C o-Premiers HRH Prince Norodom Ranariddh and HE Samdech Hun
Sen have expressed concern about the health condition of His Majesty King
Norodom Sihanouk Varman, who is reportedly to return to the country on Apr
8.
In a letter to the King, the prime ministers said: "After receiving
Your Majesty the King's message dated Feb 27, 1994 we, on behalf of the royal
government, government officials and the people who are your children, grand
children and great-grand children throughout the country, were very concerned
about the health of Samdech Euv [God King]."
Earlier the King released a
letter detailing how he wants his funeral arranged, adding to the fears about
his health.
His Majesty, 71, is being treated for bone marrow cancer in
Beijing and also has a home in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
"If
the King dies in Beijing or Pyongyang his body should be flown on a special
flight but must he not be placed in the luggage," said a local newspaper Morning
News.
During a period of lying in state in the palace his body is to be
dressed in white without socks and laid on a traditional Khmer bed with his head
turned towards the throne.
"When His Royal Highness dies, please request
qualified doctors to preserve the King's corpse for two to three
days.
"Compatriots and foreigners" will be allowed to pay homage to the
King by day or by night, the newspaper reported.
The King instructed that
his cremation take place using a native perfumed wood known as Chan in place of
charcoal.
His Majesty's ashes are to be placed in a special urn made of
stone from central Pursat province and laid to rest inside a royal stupa
(Buddhist shrine) built in 1952-53.
In Beijing, a spokesman at Sihanouk's
residence confirmed the monarch planned to return to Cambodia in early April,
but said the date was not yet fixed.
Diplomats in Phnom Penh told Reuters
on Wednesday, the King would be returning on April 8.
Sihanouk said
earlier that his Chinese doctors had ordered him to return to Beijing for more
cancer treatment in June after his visit here and to keep official duties to a
minimum.
- Additional reporting by Reuters
