The Editor,

It was very nice to see your esteemed newspaper publishing our King's point of

view on his possible abdication and his possible choice for a successor to the Throne.

I would like to say how wise His Majesty the King is in declining to support his

younger son Prince Sihamoni to succeed to the Throne, because a powerless young King

will encourage strong military persons to grab this opportunity to institute a shogun-style

of government, given that our National Assembly is merely a rubber-stamping institution.

Oriental history has shown that the shogun will always make the king of a powerless

royal house dance to the tune that the shogun wants. I hope this will not happen

again to our beloved Royal Kingdom of Cambodia, where foreign shoguns have already

forced our kings to dance during the last century.

- Veak Rin Van