Cambodia begins funeral procession for Sihanouk

PHNOM PENH - An estimated 1 million mourners took part in a funeral procession on Friday to move the body of late Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk from the royal palace to an ornate, custom-built crematorium in a park in the capital.      

The body of the most revered monarch, who died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on Oct 15 last year, was transported in a Khmer architectural float from the palace, where it has been exhibited for more than 3 months, and paraded through the city to the cremation site.

A coffin with the remains of Cambodia's late former King Norodom Sihanouk is taken from the Royal Palace towards the crematorium during his funeral procession in Phnom Penh, Feb 1, 2013. Sihanouk died of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012 and his body will be cremated on Feb 4, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

As the body began to leave the palace at around 08:45 am local time, the 101-gun artilleries salute was fired in honor of the late King Father and Buddhist monks chanted in religious language, while mourners, handed with lotus flowers, wreaths, or Sihanouk's portraits, silently walked in the procession.

Among the mourners are Sihanouk's wife Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and his son King Norodom Sihamoni, President of the Senate Chea Sim, President of the National Assembly Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Hun Sen.  

The procession ceremony was live televised through all local television channels and most of the radio stations.

All marchers, worn white shirts with black ribbons pinned to them in a sign of mourning, walked in the parade in the distance of 6 kilometers, starting from the palace onto Sisowath Quay along the riverside towards historical site Wat Phnom, and then marching on Norodom boulevard to the Independence Monument before reaching the crematorium at the Veal Preah Meru Square next to the palace.

Screams of crying among some of the mourners were heard along the roads wherever the parade had reached.

The country commenced a week-long mourning for the late King from Feb 1-7. During the period, all radios, television stations and entertainment places are not allowed to broadcast joyful spectacles, performances, and concerts, while national flags are instructed to fly at half-mast.

The late monarch's body arrived at the crematorium at 12:00 pm, and the artilleries salute was fired for the second time to mark the arrival. Sihanouk's body will be kept at the site for three days before it is cremated on Feb 4 in an elaborate Buddhist ceremony.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a recently public speech that the funeral is the largest of all in the country's king funeral history.

"We hold it in order to express our deepest gratitude to the King Father for his royal crusades to gain independence from France in 1953," he said. "The funeral gives us the chance to bid a final farewell to him."