Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89
Sihanouk oversaw independence, genocide, civil war and a gradual move towards stability
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Obituary: Norodom Sihanouk
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Norodom Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who was a key figure through decades of upheaval, has died.
The former king died at a hospital in the Chinese capital, Beijing, after having a heart attack. He had been in poor health for several years.
Sihanouk, who was 89, came to the throne in 1941 and led Cambodia to independence from France in 1953.
Despite long periods of exile and his abdication in 2004 due to ill health, he remained an influential figure.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 in favour of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.
"His death was a great loss to Cambodia," said his assistant and relative Prince Sisowath Thomico. "King Sihanouk did not belong to his family, he belonged to Cambodia and to history."
His body is expected to be returned to Cambodia for an official funeral at the royal palace in Phnom Penh. King Sihamoni is flying to Beijing to accompany the late king home, a Cambodian government spokesman said.
A statement from China's foreign ministry hailed Sihanouk as a "great friend of the Chinese people".
Political broker
Born in 1922, Sihanouk was the eldest son of King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Kossamak.
The BBC's Guy Delauney looks back at the life of the former Cambodian king
Educated at French schools in Saigon and in Paris, the Nazi-controlled Vichy government in France crowned Sihanouk king of Cambodia in 1941, bypassing his father in the hope that the 18-year-old could easily be manipulated.
However, after the war Sihanouk embarked on an international campaign aimed at ensuring independence for Cambodia.
It was achieved without bloodshed in 1953 - after nearly a century of French rule. Two years later Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father and became both prime minister and foreign minister of his country.
Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89
Sihanouk oversaw independence, genocide, civil war and a gradual move towards stability
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Obituary: Norodom Sihanouk
Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime
Cambodia profile
Norodom Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who was a key figure through decades of upheaval, has died.
The former king died at a hospital in the Chinese capital, Beijing, after having a heart attack. He had been in poor health for several years.
Sihanouk, who was 89, came to the throne in 1941 and led Cambodia to independence from France in 1953.
Despite long periods of exile and his abdication in 2004 due to ill health, he remained an influential figure.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 in favour of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.
"His death was a great loss to Cambodia," said his assistant and relative Prince Sisowath Thomico. "King Sihanouk did not belong to his family, he belonged to Cambodia and to history."
His body is expected to be returned to Cambodia for an official funeral at the royal palace in Phnom Penh. King Sihamoni is flying to Beijing to accompany the late king home, a Cambodian government spokesman said.
A statement from China's foreign ministry hailed Sihanouk as a "great friend of the Chinese people".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19943963
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