Mourning the King

Norodom Sihanouk passed away in the early morning hours of the 15th of October in Beijing. He took the Cambodian throne in 1941 at the age of 19, supported by the Vichy French regime that held power. King Sihanouk would go on to win independence from France and rule Cambodia under the title of king, prime minister, or president, until 1994. During that time his country saw a great deal of bloodshed and change that left both the nation's people and the king's reputation in shambles. Nevertheless, Sihanouk is for the Khmer people a national hero--a George Washington of sorts.

This past Wednesday the late King's body was returned to Phnom Penh, right in the middle of Pchum Ben, a holiday commemorating the spirits of the dead. Melissa and I happened to be out on our bicycles that day. Little did we know what we were going to get ourselves into.

 As we rode on we began to see large numbers of people walking north towards Sihanouk Boulevard, clad in black and white, with small black ribbons attached to their shirts.

 The crowds were moving towards the Independence Monument, where a portrait of the king had been erected and where the national flag flew at half-mast.

 We paused for a moment to watch these women cross the street, knowing from their aged appearance that they had probably called Sihanouk their king for most if not all of their lives.

 Later in the day, the traffic was totally at a standstill as one of the major roads in the city was blocked off by police, so that the entourage bringing the king's body back into the city would have clear passage.

 Because Pchum Ben was nearing its end, thousands of people were pouring back into the city from the outlying provinces, creating a massive traffic jam that was only accentuated by the parade of mourners who hoped to catch one last glimpse of their leader as the procession went by. Early reports expected 100,000 people to line the streets and pay their respects...

 ...the next day the newspapers estimated 1,000,000. It was an incredible sight. Never have either Melissa or I seen so many people gathered for a singular event. It didn't matter if people liked the king or not, or if they even had been alive during the key periods of his reign. There's a reason that Cambodia's national motto is "Nation, Religion, King." Wednesday's spectacle proved that to us.

I hope this picture gives you insight into the world we now find ourselves in. It reminds me first that the task is not yet done, and that together with your intercession and our witness by the power of the Helper, the King who has made this city and this people will make himself known in mighty ways.


-Ryan