Royal Order of Monisaraphon explained

Royal Order of Monisaraphon
Type:	Order of chivalry
Eligibility:	Special merits for society
For:	accomplishment and outstanding support in the fields of education, arts, science, literacy or social works
Status:	Currently constituted
Head Title:	Grand Master
Head:	King Norodom Sihamoni
Image Size2:	100px

The Royal Order of Monisaraphon (Central Khmer: គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសមុនីសារាភ័ណ្ឌ) was founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905. It is conferred for accomplishment and outstanding support in the fields of education, arts, science, literacy, or social works.^[1]

History

The Order of Monisaraphon (or Muni Isvarabarna): founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905 (first statutes issued 18 April 1905) and awarded in a single class limited to Cambodians, French protected subjects and other Asians. Reformed by King Norodom Sihanouk on 9 September 1948 and extended to three classes. Extended again to five classes in 1961. Awarded for services in the fields of literature and the fine arts, education, justice, administration, and science. After the Khmer Rouge period, the order was reinstituted by King Norodom Sihanouk by Royal Decree No.1095/01 on 5 October 1995.^{[2] [3]}

Current classes

The five classes of appointment to the Order are, in descending order of precedence:

1. Maha Sirivaddha (មហាសេរីវឌ្ឍន៍) or Knight Grand Cross (GCM)
2. Mahasena (មហាសេនា) or Knight Grand Officer (GOM)
3. Dhipadinda (ធិបឌិន្ទ) or Knight Commander (KCM)
4. Sena (សេនា) or Knight Officer (OM)
5. Assarariddhi (អស្សឫទ្ធិ) or Knight or Chevalier (KM)

Design

The golden badge consists of a wreath of palm leaves and (left) and laurel leaves (right) with berries, with enclosed in the center a fan in front of two smaller sprays holding a goblet on which rests the closed book of a scholar. Badge reverse is the inversion of the obverse. The Ribbon colour is golden yellow. Measuring 67mm in length and 54mm in width.

Post-nominals

The senior ranks of Knight Grand Cross entitle their members to use the title as post-nominal GCM; Knight Grand Officer, GOM; Knight Commander, KCM. The lower ranks of Knight Officer use the post-nominal OM; and Knight, KM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence.^[4]

Recipients

Year appointed	Class	Name	Post-nominals
1929^[5]	Chevalier	Mr. Gustave Louis Alexandre FAVIER
unknown	Commander	Mr. Fortunato Abat
unknown	Grand Officer	Mr. Hor Namhong
unknown	Commander	Mr. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
unknown	Knight Commander	Norodom Arunrasmy
unknown	Knight Commander	Norodom Yuvaneath^[6]
unknown	Grand Cross	Norodom Sihamoni^[7]
unknown	Grand Cross & Commander	Mr. Haruhisa Handa^[8]
2003	Commander	Mr. Yōhei Sasakawa^[9]
	Grand Officer & Knight	Dr. Kao Kim Hourn^[10]
2006	Commander	Dr. Kao Kim Hourn
2007	unknown	Mr. Horst Posdorf	unknown
	Grand Officer	Mr. Siddhartha Kaul
2008	Grand Cross	Dr. Rikhi Thakral^[11]
2009	Grand Officer	Mr. Okhna Mengly J. Quach
2011	Officer	Ms. Zahng Gil-jah^[12]
2012	Commander	Dr. Sriram Bhagut Mathe^[13]
2014	Knight Commander	Mr. Allen Dodgson Tan
	Commander	Mr. Len Leon Austin
2015	Grand Cross	Mr. George Reiff^[14]
	Grand Officer	Mr. Mahmood Abdul Kader Alshahwarzi for Al-Serkal Mosque Phnom Penh
	Grand Officer	Dr. Stéphane Xavier Racine
	Commander	Mr. Mustafa Shoeb Zalotrawala for Al-Serkal Mosque Phnom Penh
	Commander	Mr. Mohamed Muktar Ahmed for Al-Serkal Mosque Phnom Penh
	Grand Cross	Mr. Miki Watanabe^[15]
2017	Grand Cross	Mr. Khun-Neay Khuon
	Grand Cross	Ms. Anne Lemaistre
	Grand Officer	Mr. Patrick Paul Seger
	Grand Cross	Mr. Magnus Saemundsson
	Grand Cross	Mr. Allen Dodgson Tan
2018	Commander	Dr. Fraser Cameron
	Commander	Mr. Robert Cripps
	Commander	Mr. Thomas Cripps
	Commander	Rev. Franklin Graham
	Commander	Mr. James Kenneth Isaacs
	Commander	Mr. Patrick Paul Seger
	Commander	Mr. Bob Jacob
	Commander	Ms. Amy Tennent
2019	Grand Cross	Mr. Charles Wilson Matthews
	Grand Cross	Mr. Patrick Paul Seger
2020	Grand Cross	Mr. Rho Hyunjun, Country Director, KOICA
	Grand Officer	Mr. Kang Hwang Wook, Deputy Country Director, KOICA
2021^[16]	Grand Officer	Mr. Robert Elliott
2022^[17] ^[18] ^[19]	Grand Officer	Mr. Edouard George, President, Phoenix Voyages Group Ltd
	Knight Commander	Dr. James Muecke AM, chair, Sight for All
	Knight Commander	Mr. Bjorn Stenvers, CEO, Eye Care Foundation
	Knight Commander	Ms. Kate Moynihan, CEO, Seva Foundation
	Knight Commander	Ms. Hu-Jeong Moon, Director, Heart to Heart Foundation
	Knight Commander	Mr. Ek Sarou, Director, Battambong Ophthalmic Center
	Knight Commander	H.E. Leung Chun-Ying, President, GX Foundation
	Knight Commander	Mr. Sambath Pol, Eye Care Foundation
	Knight Commander	Mr. Tokyo Bak, Country Manager, The Fred Hollows Foundation
	Chevalier	Mr. Horm Piseth, Eye Care Foundation
	Chevalier	Mr. Prof. Mar Amrin
	Chevalier	Ms. Somuny Ouk, Eye Care Foundation
	Knight Officer	Ms. Judy Hatwell, CEO, Sight for All
2023	Grand Cross	Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh^[20]
	Knight Commander	Ms. Jane Madden, Chair of The Board of Directors, The Fred Hollows Foundation
	Knight Commander	Ms. Gabi Hollows, Funding Director, The Fred Hollows Foundation
	Knight Commander	Mr. Ian Wishart, CEO, The Fred Hollows Foundation
	Knight Commander	Mr. Jon Crail, Program Executive Director, The Fred Hollows Foundation
2024	Chevalier	Mr. Liu Zhen^[21]

See also

• Cambodian honours system
• Royal Order of Sahametrei

External links

• Indochina Medals, THE ORDERS AND MEDALS OF THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
• Medals of the World, Kingdom of Cambodia: Royal Order of Moniseraphon

Notes and References

1. Web site: ODM of Cambodia: Royal Order of Moniseraphon. www.medals.org.uk.
2. Sylvester, J. The Orders and Medals of Cambodia and Laos, 1986.
3. Emering, E. Orders, Decorations and Medals of the French Colonial Empire and the Post-Colonial Period, 2004
4. News: Cambodian Decorations of Honor. Geoffrey Oldham & Brett Delahunt. 2004. Milymen Books. 9780473097998., pp.50-55.
5. Web site: Ordre du Mérite Moniseraphon. entreprises-coloniales.fr.
6. Web site: Biography of His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Yuvaneath . His Magesty King-Father Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia . 2014-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140318122424/http://norodomsihanouk.info/family/id_05.html . 2014-03-18 . dead .
7. Web site: Biographie De Sa Majesté Le Roi Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni . His Magesty King-Father Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia . fr . 2014-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140318133708/http://norodomsihanouk.info/family/id_03.html . 2014-03-18 . dead .
8. Web site: Information. Honorary Consulate of The Kingdom of Cambodia In Fukuoka, Japan. Japanese. 2016-06-19.
9. Web site: Yohei Sasakawa: A modern-day Gandhi. The Jakarta Post.
10. Web site: Welcome to The University of Cambodia (UC). www.uc.edu.kh.
11. Web site: Welcome to The University of Cambodia (UC). www.uc.edu.kh.
12. Web site: The International We Love U Foundation. May 30, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120530233247/http://eng.weloveu.or.kr/pr_room/award/list.asp?gub=O. May 30, 2012.
13. Web site: AITM. en-US. 2019-08-28.
14. Web site: Sastra Angkor. www.sastraangkor.com.
15. Web site: ワタミグループが支援する公益財団法人 School Aid Japan が カンボジア王国から「モニサラポン勲章(大十字型章)」を受勲. Watami Co., Ltd.. Japanese. 2016-06-19.
16. Web site: Manulife Cambodia Chairman Robert Elliott honoured by King of Cambodia. manulife.com. 5 January 2021. 1 November 2022.
17. Web site: Eye care specialists receive royal medals of honour. phnompenhpost.com.
18. http://freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/259804-2022-10-06-09-03-37.html កម្ពុជា នឹងកាត់បន្ថយអត្រាប្រេវ៉ាឡង់នៃភាពពិការភ្នែកឱ្យនៅត្រឹម ០.៣៥% នៅឆ្នាំ២០៣០
19. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/gallery/eye-care-specialists-receive-royal-medals-honour-ahead-world-sight-day Eye care specialists receive royal medals
20. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=6612238178834584&set=a.440635312661599
21. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501513831/cambodia-awards-medals-to-traditional-chinese-medicine-experts/