His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni's 59 th Birthday - CamNet

He’ll Give Us
Shelter From the Sun
By Mech Dara the cambodia daily
It has been eight years since King Norodom
Sihamoni ascended to the throne.
And in that time he has created for himself
an image of generosity, serenity and honesty.
At any one of his public appearances, King
Norodom Sihamoni is cheered on by young and
old alike, embraced by children and greeted
with genuine adoration by all.
His role as a national figurehead, outside the
realm of fractious politics, has allowed King Sihamoni
to rise above the country’s more contentious
issues—corruption, land grabbing and
freedom of expression—and engage with the
people in a way that serves to further consolidate
his position as their national symbol.
In interviews this week, Phnom Penh’s
youth spoke frankly and reverently about King
Sihamoni, praising his generosity and calm demeanor;
likening him to a tree sheltering the
people from the scorching hot sun of everyday
life.
“King Sihamoni is a good king and the main
pillar of our country. Without him, we would
face difficulties and the government could
do anything it wants,” said 19-year-old Dos
Vireak.
Resting on a bench outside the Hun Sen Library,
the first-year chemistry student echoed
the beliefs shared by many of his generation interviewed
this week: the King, with his humble
ways, with his refusal to involve himself in
politics, with his quiet generosity, does untold
good for Cambodia and its people.
“King Sihanouk was active and hardworking
in politics while King Sihamoni never involves
6 MAY 14, 2012
Jeff Kennel/WikiMedia Commons
King Norodom Sihamoni, below, attends the Royal
Ploughing Ceremony in May 2008. Above, a Bodhi tree
offers shade from the sun. Buddha is believed to have
meditated under a bodhi tree.
himself in politics...he doesn’t care which party
people belong to, he just loves and protects
them because they are his own people,” said
Suon Samth, a 22-year-old monk at the Sampov
Meas Pagoda in Phnom Penh. He added
that the King is an occasional topic of conversation
between monks at the pagoda.
“They say the King is very polite, gentle and
always has good manners,” he said.
“Generous” seems to be the most frequent
adjective that youth associate with King Sihamoni,
who turns 59 today.
Haiko Su/Creative Commmons
Among Cambodia’s youth, King Norodom Sihamoni is an image of generosity
“He represents the whole of the Cambodian
people. He is a generous king and we respect
and love him,” explained Phat Srey Poch, a 19year-old
garment worker living in Meanchey
district. In Takeo, where Ms. Srey Poch is originally
from, the King has paid frequent visits,
offering donations to poor villagers.
“The villagers love and respect him. Our
country should have a king so it will be more
developed,” she added.
“When he speaks, he has a smiling face and
it shows that he is an honest and friendly person,”
is how 23-year-old Mong Chivon described
him. Like others interviewed, Mr. Chivon,
who is a tuk-tuk driver in Daun Penh, said
the monarchy is a necessary institution for the
stability of Cambodian society.
“Our country needs a King to look after
and protect it,” he said. “The King represents
the country and provides [a cooling] shade for
Cambodian people.”
One might wonder how the King manages
to protect Cambodia. But in a society where
abuse of power is commonplace, the King’s
ability to protect derives from the everlasting
shoulder he offers to the people to lean on in
times of need.
“The King goes to help people who have
been affected by natural disasters and to encourage
them to survive and reunite to build
the country,” explained Vath Vicheka, a 22year-old
literature student at the Royal University
of Phnom Penh.
“Before, our parents considered the King
a god. The King could bring rain to a place he
had visited. Today, we consider the King a cool
shadow for people to shelter themselves from
the sun and heat.”