His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, Kinf of Cambodia, sent a letter on September 8, 1997 to Prince Norodom Ranariddh responding to criticism made by the Prince in his letter to the king on September 5, 1997. The unofficial translation of the letter, from its original in French, reads as follows:

						Aix-en-Provence


Dear beloved Son,

This morning, I received from you a moving fax. I thank you very much for it.

Your dad suffers tremendously from all the misfortunes that strike our Country, our People and our Family.

Dad accepts all the criticism expressed by your supporters and anti-Samdech Hun Sen Resistance, including those who between March 18, 1970 and the 80s chose to be the fierce enemies of Norodom Sihanouk and the SRN and the fervent supporters of Lon Nol anti-Khmer monarchy republicanism.

Dad has the duty to stay a little bit more than two months with our small people inside Cambodia. Thus, Dad will return to Beijin Hospital.

Within our country, Dad dared, dares and will always dare condemn all crimes and other violations of human rights and of our 1993 Constitution.

As for the anti-Hun Sen accusations against your Dad, "responsible for the (supposedly) weakening of the resistance", I would like to stress that long before the arrival of Dad in Siem Reap-Angkor, France, Japan, China and certain ASEAN countries, etc… and almost all the foreign Ambassadors in Cambodia had already "chosen" the new government of H.E. Samdech Hun Sen.

The battle between Samdech Hun Sen regime and the anti-Hun Sen Resistance is not played out at the United Nations, actually powerless. At the UN, my FUNC and my GRUNC were regularly battered by the US and Lon Nol Khmer Republic - Long Boret between March 1970 and March 1975. But victory of the FUNC and the GRUNC came on April 17, 1975. The UN and the anti-FUNC and anti-GRUNC powers quickly changed their vest. In September 1975, more than 80 ambassadors welcomed me at the International Airport of New York and, then, the UN General Assembly greeted me with a standing ovation.

In January 1979, just after the victory gained by the RSV army over Pol Pot's KD, I returned to the UN, on behalf of Cambodia which was invaded and occupied by the Socialist Vietnam, to bring an action against the latter.

At the International New York Airport, only RPC and Senegal's Ambassadors were there to welcome me.

That gives you an idea that they do not need a Norodom Sihanouk to honor the "winners" in Cambodia.

The French Cardinal of RETZ (1613-1679) said: "States are cold monsters. Friendship between states is only the coincidence of their interests".

You should not underestimate our People. It is not the signature of a Norodom Sihanouk on a letter of accreditation that decides which regime rules the country -- the Hun Sen Regime or anti-Hun Sen Resistance.

It is our People who are the best judge and who will in the end be the judge of each and everyone of us, according to the responsibilities of each.

Dad embraces you with his limitless affection.

(Signed)
Norodom Sihanouk

Siem Reap-Angkor, September 8, 1997