Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk

Travel Location Phnom Penh

In the park just east of Independence Monument is an impressive statue of the legendary former king/prime minister/statesman King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died a national hero in ...

OVERVIEW

Norodom Sihanouk Memorial is a statue of the former King Norodom Sihanouk located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The bronze statue is 4.5 meters tall and is housed under a 27 meter high stupa in the park east of the Independence Monument. The statue depicting the late king wearing a business suit cost about 1.2 million USD and took about 8 months to complete. During the day the statue was inaugurated, public access to the statue was tightly monitored while armed military police were stationed near the statue in October 2013. Norodom Sihanouk died on October 15, 2012 in Beijing, China, and survived by his son, current King Norodom Sihamoni, and his wife, Norodom Monineath.

The statue is dedicated to Sihanouk's accomplishment on liberating the country on November 9,1953 from French Protectorate in Cambodia.

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A HUGE bronze statue of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk was inaugurated on Friday ahead of the one-year anniversary of his passing, but opposition lawmakers stirred controversy by failing to attend the event.

The 4.5-meter-tall statue, housed under a 27-meter-high stupa in a park east of Independence Monument, depicts the King Father wearing a business suit. Costing about $1.2 million, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said it took eight months to complete.

The ceremony was presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, Queen Mother Norodom Monineath.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday the ceremony was intended to cement the former King’s position as the architect of Cambodian independence from France.

“I suggest that the next generation who leads government in the future must keep the day October 15 forever for Cambodian people to pay homage and consider [King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s] achievements for the country’s independence,” he said at the unveiling.

“I remember the late king father’s speech on October 31, 2011, calling for the Cambodian nation to keep its integrity, which shows the world that we are united,” he added.

The country’s former head of state, whose rule during the 1950s and 1960s is often referred to as Cambodia’s “Golden Age,” died nearly a year ago at the age of 89 after receiving treatment in Beijing.

National Assembly President Heng Samrin and other Cambodian People’s Party officials were also in attendance, but members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) were notably absent.

The CNRP is still boycotting National Assembly sessions as a protest against the disputed results of the July general election.

Following the inauguration, many Cambodians came to pay their respects. Than Sitha, 33, a street vendor, said she and her family would continue to remember the late King Father.

“We miss our late King Farther. He died one year [ago] but he is still on our minds. We saw the statue, and we felt like we saw him alive in front of us [again], to defend our country,” she said.

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