Page 2 of 2 --  ‘‘The reason why some people say the king is
without power, a prisoner in the palace, is because they compare
him to the King-Father. This is wrong,’’ the minister said.
‘‘Sihanouk was also head of state involved in politics. The
current king is playing the classic role of protecting Cambodian
unity, tradition, religion. The king will survive if he is
firmly committed to this constitutional role.’’  To date,
Sihamoni has shown little desire to expand his role, staying in
the background as long his father was alive. ‘‘Now we will see
if he can exercise his power. It depends on him, now that he has
a free hand. He has to show that he is king,’’ Son Soubert says.
‘‘I don’t know him very well. I just know that he is the son of
the King-Father so I will love him too,’’ said Khim Touch, a
60-year-old farmer from Kampot province who like hundreds of
thousands others came to Phnom Penh to pay her last respects to
Sihanouk. She recalled Sihanouk once coming to her village to
pass out sarongs, rice s