47 Facts About Norodom Chakrapong

Norodom Chakrapong was born on 21 October 1945 and is a Cambodian politician, businessman and former major-general of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Norodom Chakrapong is the fourth son of Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a half-brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni.

In 1991, Norodom Chakrapong left Funcinpec to join the Cambodian People's Party and served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia between 1992 and 1993.

In 2002, Norodom Chakrapong established a royalist party, the Khmer Soul Party.

Norodom Chakrapong, who was already a privy councillor to the Supreme Privy Council, then dedicated himself to humanitarian work and supporting royal activities.

In 2013, Norodom Chakrapong was appointed member of the Constitutional Council of Cambodia by the King.

Norodom Chakrapong was born at the Khemarin Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Norodom Sihanouk and Sisowath Pongsanmoni.

In 1958, Norodom Chakrapong was sent with his half-brother Ranariddh to Marseille, France, where they attended high school.

Norodom Chakrapong returned in 1967 and was later commissioned as a lieutenant.

When Lon Nol launched a coup against Sihanouk in March 1970, Norodom Chakrapong was arrested and kept under house arrest until November 1973.

In 1975, Norodom Chakrapong travelled to Yugoslavia at the invitation of Josip Broz Tito.

Norodom Chakrapong spent a year at the Yugoslav Air Force Staff College, before he moved to France with his family as political refugees in 1976.

Norodom Chakrapong joined Sihanouk in helping to form the Funcinpec in March 1981.

Norodom Chakrapong was appointed a commander of the Armee Nationale Sihanoukiste.

In March 1985, Norodom Chakrapong became the deputy Chief of Staff of ANS.

In 1989, Ranariddh made Norodom Chakrapong to represent Funcinpec in negotiations leading to the 1991 Paris Peace Accords.

Norodom Chakrapong was against the decision to co-opt the Khmer Rouge into playing any role in future Cambodian governments, a stand that came into conflict with Ranariddh and other senior Funcinpec leaders.

Norodom Chakrapong was a leading figure of the guerilla war against the Vietnamese occupation, spending most of the time in the jungle at the Cambodia-Thailand border.

In late 1991, Norodom Chakrapong quit Funcinpec to join the CPP at Hun Sen's invitation.

Norodom Chakrapong was given a seat in the party's politburo, and in January 1992 Chakrapong was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of civil aviation, tourism, industry, culture, education, and social welfare affairs.

Shortly after he was appointed to the post, Norodom Chakrapong was appointed director of Kampuchea Airlines.

Norodom Chakrapong encouraged foreign investment in Cambodia and provided support to investors that established financial institutions and enterprises in the country.

UNTAC staff personnel were ordered to leave, and Norodom Chakrapong issued orders to soldiers under his command to ransack UNTAC and Funcinpec offices in these provinces.

Norodom Chakrapong obeyed his father's request to return and was awarded the military rank of Major-General for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Norodom Chakrapong called American journalist Nate Thayer for help, who assisted him to negotiate with government ministers and diplomats for safe passage out of Cambodia.

Norodom Chakrapong issued a statement to deny his involvement in the coup attempt, and sent a letter to then-Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for long-term asylum in Malaysia.

Norodom Chakrapong received a royal pardon from Sihanouk in November 1998 and returned to Cambodia in early 1999.

Norodom Chakrapong subsequently rejoined Funcinpec as an ordinary member in March 1999 at Ranariddh's invitation.

Norodom Chakrapong abstained from playing an active role in the party to avoid renewing tensions with his brother, and focused on his business career.

In May 2005, Norodom Chakrapong was appointed to the newly minted party post of general-inspector.

In January 2006, Norodom Chakrapong was elected senator for Prey Veng Province.

The cascade of incidents from Nhek Bun Chhay stoked anger from Serey Kosal and Norodom Chakrapong who threatened to sue him.

When Ranariddh was fired from his position as the president of Funcinpec in October 2006, Norodom Chakrapong was expelled from the party and senate the following month.

Ranariddh had been issued two lawsuits over embezzlement of property and adultery, and Norodom Chakrapong publicly defended Ranariddh, saying that the lawsuits were politically motivated.

Norodom Chakrapong raised US$2 million from personal savings and bank loans, which he used to acquire one 52-seater Antonov-24 and another 100-seater Yakovlev Yak-42 airplanes.

Norodom Chakrapong accused the government political bias in awarding the deals due to his political affiliations.

Norodom Chakrapong suspended domestic flights between Phnom Penh and Battambang as foreign tourists opted for land transport options to provincial capitals which were cheaper than air transport.

When Norodom Chakrapong failed to repay the taxes to the government, Hun Sen issued a lawsuit in March 2007 against him.

Norodom Chakrapong was bestowed the title of Sdech Krom Khun in February 1994, which translates as "The Great Prince".

Norodom Chakrapong was given the royal title of Samdech Preah Mohessara in August 2004 by Sihanouk shortly before the latter handed over the throne to Sihamoni.

Norodom Chakrapong was appointed as a privy councilor of the Supreme Privy Council of Cambodia with the rank equivalent to Deputy Prime Minister.

Norodom Chakrapong established a foundation named after his older brother, the Norodom Racvivong Foundation, to support charitable and humanitarian initiatives for the poor.

In 2013, Prince Norodom Chakrapong was appointed member of the Constitutional Council, as one of the three members representing the King.

Julio Jeldres, Sihanouk's official biographer, expressed in 1999 that Norodom Chakrapong had little chance of becoming the next king due to his alleged involvement in the 1994 coup attempt.

Norodom Chakrapong's proposal had the support of Jeldres and Son Chhay, an opposition member of parliament who expressed similar concerns, but was opposed by Hun Sen.

Norodom Chakrapong has six full siblings, consisting of three brothers and three younger sisters.

Yuvaneath is Norodom Chakrapong's sole surviving full sibling, and Norodom Chakrapong has six other half-siblings by Sihanouk's unions with different wives.