Pen Pal Says Sihanouk Can Help Thomico

Retired King Norodom Si­ha­nouk said he could contribute $10,000 on behalf of Prince Si­so­wath Thomico if Foreign Affairs Mi­nister Hor Namhong were to sue the prince for defamation, ac­cording to Norodom Sihanouk’s con­troversial pen pal, Ruom Ritt.

Earlier this month, Prince Tho­mi­co declared his intention to launch a complaint against Hor Nam­hong to discover the fate of his parents, Prince Sisowath Me­tha­vi and Princess Nanette Me­thavi, the older sister of Queen Norodom Monineath.

In response, Hor Namhong warned last week that anyone seeking to launch such a complaint should be prepared to pay millions in compensation.

According to a letter from Ruom Ritt, posted on Norodom Siha­nouk’s Web site and dated Satur­day, the retired King said he could provide some financial backing for Prince Thomico but advised the prince to abandon his plans.

“I would be able to, at maximum, pay [$10,000] instead of Tho­mico,” Ruom Ritt quoted No­ro­dom Sihanouk as saying, adding that his first priority is to provide aid to the hungry.

“I advise Thomico to no longer annoy the honorable HE Hor Nam­hong. Thus, he does not risk going to prison,” the retired King re­portedly added.

Ruom Ritt said the retired king of­fered to organize religious cere­mo­nies to honor the spirits of Prince Thomico’s parents and, with apparent sarcasm, urged other families of Khmer Rouge victims not to file individual complaints at the Khmer Rouge trial.

“I advise the families of Pol Pot Khmer Rouge victims not to ad­dress the UN-Khmer Rouge Tri­bu­nal to ask for ‘Justice,’ because none of these families will be in a po­­sition to pay very, very ‘heavy’ da­mages because their ‘relatives’ re­­­ceived from Pol Pot Khmer Rouge the ‘honor’ to be ‘chosen’ … to be tortured to death,” the retired King said, according to Ruom Ritt.

In the past, some have claimed that Norodom Sihanouk writes under the pseudonym of Ruom Ritt, but the retired King has de­nied such claims.

 

 

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