LTO Cambodia: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 2

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 2

Preah Meru (crematorium)

Much of the Palace area was closed to the public today as, reportedly, the Royal family, government officials and others were attending a private ceremony or gathering. When I got to the area in the afternoon the closure was being erratically enforced, police letting some people pass barricades into the area on some streets, but barring entry from other streets. Still, the immediate Palace area was almost devoid of people throughout the day, which is the first time I've seen that since that in the last three months.

At some checkpoints people were clearly frustrated at being refused admittance to the area. I am told that on TV today government begged understanding for the blockades, citing security and safety, and also reminding people of public visiting hours for Veal Preah Meru. Though I did not see it, I understand the Veal Preah Meru was open to the public from 1PM-4PM today and that there were long lines waiting to enter. According to the official schedule, it will be open to the public again tomorrow (Feb 3,) from 1PM-4PM, for those who wish to pay their respects.

The King and Queen Mother attended a religious (Buddhist) ceremony at the crematorium beginning at about 5PM, 'giving gifts to 90 monks.' Monks could be seen coming and going from the crematorium. Hundreds of people gathered along the side entrances (north and west) and the blocked street (Sothearos) near the front gate to try to get a glimpse of the King and Queen, and to pray and offer their respects...and to take a few photos with their phones and iPads. Thousands of others gathered along Sisowath Quay opposite the Royal Palace to watch the proceedings on a giant TV mounted on the front of the Palace. The ceremony ended shortly after 8PM, the King and Queen returned to the Palace, and a 20 minute fireworks display sounded over the riverfront.

There has been an explosion of vendors selling funerary accoutrements in the area - dozens and dozens of vendors lining the surrounding streets, some selling on foot - vending flowers, incense, candles, black ribbons, and the most popular selling item, various photo posters of Sihanouk. Early this evening, after 6PM or so, there were tens of thousands of people along the length of Sisowath Quay, and vendors of all sorts lined the way, selling not only flowers and posters, but snacks and drinks, knick-knacks, balloons, even toys. People filled the riverfront park and street opposite the Palace (the Palace park was still closed in the evening,) sitting in groups, many burning candles and incense, some praying, meditating, mourning. Further north along the riverfront the mood was respectful but lighter, the streets and park full, people doing a bit of shopping and snacking and strolling the area.

Funeral of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Three months ago during the first mourning period for the King Father, this good-hearted lady offered free incense and candles in front of her shop to passing mourners on their way to the Royal Palace. Today I saw her, once again sitting at her shop on Sothearos Blvd offering free incense and black ribbons to passers-by, now amongst several street vendors selling the same.

People in park at funeral of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Royal Palace park at 4PM, sans people.

Ghost flag, Veal Preah Meru, Funeral of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

'Ghost flag' at Veal Preah Meru

Crowds, funeral procession of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Crowd outside north gate of Veal Preah Meru, awaiting the arrival of the King and Queen Mother.

Monks entering Preah Meru

Mourners, funeral of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Mourners on the sidewalk outside Veal Preah Meru

Riverfront crowds, funeral of King Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Sisowath Quay, the riverfront road, 9:00PM.

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Cambodia

Cambodia is Srok Khmer, the 'Land of the Khmer,' the primary ethnic group in the area since at least the Neolithic and an Indian influenced civilization with origins near 2000 years old. Centered on the lower Mekong and tributaries the Khmer people have dominated the region for millennia. From 2nd century AD Khmer kingdoms rose and fell, culminating in unification and the 500 year reign of the Angkorian Empire, the builders of the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap. The Empire stretched from Burma to the ocean. But by the 1400s Cambodia fell to centuries of change and decline squeezed between the expanding Siam and Vietnam. Colonized and by the French in the 1860s, independence 90 years later in 1954, a brief post-colonial 'golden period' under Sihanouk, coup in 70, civil war, fall to the communist Khmer Rouge in 75, 3 years 8 months 20 days of madness, Vietnamese rescue in 1979, occupation, low level war and international sanctions in the 80s, the UN, ostensive democracy and an adventure party destination in the 90s and now mainstreaming, tourism, rapid development, rapacious capitalism and NGOs, missionaries and other international busybodies aplenty.

Southeast Asia

As the term implies, Southeast Asia encompasses the southeastern corner of the Asian continent, loosely speaking, the area between India, China and Australia. It is made up of two distinct regions: the mainland zone, a bulbous peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean, bounded by China to the north and India to the west; and the insular (island) zone in the Pacific Ocean. The name 'Southeast Asia' is a comparatively recent invention, first coming into use into the 20th century and still a bit indefinite in definition. Mainland Southeast Asia is generally considered to include Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and peninsular Malaysia. The mainland is sometimes referred to as Indo-China though Indochina (Indochine) also designates the 19th/20th century French colonial conglomerate of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Sitting south of the Tropic of Cancer, most of mainland Southeast Asia lies in the hot, humid tropics and sub-tropics with a climate dominated by a monsoon cycle which divides the year into two distinct seasons: a dry season and an extremely wet monsoon season. Much of the mainland is mountainous and thickly jungled, with large river systems and wide, low-lying, flood-prone plains, much of which is, in modern times, deforested and blanketed with geometrical rice paddies. Several major river valleys including the Mekong River, the Red, Ma and Ka rivers and the group of rivers draining to the Chao Praya Delta played host to the rise of early civilization in the area. The Mekong River is one of the world's greatest rivers, the seventh largest on the planet, and since pre-history has been closely associated with the land of the Khmer.