A day after retired King Norodom Sihanouk and King Norodom Sihamoni arrived in Phnom Penh, dozens of apparently bogus identity cards from a so-called “Sihanoukist” party have begun circulating through the capital.
A copy of the wallet-sized cards, obtained from the Ministry of Interior’s intelligence police, showed a picture of Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath, seated in front of an image of the Cambodian flag.
The cards, similar to those issued for legitimate political parties, were inscribed with the name “Buddhist Association for Cambodian National Reconciliation of Sihanoukists.”
Intelligence police on Thursday said they confiscated dozens of the cards in Chamkar Mon district’s Tonle Bassac commune and Daun Penh district.
National Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who is also a son of the retired king, was quick to dismiss rumors that Norodom Sihanouk gave up the throne this month in order to enter politics, as he did after his first abdication in 1955.
Earlier this month, a senior member of Prince Ranariddh’s Funcinpec party said that some royalists hoped that Norodom Sihanouk would join Funcinpec after his abdication to help the party reclaim public favor.
“The retired king does not have any desire to create any political movement,” Prince Ranariddh said Thursday at a ceremony at Funcinpec headquarters .
“Any party can distribute leaflets,” he added, saying that the ministries of Interior and Defense should probe the distribution of the identity cards.
On his return from Beijing Wednesday, Norodom Sihanouk also stressed he would remain out of politics.
“I don’t interfere with politics and the National Assembly, Senate, government, soldiers and police,” he said.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun-Ang said Thursday the opposition party had no knowledge of the cards.
“We did not know anything about it,” he said.
Intelligence police said they will continue to investigate who is behind the cards.
