SPEECH ON THE OCCASIONOF THE ACCESSIONTO THE THRONE

OF THE

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA

BY HIS MAJESTY

PREAH BAT

SAMDECH PREAH BAROMNEATH NORODOM SIHAMONI

Throne Hall, The Royal Palace

Phnom Penh, 29 October 2004

I extend my respectful homage to Their Holinesses the Samdech Preah Sangharaja of the two Buddhist Orders and all the saint bonzes of our Buddhist Community; to Samdech President of the Senate; to Samdech President of the National Assembly; to Samdech Prime Minister of the Royal Government; to Your Royal Highnesses and members of the Royal Family; to the Privy Counselors; to Their Excellencies the Senior Ministers, the Ministers and Honorary Ministers; to Their Excellencies the Governors of Provinces and Municipalities and all the senior personalities and members of the armed forces; to Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ambassadors from other Kingdoms and foreign sates, to our foreign friends; to all my beloved compatriots, to whom I feel joined by a very deep affection.

This Friday, first day of the decreasing moon of the lunar month of Asoch, year of the Monkey, year two thousand, five hundred and forty eight (2548) of the Buddhist era or 29 of October 2004 of the Christian era, is an exceptional day in the history of the Kingdom of Cambodia and my personal life.

Today, it has been bestowed upon me the immense honor of assuming the Throne of Cambodia, succeeding my August Father, who is also the Father of the whole Nation, object of an immense respect from his children, grand children and great grand children.

As from this happy and solemn day, I shall devote my body and soul to the service of the People and the Nation, pursuing the exceptional work accomplished by my August Father, Grand Father and Great Grand Father. I shall endeavor to continue in future the path they have traced for many years already of a glorious and ancient past.

On this happy and solemn occasion, I express to my August Father and my Dignified Mother, to the whole lineage of my ancestors my profound gratitude for having entrusted the Throne, supreme symbol of the Constitutional Monarchy of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to me.

I express my profound thanks to the supreme Dignitaries of the two Buddhist Orders, to the Community of bonzes, to the Supreme Dignitaries of Islam, to the Supreme Dignitaries of others religions, to Samdech President of the Senate, to Samdech President of the National Assembly, to Samdech Prime Minister of the Royal Government, to all their staff and public servants. To the armed forces and the whole people of the Kingdom of Cambodia, who have granted me their trust. I engaged myself to place this confidence at the service of religion, humanity, education, social assistance, to the well-being of everybody's daily life and, in particular, in favor of the rural population of the Kingdom.

May the light of Buddhist law of our Great Master the Lord Buddha; the wisdom of my August Father and Dignified Mother enlighten and strengthen the national solidarity which joins the Community of bonzes, the Royal Family, those responsible for the legislative power and the judicial power with the whole beloved people of the Kingdom.

I am convinced that we shall together learn how to unite our energies for the higher interests of the Nation and the people. I engaged myself to place all my energies at the service of the Community of bonzes, the people and of our beloved Motherland.

I request each of you to continue the efforts you have already accomplished in favor of the Buddhist faith, of society's development and the well-being of the people in peace, prosperity and the honor of the country.

In conclusion, I pray that the Three Jewels, the Saint Relics, the protective divinities of the White Umbrella, the royal merit accumulated by the former Sovereigns and the Emerald Buddha grant help and protection to Their Holinesses the Supreme Dignitaries of the two Buddhist Orders and to all the bonzes of the Community. May they all enjoy an excellent health and a long life thanks to which we may benefit from their protection. May they protect our Buddhist faith in order that it lasts eternally.

I wish my August Father and Dignified Mother, whom myself, their children, their grand children and their great grand children, we all respect infinitely, a long life, good health and the intellectual and physical force, allowing the Nation and the people to enjoy, for a long time to come, their protection.

I extend to you, Samdechs Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen the senior responsible officers of the country, members of the Senate, of the National Assembly and the government, Governors and Deputy Governors and members of the Armed Forces at all levels, the good wishes of good health, happiness and prosperity which I formulate for you all.

I wish that the Kingdom of Cambodia my enjoy solidarity, national union and the benefits of political decisions made in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the population.

To all my beloved compatriots, I wish good health, happiness and prosperity in recompense for all the efforts they deploy during their daily lives.

To Your Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen the Ambassadors of other Kingdoms and foreign states and our honorable foreign guests who grant their kind assistance to Cambodia's national development, I extend also my good wishes and my thanks for pursuing to give us such assistance which allows our Nation and her people the possibility to build a better future.

I sincerely thank you, Your Holinesses, Samdechs, Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.