs showing many aspects of the culture, including some musical instruments, remain as monuments to the culture of the Khmer. After the death of Suryavarman II (1113–1150), Cambodia lapsed into chaos until Jayavarman VII (1181–1218) ordered the construction of a new city. He was a Buddhist, and for a time, Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As a state religion, however, it was adapted to suit the Deva Raja cult, with a Buddha Raja being substituted for the former Shiva Raja or Vishnu Raja.

Apsara's on Angkor Wat

The rise of the Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai (1238) and Ayutthaya (1350) resulted in almost ceaseless wars with the Cambodians and led to the destruction of Angkor in 1431. They are said to have carried off 90,000 prisoners, many of whom were likely dancers and musicians.^[10] The period following 1432, with the Cambodian people bereft of their treasures, documents, and human culture bearers, was one of precipitous decline. In 1434 King Ponhea Yat made Phnom Penh his capital, and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle. Due to continued Siamese and Vietnamese aggression Cambodia appealed to France for protection in 1863 and became a French protectorate in 1864. During the 1880s, along southern Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia was drawn into the French-controlled Indochinese Union. For nearly a century, the French exploited Cambodia commercially, and demanded power over politics, economics, and social life.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the political situation in Cambodia became chaotic. King Norodom Sihanouk (later, Prince, then again King), proclaimed Cambodia's independence in 1949 (granted in full in 1953) and ruled the country until March 18, 1970, when he was overthrown by General Lon Nol, who established the Khmer Republic. On April 17, 1975, the genocidal Khmer Rouge led by Saloth Sar, better known by his alias, Pol Pot, came to power and virtually destroyed the Cambodian people, their health, morality, education, physical environment, and culture. On January 7, 1979 Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge. After more than ten years of painfully slow rebuilding with only meager outside help, the United Nations intervened resulting in the Paris Peace Accord on October 23, 1992 and created conditions for general elections in May 1993, leading to the formation of the current government and the restoration of Prince Sihanouk to power as King in 1993. Nonetheless, the Khmer Rouge continued to control portions of western and northern Cambodia until the late 1990s when they surrendered to government forces in exchange for either amnesty or re-adjustment for positions into the Cambodian government, and security outside the capital remains problematic.

Geography and demographics[link]

The majority of the world's Khmer live in Cambodia, the population of which is 80% Khmer. There are also significant Khmer populations native to Thailand and Vietnam. There are over one million Khmer, mainly in Surin (Soren), Buriram (Borei Rom) and Sisaket (Sri Saket) provinces, in Thailand. Estimates for the number of Khmer in Vietnam (known as Khmer Krom) vary from the 1.1 million given by government data to seven million advocated by the Khmer Krom Federation.^[11]

Due to the Cambodian Civil War, thousands of Khmer now reside in the United States, Canada, Australia and France as well.

Culture and society[link]

Theravada Buddhism is the major religion in Cambodia

Carved panel at Wat Mahathat in Luang Prabang, Laos. It depicts the legend of King Thao Sithoanh and the Nang Manola, and the kinnari. This Laotian legend is of Khmer origin and is very popular.

The culture of the ethnic Khmer is fairly homogeneous throughout their geographic range. Regional dialects exist but are mutually intelligible. The standard is based on Phnom Penh speech, which, due to the city's status as the national capital, has been modestly affected by recent French and Vietnamese influence. However, the variety of Khmer spoken in Battambang is more representative of the speech of the majority of the population. Other dialects are Northern Khmer dialect, called Khmer Surin by Cambodians, spoken by the Khmer in Thailand and Khmer Krom spoken by the Khmer native to the Mekong delta regions of Vietnam adjacent to Cambodia. A little-studied dialect known as Western Khmer, or Cardamom Khmer, is spoken by a small, isolated population in the Cardamom Mountain range extending from Cambodia into Thailand. Although little studied, it is unique in that it maintains a definite system of vocal register that has all but disappeared in other dialects of modern Khmer.

The Cambodians believe in Brahmanism, which is derived from Hinduism and Buddhism. The modern Khmer strongly identify their ethnic identity with their religious beliefs and practices which combine the tenets of Theravada Buddhism with elements of indigenous ancestor-spirit worship, animism and shamanism.^[9] The majority of the Khmer live in rural villages either as rice farmers or fishermen and life revolves around the wat (temple) and the various Buddhist ceremonies throughout the year. However, if a Khmer becomes ill, they will frequently see a kru khmae (shaman/healer) whom they believe can diagnose which of the many spirits (neak ta) has caused the illness and recommend a course of action to propitiate the offended spirit, thereby curing the illness.^[12] The kru khmae also is learned in herb lore and is often sought to prepare various "medicines" and potions or for a magical tattoo, all believed to endow one with special prowess and ward off evil spirits or general bad luck.^[12] Khmer beliefs also rely heavily on astrology, a remnant of Hinduism. A fortune teller, called hao-ra or kru tieay in Khmer, is often consulted before major events, like choosing a spouse, beginning an important journey or business venture, setting the date for a wedding and determining the proper location for building new structures.

Throughout the year the Khmer celebrate many holidays, most of a religious or spiritual nature, some of which are also observed as public holidays. The two most important are Chol Chnam (Cambodian New Year) and Pchum Ben ("Ancestor Day"). The Khmer Buddhist calendar is divided into 12 months with the traditional new year beginning on the first day of khae chaet which coincides with the first new moon of April in the western calendar. However, the modern celebration has been standardized to coincide with April 13.

Khmer culture has influenced Thai and Lao cultures and vice versa. Many Khmer loanwords are found in Thai and Lao, and many Lao and Thai loanwords are also found in Khmer language. The Thai Alphabet is derived from the Khmer alphabet, which in turn, is derived from the Pallava script of southern India.

See also[link]

• Cambodian cuisine Khmer cuisine
• Khmer Empire
• Khmer Loeu
• List of ethnic groups in Vietnam

References[link]

1. Benjamin Walker, Angkor Empire: A History of the Khmer of Cambodia, Signet Press, Calcutta, 1995.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Center For Khmer Studies
• The Khmers via Tamtofi

v t e Ethnic groups in Cambodia by language family Cambodian Central Khmer Khmer Krom Khmer Surin Chinese people Cantonese people Hakka people Han Chinese Hokkien Teochew people Malayo-Polynesian Cham people Jarai Rhade Khmer Loeu Kuy Pnong Tampuan Stieng people Kachok Krung Tai peoples Thai Lao Shan Kula Hmong-Mien Hmong Miao Yao Tibeto-Burman Burmese Other Indians Vietnamese

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2009)

Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ
Norodom Sihanouk in 1972 during a visit to the Socialist Republic of Romania
King of Cambodia (Colonial and independent Cambodia) (1st Term)
Reign	25 April 1941 – 2 March 1955
Coronation	September 1941
Predecessor	Sisowath Monivong
Successor	Norodom Suramarit
King of Cambodia (2nd Term)
Reign	24 September 1993 – 7 October 2004
Predecessor	Chea Sim
Successor	Norodom Sihamoni
Spouse	Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (Since 12 April 1952) See list Phat Kanhol Sisowath Pongsanmoni Norodom Thavet Norleak Sisowath Monikessan Mam Manivann Phanivong
Issue
14 children
Full name
Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Preahmâhaviraksat
House	House of Norodom
Father	Norodom Suramarit
Mother	Sisowath Kossamak
Born	(1922-10-31) 31 October 1922 (age 89) Phnom Penh, French Cambodia, Indochinese Union
Signature
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Norodom Sihanouk (Khmer: នរោត្តម សីហនុ) (born 31 October 1922) was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favour of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni. Since his abdication, he has been known as The King-Father of Cambodia (Preahmâhaviraksat), a position in which he retains many of his former responsibilities as constitutional monarch.

The son of King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak, Sihanouk has held so many positions since 1941 that the Guinness Book of World Records identifies him as the politician who has served the world's greatest variety of political offices.^[1] These included two terms as King, two as Sovereign Prince, one as president, two as prime minister, and one as Cambodia's non-titled head of state, as well as numerous positions as leader of various governments-in-exile.

Most of these positions were only honorific, including the last position as constitutional King of Cambodia. Sihanouk's actual period of effective rule over Cambodia was from 9 November 1953, when France granted independence to Cambodia, until 18 March 1970, when Lon Nol and the National Assembly deposed Sihanouk.

Early life[link]

Sihanouk received his primary education in a Phnom Penh primary school. He pursued his secondary education in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam at "Lycée Chasseloup Laubat" until his coronation and then later attended Cavalry military school in Saumur, France. When his maternal grandfather, King Sisowath Monivong, died on April 23, 1941, the Crown Council selected Prince Sihanouk as King of Cambodia. At that time, colonial Cambodia was part of French Indochina. His coronation took place in September 1941. In March 1945, the Empire of Japan deposed the French colonial administration and took control of French Indochina. Under pressure from the Japanese, Sihanouk proclaimed Cambodia's independence. Unlike the Vietnamese Emperor Bảo Đại, Sihanouk was careful not to compromise himself too much in collaboration with Japan. The Japanese imposed Son Ngoc Thanh as foreign minister then, in August, as prime minister of Cambodia.^[2] After Japan's surrender, the French gradually retook control of French Indochina: Son Ngoc Thanh was arrested in October 1945, while Sihanouk, considered by the French a valuable ally in the chaotic Indochinese situation, retained his throne.

Leadership turmoil[link]

Prime Minister[link]

After World War II and into the early 1950s, King Sihanouk's aspirations became much more nationalistic and he began demanding independence from the French colonists and their complete departure from Indochina. This echoed the sentiments of the other fledgling nations of French Indochina: the State of Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the Kingdom of Laos. He went into exile in Thailand in May 1953 because of threats on his life by the French and only returned when independence was granted on 9 November 1953. Whilst independent, Cambodia retained an alliance with the French Union, until the end of the First Indochina War and the subsequent official end of French Indochina. On 2 March 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favor of his father, established the Sangkum and took the post of Prime Minister a few months later, after having obtained an overwhelming victory in the parliamentary elections on September 1955.

Meeting in Beijing in 1956: from left Mao Zedong, Peng Zhen, Sihanouk, Liu Shaoqi.

On August 31, 1959, Ngo Dinh Nhu, the younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem, failed in an attempt to assassinate Sihanouk. He ordered his agents to send parcel bombs to the Cambodian leader. Two suitcases were delivered to the Sihanouk's palace, one addressed to the head of state, and the other to Prince Vakrivan, his head of protocol. The deliveries were labelled as originating from an American engineer who had previously worked in Cambodia and purported to contain gifts from Hong Kong. Sihanouk's package contained a bomb, but the other did not; however, Vakrivan opened both on behalf of the monarch and was killed instantly, as was a servant. The explosion happened adjacent to a room in the palace where Sihanouk's parents were present.^[3][4]

Following his father's death in 1960, Sihanouk won general election as head of state, but received the title of Prince rather than King. In 1963, he made a change in the constitution that made him head of state for life. While he was not officially King, he had created a constitutional office for himself that was exactly equal to that of the former Kingship.

When the Vietnam War raged, Sihanouk promoted policies that he claimed to preserve Cambodia's neutrality and most importantly security. While he in many cases sided with his neighbors, pressures upon his government from all sides in the conflict were immense, and his overriding concern was to prevent Cambodia from being drawn into a wider regional war. In so doing he made difficult choices of alliances in pursuit of the least dangerous course of action, within a political environment where genuine neutrality was likely impossible at the time. In the spring of 1965, he made a pact with the People's Republic of China and North Vietnam to allow the presence of permanent North Vietnamese bases in eastern Cambodia and to allow military supplies from China to reach Vietnam by Cambodian ports. Cambodia and Cambodian individuals were compensated by Chinese purchases of the Cambodian rice crop by China at inflated prices. He also at this time made many speeches calling the triumph of Communism in Southeast Asia inevitable and suggesting Maoist ideas were worthy of emulation. In 1966 and 1967, Sihanouk unleashed a wave of political repression that drove many on the left out of mainstream politics. His policy of friendship with China collapsed due to the extreme attitudes in China at the peak of the Cultural Revolution. The combination of political repression and problems with China made his balancing act impossible to sustain. He had alienated the left, allowed the North Vietnamese to establish bases within Cambodia and staked everything on China's good will. On 11 March 1967, a revolt in Battambang Province led to the Cambodian Civil War.

Deposition, exile, and return[link]

On March 18, 1970, while Sihanouk was out of the country travelling, Prime Minister Lon Nol convened the National Assembly which voted to depose Sihanouk as head of state and gave Lon Nol Emergency powers. Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak, Sihanouk's cousin who had been passed over by the French government in 1941, retained his post as Deputy Prime Minister. The new Khmer Republic was immediately recognized by the United States.

After he was deposed, Sihanouk fled to Beijing, formed the National United Front of Kampuchea (Front Uni National du Kampuchéa - FUNK) and began to support the Khmer Rouge in their struggle to overthrow the Lon Nol government in Phnom Penh. He initiated the Gouvernement Royal d'Union Nationale du Kampuchéa (Royal Government of the National Union of Kampuchea), which included Khmer Rouge leaders. After Sihanouk showed his support for the Khmer Rouge by visiting them in the field, their ranks swelled from 6,000 to 50,000 fighters. Many of the new recruits for the Khmer Rouge were apolitical peasants who fought in support of the King, not for communism, of which they had little understanding. King Sihanouk would later argue (1979) that the monarchy being abolished, he was only fighting for his country's independence, "even if [his] country had to be Communist."^[5] During Lon Nol's regime, Sihanouk mostly lived in exile in North Korea, where a 60-room palatial residence which even had a cinema, was built for him. He would later return to his Pyongyang palace after the 1979 Vietnamese invasion.^[6]

In Khmer Rouge captivity[link]

When the Khmer Republic fell to the Khmer Rouge in April 1975, Prince Sihanouk became the symbolic head of state of the new régime while Pol Pot remained in power. Sihanouk, who had imagined living like a retired country gentleman and perhaps being 'a public relations man for [his] country and have [...] jazz parties and do some filming'^[7] was to spend the next few years virtually as a hostage of the Khmer Rouge. The next year, on April 4, 1976, the Khmer Rouge forced Sihanouk out of office again and into political retirement. During the Vietnamese invasion, he was sent to New York to speak against Vietnam before The United Nations. After his speech, he sought refuge in China and in North Korea.

The Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in December 1978 ousted the Khmer Rouge. While welcoming the ousting of the Khmer Rouge government, he remained firmly opposed to the Vietnamese-installed Heng Samrin government of People's Republic of Kampuchea. Hence, Sihanouk demanded Cambodia's seat in the UN be left vacant, since neither Pol Pot regime nor Heng Samrin represented the Khmer people.^[8] Although claiming to be wary of the Khmer Rouge and demanding that the Khmer Rouge representatives that still held Cambodia's UN seat be expelled,^[9] Sihanouk again joined forces with them in order to provide a united front against the Vietnamese occupation. It has been argued that one of the reasons was the US pressure to work with the Khmer Rouge.^[10] In 1982, he moved completely into opposition of the Vietnam-supported government, becoming President of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK), which consisted of his own Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS), Son Sann's Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), and the Khmer Rouge. The Vietnamese withdrew in 1989, leaving behind a pro-Vietnamese government under ex-Khmer Rouge cadre Hun Sen to run the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK).

United States support[link]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sihanouk's opposition forces drew limited military and financial support from the United States, which sought to assist his movement as part of the Reagan Doctrine effort to counter Soviet and Vietnamese involvement in Cambodia. One of the Reagan Doctrine's principal architects, the Heritage Foundation's Michael Johns, visited with Sihanouk's forces in Cambodia in 1987, and returned to Washington urging expanded U.S. support for the KPLNF and Sihanouk's resistance forces as a third alternative to both the Vietnamese-installed and supported Cambodian government and the Khmer Rouge, which also was resisting the government.^[11]

Restoration as King[link]

Billboard of King Norodom Sihanouk at Angkor International Airport.

Peace negotiations between the CGDK and the PRK commenced shortly thereafter and continued until 1991 when all sides agreed to a comprehensive settlement which they signed in Paris. Prince Sihanouk returned once more to Cambodia on 14 November 1991 after thirteen years in exile.

In 1993, Sihanouk once again became King of Cambodia. During the restoration, however, he suffered from ill health and traveled repeatedly to Beijing for medical treatment.

Sihanouk's leisure interests include music (he has composed songs in Khmer, French, and English) and film. He has become a prodigious filmmaker over the years, directing many movies and orchestrating musical compositions. He became one of the first heads of state in the region to have a personal website, which has proven a cult hit. It draws more than a thousand visitors a day, which constitutes a substantial portion of his nation's Internet users. Royal statements are posted there daily.

Self-exile and abdication[link]

Sihanouk went into self-imposed exile in January 2004, taking up residence in Pyongyang, North Korea^[12] and later in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Citing reasons of ill health, he announced his abdication of The Throne on October 7, 2004. Sihanouk was diagnosed with B-Cell Lymphoma in his prostate in 1993; the disease recurred in his stomach in 2005, and a new cancer was found in December 2008. Sihanouk also suffers from diabetes and hypertension.^[13]

The constitution of Cambodia has no provision for an abdication. Chea Sim, the President of the Senate, assumed the title of acting Head of State (a title he has held many times before), until the Throne Council met on October 14 and appointed H.R.H. Prince Norodom Sihamoni, one of Sihanouk's sons, as the new King.

Titles and styles[link]

Monarchical styles of King Norodom Sihanouk
Reference style	His Royal Majesty
Spoken style	Your Royal Majesty
Alternative style	Sir

Since his abdication, Sihanouk's official title is "Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Preahmâhaviraksat" (Khmer: ព្រះករុណាព្រះបាទសម្តេចព្រះ នរោត្តម សីហនុ ព្រះមហាវីរក្សត្រ).

The literal translation of the title :

• Preah— "Sacred"
• Karuna— "Compassionate," referring to the Buddhist concept Karuna
• Bat— "Foot," from Sanskrit Pāda.
• Sâmdech— "Lord" or "Excellency"
• Preah— "Sacred"
• Norodom— "Best quality among men," from Sanskrit Uttam ("best in quality") + Nar ("among men")
• Sihanouk— "Jaws of the Lion," from Sanskrit Siha ("lion") + Hanouk ("jaws")
• Preahmâhaviraksat— Preah ("sacred") + Maha ("great") + Vira ("brave or eminent") + Ksat ("warrior or ruler")

Family[link]

Norodom Monineath

Sihanouk reportedly has had several wives and concubines, producing at least fourteen children in a period of eleven years. According to Time (June 30, 1956), however, his only legal wives have been Princess Samdech Norleak (married 1955) and Paule Monique Izzi (married 1955), who is a step-granddaughter of HRH Prince Norodom Duongchak of Cambodia and the younger daughter of Pomme Peang and her second husband, Jean-François Izzi, a banker. A profile of Sihanouk in The New York Times (June 4, 1993, page A8) stated that the King met Monique Izzi in 1951, when he awarded her a prize in a beauty pageant.

1. Neak Moneang Phat Kanhol (1920–1969; married 1942, later divorced)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Ream Bopha Devi (1943-)
   • HRH Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh (1944-)
2. HRH Princess Sisowath Pongsanmoni (1929–1974; married 1942, divorced 1951)
   • HRH Samdech Borom Reamea Norodom Yuvaneath (1943-)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Ang Mechas Norodom Ravivong (1944–1973)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Mohesarra Norodom Chakrapong (1945-)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Ang Mechas Norodom Sorya Roeungsay (1947–1976)
   • HRH Samdach Preah Ang Mechas Norodom Kantha Bopha (1948–1952)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Ang Mechas Norodom Khemanourak Sihanouk (1949–1975)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Ang Mechas Norodom Botum Bopha (1951–1976)
3. Neak Ang Mechas Norodom Thavet Norleak (married 1943)
4. HRH Princess Sisowath Monikessan (née HRH Princess Sisowath Naralaksha Munikesara, 1929–1946; married 1944)
   • HRH Samdech Norodom Naradipo (1946– ????) Adopted son, the real Biological Father is Prince Norodom Chantaraingsey
5. HRH Princess Samdech Preah Reach Kanitha Norodom Norleak (née Princess Devisa Naralakshmi, born 1927; married 1946 and "more formally" on March 4, 1955)
6. Mam Manivan Phanivong (née Mam Munivarni Barni Varman, 1934–1975; married 1949)
   • HRH Princess Norodom Socheatha Sujata (1953–1975)
   • HRH Samdech Preah Anoch Norodom Arunrasmy (1955-)
7. HM Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (née Paule Monique Izzi, born June 18, 1936; married April 12, 1952 and "more formally" on March 5, 1955)
   • HM King Norodom Sihamoni (1953-)
   • HRH Samdech Norodom Narindrapong (1954–2003)

Works[link]

• The Cambodian resistance Auckland, Auckland Vietnam Committee, 1973
• Statements by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, 1965-1973 Washington, Embassy of the Khmer Republic, Press Sectin, 1973
• War and hope: the case for Cambodia New York, Pantheon Books 1980
• Prince Sihanouk on Cambodia: interviews and talks with Prince Norodom Sihanouk (with Manola Schier-Oum and Peter Schier) Hamburg: Institut für Asienkunde, 1980
• The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, seen by Norodom Sihanouk Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1980

See also[link]

• Ruler of Cambodia

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Genealogy of the Cambodian Royal Family
• Review of his memoirs
• News release regarding support of gay marriage
• News release regarding his website
• Cambodian politicians biography
• Official Contact with the IPSP
• New York Times
• Norodom Sihanouk at the Internet Movie Database

Sam Rainsy
Leader of the Opposition of Cambodia Leader of the Sam Rainsy Party
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-10) 10 March 1949 (age 63) Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Political party	Sam Rainsy Party (1998-present) Khmer National Party (1995-1998) FUNCINPEC (1981-1994)
Spouse(s)	Tioulong Saumura
Children	Patrice Sam, Muriel Sam and Rachel Sam
Profession	Politician
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

Sam Rainsy (Khmer: សម រង្ស៊ី IPA: [sɑːm reə̯̆ŋsiː]; born March 10, 1949) is a Cambodian politician.

Sam Rainsy was born in Phnom Penh in 1949. His father, Sam Sary was assassinated in 1959 when Sam Rainsy was ten, while his mother was thrown into prison. He moved to France in 1965, studied there and then worked as an investment manager and executive director in a variety of Parisian financial companies.^[1] He became a member of the Cambodian Funcinpec Party, and after returning to Cambodia in 1992 was elected a member of parliament for Siem Reap Province the following year. He became Minister of Finance, but was expelled from the party after losing a vote of no-confidence in 1994. In 1995, he founded the Khmer Nation Party (KNP), which changed its name before the 1998 elections to the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) to avoid registration issues. [1] Sam was elected a member of parliament for Kompong Cham province in those elections, and the party polled 14% of the vote. In the 2003 elections, it polled 22% of the vote.

Sam went into self-exile on 3 February 2005, citing fear of arrest after a vote in the National Assembly removed parliamentary immunity from himself and fellow SRP MPs Chea Poch and Cheam Channy^[2] On that same day, Parliamentarian Cheam Channy was arrested, and detained in the Cambodian Military Prison. Sam faced multiple criminal defamation charges after accusing the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec of corruption in the formation of the current coalition government. He has also accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of involvement in the 22 January 2004 murder of SRP-affiliated union leader Chea Vichea.

At that time, the US Embassy in Phnom Penh said it was "deeply concerned" that the government appeared to be trying to "silence the opposition". Other embassies, local and international organizations shared the same concerns. Sam was tried in absentia on 22 December 2005 in relation to the defamation lawsuits. The court sentenced him to 18 months in prison and ordered him to pay around US$14,000 in fines and compensation. On 5 February 2006, Rainsy received a Royal Pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni at Prime Minister Hun Sen's request. He then returned to Cambodia on 10 February 2006.

In 2009, Vietnam’s foreign ministry condemned Sam Rainsy’s actions and asked the government to protect the nations’ ongoing border demarcation process. The statement called Sam Rainsy’s act “perverse, undermining common assets, violating laws of Cambodia and Vietnam, treaties, agreements and deals between the two countries”.

In October 2009, Rainsy led local residents at the Cambodia-Vietnam border in a protest against alleged Vietnamese encroachment on Cambodian territory, in which he was alleged to have encouraged villagers to uproot border markings he claimed to have been illegally placed by Vietnam. On October 25, Rainsy was charged with racial incitement and destruction of property, and the Cambodian parliament stripped Rainsy of his immunity from prosecution in November. Rainsy was issued a summons to appear in court for a hearing. On January 1, 2010, the Svay Rieng provincial court issued an arrest warrant for Rainsy after he failed to appear in court. Rainsy is currently in Australia, and says that he will let the court try him In absentia, as the charges against him are politically motivated.^[3]

Family[link]

Sam Rainsy's father, Sam Sary had served as a minister in the Education, planning and finance portfolios before becoming a Deputy Prime Minister in Sihanouk's government in the 1950s. Sam Rainsy's grandfather, Sam Nhean had served as the President of the Royal Council of Canbodia and was a prominent member of the Democratic Party (Cambodia) in the 1940s.^[1] Sam Rainsy is married to Tioulong Samura, who is also member of parliament for his current party, and has three children: Patrice Sam, Muriel Sam and Rachel Sam. Tioulong Samura's father, Nhiek Tioulong was a military general who founded the Khmer Renovation party and briefly served as an Acting Prime Minister in 1962. Both Sam Rainsy and his wife claimed to having Chinese ancestry, the former having revealed that his great-great grandfather was a Chinese immigrant,^[4] while Nhiek Tioulong revealed that he had a Chinese grandfather during a dialogue session with Zhou Enlai in 1954.^[5]

University degrees[link]

• Business Administration (Master of Business Administration from INSEAD - Fontainebleau - France) - 1980.
• Accounting (Diplôme d'Etudes Comptables Supérieures issued by the French Ministry of Education) - 1979.
• Economics (Maîtrise + Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures de Sciences Economiques de la Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Economiques de Paris) - 1973.
• Political Science (Diplôme de l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris) - 1971.

Footnotes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Brown, MacAlister Brown; Zasloff, Joseph Jermiah; Cambodia Confounds the Peacemakers, 1979-1998, Cornell University Press, 1998, ISBN 0801435366

External links[link]

• Sam Rainsy Party homepage
• BBC profile of Rainsy
• BBC: "Cambodia opposition calls on king"
• BBC: "Sam Rainsy appeal on Cambodia"

This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (January 2012)

Kem Sokha (Khmer: កឹម សុខា) is the President of the Human Rights Party in Cambodia. He was born on 27 June 1953 in Takéo, Cambodia.

Politics[link]

National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2008–Present • LAND RIGHTS. Active opponent of illegal evictions. • CIVIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS. Initiator of grassroots empowerment and advocacy in Cambodia. Ø Hold weekly town hall meetings on village level nationwide Ø Developed Voice of Human Rights, a daily radio program that raises awareness of human rights, specifically civic and political rights, violations

Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia 1999-2002 • HUMAN RIGHTS. Leading advocate for respect of human rights. Ø Chaired the Senate Commission on Human Rights and Reception of Complaints

National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia 1993-1998 • HUMAN RIGHTS. Leading advocate for respect of human rights. Ø Chaired the National Assembly Commission on Human Rights and Reception of Complaints Ø Discovered a “secret prison” torturing political prisoners and issued a report on the case, resulting in death threats from government military • CORRUPTION LAW. The first legislator to introduce an anti-corruption draft. Ø Introduced the Anti-Corruption and Asset Declaration draft laws Ø Brought the introduction of the bill to media and international attention Ø Raised awareness of corruption in Cambodia through media and international advocacy • OTHER INITIATIVES. The first legislator to propose establishment of a number of national institutions. Proposed the creation of the Supreme Council of Magistracy Ø Proposed the creation of the National Assembly Commission on Human Rights and Reception of Complaints Ø Proposed the creation of National Human Rights Commission and Ombudsmen

Civil society[link]

Chairman 2005-2007 Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) • Led a yellow ribbon campaign to demand freedom of expression • Organized and led two historical marches: a three-day Buddhist march demanding the government to decriminalize defamation charges and a fifteen-day rights march promoting freedom of expression, non-violence and political tolerance The Buddhist march resulted in the abolition of jail time for defamation in 2006.

President 2002-2007 Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) • Established nationwide networks of more than 9,000 grassroots activists • Conducted human rights trainings and public forums at commune level across Cambodia • Founded CCHR’s Voice of Democracy radio program, a news radio program that focused on human rights issues

Chairman 2000-2007 Cambodian Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism • Collaborated with other country members of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism to advocate for respect of human rights in the region • Collaborated with members of Cambodian Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, which consists of representatives of government institutions, parliamentary human rights commissions, and NGOs to promote respect for human rights in Cambodia • Advocated for an independent court in Cambodia and establishment of an independent national human rights commission

Chairman 1991-1992 Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia • Founded Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia, the first human rights organization in Cambodia • Raised awareness of human rights violations in Cambodia through international advocacy • Accepted complaints and provided legal assistance to victims of rights violation

Political appointments[link]

• Elected President of the Human Rights Party 2008–Present • Deputy General Secretary of the FUNCINPEC party 1999-2002 • Deputy General Secretary of the Union of Cambodian Democrats formed by opposition political parties in exile after a coup data in 1997 1997-1998 • General Secretary of the Son San Party, a split from Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP) 1995 to 1998 • General Secretary of the BLDP 1992 to 1995

Highlights of major activities and events[link]

• Was one of the leaders of a months-long demonstration participated by tens of thousands to contest the fraudulent results of the 1998 general elections • Took refuge at the U.S. Embassy Cambodia for 50 days after a security threat from the government for organizing a mass demonstration • Co-organized the celebration of Human Rights Day in 2005, joined by local NGOs, and displayed banners with written expressions/concerns by citizens • Was accused and falsely charged for defamation based on the above banners on December 31, 2005 • Was imprisoned for the charge and released 17 days after political pressure from international community • Successfully organized and led a march demanding decriminalization of defamation charges which has protected other rights activists from imprisonment since then. Kem Sohka was named a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International during his detention.^[1]

Education[link]

Kem Sokha has a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Czech Republic and a law degree from the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

See also[link]

• Cambodian Center for Human Rights
• Ou Virak

References[link]

External links[link]

• Human Rights Party
• CCHR - Cambodian Center for Human Rights website
• Newsweek article
• Cambodia arrests rights activist, Guy De Launey, BBC, Phnom Penh
• Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
• Institute of Chemical Technology
• Cambodian Leader Cracks Down in Bid to Solidify Power--New York Times
• BBC: While in U.S., Cambodians Get a Lesson on Rights From Home
• Cambodian Center for Human Rights