King issues a final warning as health fails

THE news that King Sihanouk is seriously ill was greeted with dismay by many Cambodians, who regard him as a symbol of unity and hope in a country now entering its 26th year of civil war.

Coming after a recent statement from the king that he supported his son, First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh, as his successor, yesterday's broadcast further brought home the reality of the king's inevitable demise.

It told Cambodians that acting Head of State Chea Sim, who heads the former communist Cambodian People's Party, and the Cambodian Parliament would act as his regent 'when illness prevents' the king carrying out his duties.

There was confusion about his medical condition, with a February Beijing Hospital medical report seeming to contradict King Sihanouk's pessimistic predictions.

'His medical diagnoses appears normal for a 70-year-old recovering from cancer and there is no indication that the king's health is rapidly declining,' said one medical expert who looked at the Beijing report yesterday.

Political analysts speculated that the king's announcement was his way of preparing Cambodians for the political vacuum that will be created by his death.

Other sources interpreted King Sihanouk's message as an appeal for greater support from Cambodians and said he was becoming increasingly frustrated with his role as a 'powerless monarch'.