The town, which still has preserved sections of its ancient walls, was defended by 3, 000 Royalists.

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Royalists, on the other hand, say the enduring constitutional monarchy is a tribute to the nation's historical legacy.

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Rival protesters, who describe themselves as royalists, clashed with police near a disputed temple on the Cambodian border.

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Divided and in disarray thanks to Mr Hun Sen's manoeuvrings, the royalists' vote collapsed in the latest election.

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"The king was in the past, " said Salman Fadhil, who runs a small grocery store. near the royalists' headquarters.

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But the efforts of self-proclaimed royalists are arguably doing as much harm to the institution as criticism by their opponents.

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Sihanouk was at the centre of complex negotiations involving royalists, the Khmer Rouge and Hun Sen, the Vietnamese-backed prime minister, to form a new government.

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Theories range from disaffected royalists to rebellious tribesmen.

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We are born and bred royalists, I'm afraid.

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The winning candidates, naturally, were almost all royalists.

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