Cambodian king leaves for China, Czech and Slovak republics

Sep 2, 2006, 13:51 GMT

Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk (L), greets government officials at The Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia, Saturday 02 September 2006. The former King Norodom Sihanouk leaves the country to China for his medical treatment with his wife Monineath and his son king Norodom Sihamoni. EPA/MAK REMISSA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni left for China Saturday with his parents, former king Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath, for what the palace said were routine medical checkups.

Sihamoni said in a message broadcast on State television that he will continue on to France for a second medical checkup before embarking on a state visit to the Czech Republic on September 18 to 20. The king attended university in Prague and speaks fluent Czech.

He will also pay a state visit to the Republic of Slovakia on September 27 and 28, he added.

Sihanouk, who turns 84 this year, has suffered from a number of health conditions including colon cancer and diabetes and abdicated citing poor health and age in favour of his son in 2004.

However, palace sources said former queen Norodom Monineath was the one with the most pressing current health concerns and has been suffering knee problems in recent days which had prevented her attending a recent charity event.

The royal trio was seen off at the Phnom Penh International Airport by Senate President Chea Sim, Prime Minister Hun Sen, royal family members and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng.

In recent years, Sihanouk has taken to spending a great deal of his time outside of Cambodia in China or his palace in North Korea. He returned to Cambodia after a 10-month absence in May and announced that Chinese doctors has again successfully sent his colon cancer into remission.

It was unclear when the former monarch, still revered as a god-king by many Cambodians, would return this time.