Souphanouvong

Prince Souphanouvong (13 July 1909 – 9 January 1995; Lao: ສຸພານຸວົງ), nicknamed the Red Prince, was along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the "Three Princes" who represented respectively the communist (pro-Vietnam), neutralist and royalist political factions in Laos. He was the figurehead President of Laos from December 1975 to August 1991.

His Excellency
Prince Souphanouvong
ສຸພານຸວົງ
Souphanouvong c. 1974
1st President of Laos
In office
2 December 1975 – 29 October 1986
Prime MinisterKaysone Phomvihane
Preceded bySisavang Vatthana[lower-alpha 1]
Succeeded byPhoumi Vongvichit (Acting)
President of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly
In office
2 December 1975 – 25 November 1986
Prime MinisterKaysone Phomvihane
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySisomphone Lovansay (Acting)
Kingdom of Laos Cabinet
Minister of Economy and Planning
In office
23 March 1962 – June 1974
MonarchSisavang Vatthana
Prime MinisterSouvanna Phouma
DeputyKhamfeuane Tounalom
Preceded byNgone Sananikone
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Vice Prime Minister of Laos
In office
6 March 1967 – June 1974
Serving with Leuam Insixiengmay
MonarchSisavang Vatthana
Prime MinisterSouvanna Phouma
Preceded byNgone Sananikone
Succeeded byPosition abolished
In office
23 March 1962 – 22 May 1963
Serving with Phoumi Nosavan
MonarchSisavang Vatthana
Prime MinisterSouvanna Phouma
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Minister of Planning, Reconstruction, and Rural Development
In office
18 November 1957 – 23 July 1958
MonarchSisavang Vong
Prime MinisterSouvanna Phouma
Preceded byLeuam Insixiengmay
Succeeded byPhoui Sananikone
Minister of Construction and Rural Development
In office
21 March 1956 – 23 July 1957
MonarchSisavang Vong
Prime MinisterSouvanna Phouma
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPhoui Sananikone
President of the Laos National Assembly[lower-alpha 2]
In office
May 1958 – July 1959[lower-alpha 3]
Succeeded byPheng Phongsavan
Member of the National Assembly
In office
May 1958 – Unknown
Succeeded by
Lao Issara Government[lower-alpha 4]
Minister of Defence and Military Affairs
In office
15 April 1946 – August 1946
Prime MinisterKhammao Vilay
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byTiao Kindavong
Minister of Defence and Telecommunications
In office
12 October 1945 – 15 April 1946
Prime MinisterKhammao Vilay
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byThongdee Sounthonevichit
Personal details
Born13 July 1909
Palace Sisouvanna, Xieng Dong, Luang-Prabang, French Laos
Died9 January 1995(1995-01-09) (aged 85)
Vientiane, Laos
Citizenship
NationalityLaotian
Political partyLao People's Revolutionary Party
Other political
affiliations		Lao Front for National Development[lower-alpha 6]
Spouse(s)
Nguyen Thi Ky Nam
​
(m. 1938)​
RelationsLao Royal Family
Parent(s)
Relatives
Education
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Revolutionary
  • Statesman
AwardsSee list
Nickname(s)Red Prince
Military service
Allegiance Pathet Lao
CommandsCommander
Battles/wars

Souphanouvong was one of the sons of Prince Bounkhong, the last viceroy of Luang Prabang. Unlike his half-brothers, Souvanna Phouma and Phetsarath Ratanavongsa, whose mothers were of royal birth, his mother was a commoner, Mom Kham Ouane.

Personal life

Souphanouvong was born in Palace Sisouvanna, Xieng Dong, Luang-Prabang.

Educated in France and Vietnam,[1] he eventually became a supporter of Ho Chi Minh and joined the Indochinese communist movement. In August 1950, Souphanouvong convened the first congress of the Lao Freedom Front (Neo Lao Issara), more generally known as the Pathet Lao, which served as the vehicle for the communist challenge to French rule. He was the chairman of the Neo Lao Issara (since 1956, Neo Lao Hak Xat) and Resistance Government.

Souphanouvong died on 9 January 1995 in Vientiane.[2]

Political activities

He participated in the coalition governments with royalists in 1957, 1962 and 1973.[1]

He was elected President of National Assembly from 1958 to 1959 following the success in the 1958 elections.[1]

Nicknamed "The Red Prince", he became part of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Upon its successful seizure of power in 1975, he became the first President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a position he held until 1991.[3] After 1986, Phoumi Vongvichit acted in his stead as president, though Souphanouvong still retained the presidential title. Kaysone Phomvihane succeeded him as president in 1991. He was the President of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1975 to 1988.[4]

In 1991, he became an Adviser of Party's Central Committee. Souphanouvong died aged 86 a few years later,[5] and was buried in a stupa next to the Pha That Luang.

Souphanouvong spoke eight languages, including Greek and Latin. He worked in the ports of Le Havre before studying for an engineering degree from the École nationale des ponts et chaussées.

His son, Khamsay Souphanouvong, escaped the country and applied for political asylum in New Zealand in 2000.[6][7]

In 2012, Souphanouvong's remains were moved to the newly constructed National Cemetery in Vientiane.

Honours and Awards

References

Notes

  1. Souphanouvong succeeded Vatthana as head of state.
  2. Additionally called “Chairman of the National Assembly”.
  3. All Pathet Lao members of the National Assmebly were arrested on charges of treason, however Souphanouvong's allegedly escaped the charges.
  4. Political movement and Government-in-Exile.
  5. Born during the French Protectorate, the people of Indochina, for the most part, would've been considered French subjects. However, Souphanouvong was a member of the Laotian aristocracy, was fluent in french, and studied in Paris.
  6. Coalition popular front.

Citations

  1. Stuart-Fox, Martin. "Historical Dictionary of Laos". epdf.pub. ISBN 978-0-8108-5624-0.
  2. Leifer, Michael (23 October 2011). "Obituaries:Prince Souphanouvong". The Independent.
  3. Souphanouvong, Prince. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. Columbia University Press
  4. Speakers
  5. Souphanouvong, "red prince'' of Laos, dies aged 86. Hartford-hwp.com (1995-01-12). Retrieved on 2013-11-17.
  6. Lintner, Bertil (2001). "LAOS: Signs of Unrest". Southeast Asian Affairs: 177–186. ISSN 0377-5437.
  7. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Attacks on the Press in 2000 - Laos". Refworld. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
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