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.