‘Evil Fox’ Spells Trouble for ‘SKP’: Sihanouk

Retired King Norodom Siha­nouk said Friday that he fears a “great Khmer prince” will soon enter a period of his life even worse than the one he is currently going through because of a female friend who would appear to be a mistress.

Without naming him directly, Norodom Sihanouk referred to the prince as “SKP”—an abbreviation of Samdech Krom Preah, the formal title of the beleaguered Funcin­pec President Prince Norodom Ran­ariddh.

“I hear that a great Khmer Prince who, falling from Charybdis to Scylla because of an ‘Evil Fox,’ wants, to satisfy his diabolical Dul­cinea of the thousand demands, a new ‘honeymoon,’ and this, in Bali (Indonesia),” the retired King wrote.

“I fear that the poor SKP should im­minently live out a period of his life even worse than his current in­describ­able misfortunes, in which the paradise—like France, Malay­sia and Hunsenian Cambodia would become as many Hells for him,” he added.

“Evil Fox” is the expression Prime Minister Hun Sen used earlier this year when he denounced Func­inpec members for having mis­tres­ses, shortly before Prince Ra­nariddh left the country in March.

Prince Ranariddh’s spokesman Chea Chanboribo Sunday de­clined to comment on the prince’s pri­vate life or Norodom Sihanouk’s state­ment.

But he reiterated that when the prince left Cambodia Aug 25, a week after he returned following a five-month hiatus, he did so to strength­en alliances with political par­ties abroad.

He could not specify when the prince would return, and said the prince is currently in Malaysia.

Funcinpec lawmaker Sem Soly also declined comment on the re­tired King’s statement, but said the prince is an excellent party president.

“His absence does not affect the par­ty,” since Funcinpec Secretary-Gen­eral Nhiek Bun Chhay handles mat­ters in his absence, Sem Soly said.

The retired King’s message may be intended to apply pressure to Prince Ranariddh to focus on his po­litical career, said Koul Panha, di­rec­tor for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. “He wants Prince Norodom Ranariddh to pay at­tention to his party,” he said.

 

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