admincapital’s royal palace.
The cremation was made at the Veal Preah Meru Square next to the Royal Palace in an elaborate Buddhist ceremony.
The sombre event was attended by Cambodian leaders, including President of the Senate Chea Sim, President of the National Assembly Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Hun Sen as well as royal families and other senior officials.
Besides, foreign leaders and dignitaries from 16 countries attended the ceremony. Among them are Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar C. Binay, and Japan’s Prince Akishino.
After all participating foreign leaders and foreign diplomats paid their last respects and laid flowers nearby the golden casket bearing Sihanouk’s body and 90 Buddhist monks chanted in a religious language, Sihanouk’s wife Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and his son King Norodom Sihamoni lit the funeral flame at the newly constructed cremation site at 6:30 pm. — Xinhua.
Online Reporter