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Norodom Sihanouk

Prince Norodom Sihanouk (born October 31, 1922; died October 15 2012) has ruled Cambodia until the coup of General Lon Nol in 1970. Following the coup, he joined the left-wing guerilla opposition Khmer Rouge, who took over the country in 1975. He was kept under house arrest during the genocidal Democratic Kampuchea regime (1975-1979). After their ousting by Vietnamese troops, he went into exile in China and North Korea. He came back to Cambodia in 1991. He was a close friend of Mao Zedong and Kim Il Sung. He composed scores of music (light music, film music, propaganda music), and directed movies. Many of the records published with his compositions were pressed in China and North Korea.