By Sok Khemara, VOA KhmerWashington
06 November 2009
Cambodia’s claim to independence 56 years ago, led by former king Norodom Sihanouk, prevented the country from weakening and losing territory, opposition lead Sam Rainsy said Thursday, four days ahead of Independence Day.
“Luckily, we had leaders, especially…Norodom Sihanouk,” Sam Rainsy said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “By then he had the highest clever wisdom to claim independence. And if we had not claimed independence, we would have been a weak country, mistreated, without sovereignty, losing territory and dignity.”
Cambodia had been a protectorate under French colonialism, a position that lasted 90 years but one that prevented Cambodia from being taken over, half by Thailand and half by Vietnam, split at the Mekong River.
Independence would be followed by years of turmoil: Sihanouk was ousted in 1970 and a republic was established, only to be overrun by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975, who were pushed out by the Vietnamese and their decade-long occupation.
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