Prince Souphanouvong (13 July 1909 – 9 January 1995; ), nicknamed the Red Prince, was along with his half-brother Prince
Souvanna Phouma
Prince Souvanna Phouma (; 7 October 1901 – 10 January 1984) was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times (1951–1954, 1956–1958, 1960, and 1962–1975).
Early life
Souvanna Phouma was the s ...
and Prince
Boun Oum
Prince Boun Oum (also Prince Boun Oum Na Champassak; lo, ບຸນອຸ້ມ ນະ ຈຳປາສັກ; th, บุญอุ้ม ณ จัมปาศักดิ์; ; 2 December 1912 – 17 March 1980) was the son of King Ratsadanay, ...
of
Champasak, one of the "
Three Princes" who represented respectively the communist (pro-
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
), neutralist and royalist political factions in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
. He was the
President of Laos
The president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of state of Laos. The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith, since 22 March 2021. He was previously elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, ...
from December 1975 to August 1991.
Early life
Souphanouvong was born in
Palace Sisouvanna,
Xieng Dong,
Luang-Prabang. He was one of the sons of Prince
Bounkhong
Prince Bounkhong was the last uparaja of Luang Phrabang. He was granted the title of '' Chao Ratsaphakhinay'' by King Chulalongkorn of Siam in 1884. From 1911 to 1920, he was a member of the Government Council of French Indochina.
Chao Maha Oupah ...
, the last
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
of
Luang Prabang
Luang Phabang, ( Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ/ ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ (ຣ = silent r) ...
. Unlike his half-brothers,
Souvanna Phouma
Prince Souvanna Phouma (; 7 October 1901 – 10 January 1984) was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times (1951–1954, 1956–1958, 1960, and 1962–1975).
Early life
Souvanna Phouma was the s ...
and
Phetsarath Ratanavongsa
Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa (''Somdej Chao Maha Uparaja Petsaraj Ratanavongsa ''( lo, ສົມເດັຈເຈົ້າ ມຫາ ອຸປຣາຊ ເພັຊຣາຊ ຣັຕນວົງສາ) (19 January 1890 – 14 October 1959 ...
, whose mothers were of royal birth, his mother was a commoner,
Mom Kham Ouane.
He attended the
Lycée Albert Sarraut
Lycée Albert Sarraut was a French lyceum in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the French colonial period, active from 1919 to 1965. It was one of 69 high schools founded by the French in their colonies worldwide, named for Albert Sarraut. The school offered ...
in
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
and then studied civil engineering at the
École national des ponts et chaussées in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and worked at a port in
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
. After graduating in 1937, he returned to
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
and worked at the public works bureau in
Nha Trang
Nha Trang ( or ; ) is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa Province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the north by Ninh Hòa District, Ninh Hoà town, on the south by Cam Ranh city and on the west by Diên Khánh Distri ...
, where he was responsible for the construction of bridges and roads in
central Vietnam
Central Vietnam ( vi, Trung Bộ or ), also known as Middle Vietnam or The Middle, formerly known as by South Vietnam, and Annam under French Indochina, is one of the three geographical regions within Vietnam.
The name Trung Bộ was used by ...
and Laos. He worked as a civil engineer until 1945.
Political activities
Anti-colonial movement
![Cuộc gặp BBP tháng 9, 1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Cu%E1%BB%99c_g%E1%BA%B7p_BBP_th%C3%A1ng_9%2C_1945.jpg)
After the
Japanese surrendered at the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he contacted the
Viet Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
to seek their support
for Lao independence and against the French colonial rule. In Hanoi, he also met with the leader of Viet Minh
Ho Chi Minh
(: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as ('Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Prime ...
, who greatly impressed him. As a result, Souphanouvong joined the Indochinese communist movement and became one of the leaders of the
Lao Issara
The Lao Issara ( lo, ລາວອິດສະລະ ) was an anti-French, nationalist movement formed on 12 October 1945 by Prince Phetsarath. This short-lived movement emerged after the Japanese defeat in World War II and became the government ...
national liberation movement. He first served as its provincial chairman in
Thakhek
Thakhek (Lao language: ທ່າແຂກ), the capital of Khammouane Province, is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River. The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, linking Thakhek and Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, across the river, started in ...
, then as foreign minister of the Lao Issara government and commander-in-chief of the
Army for the Liberation and Defense of Laos (''Armée de libération et de défense lao'').
Unlike other members of the national liberation movement, Souphanouvong believed that Laos could only liberate itself from French rule in alliance with the Viet Minh and wanted Lao Issara and Việt Minh to unite in an Indochina-wide struggle against French rule. On 1 November 1945, Souphanouvong signed a Mutual Assistance Agreement between Lao Issara and Viet Minh. During the battle of Thakhek on 21 March 1946, Souphanouvong and his forces were defeated by the French, and as a result, he was wounded and fled across the
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...
to
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. There, like other Lao Issara leaders, he remained in exile for the next three years. In March 1949 he resigned as foreign minister of the government-in-exile after conflicts over the issue of continued cooperation with the Viet Minh.
Leader of Pathet Lao
![Prince_Souphanouvong](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Prince_Souphanouvong.jpg)
In August 1950, Souphanouvong convened the first congress of the
Lao Freedom Front (Neo Lao Issara), more generally known as the
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao ( lo, ປະເທດລາວ, translit=Pa thēt Lāo, translation=Lao Nation), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The gro ...
, which served as the vehicle for the
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
challenge to French rule. It emerged from the radical wing of the Lao Issara in 1950 after the split and was supported by
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
. On 13 August 1950, he was elected President of the Congress of the Lao Freedom Front, which met at the Viet Minh headquarters in
Tuyen Quang,
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
. As a result, became famous under the name "The Red Prince". However, the movement was led by the communist politician
Kaysone Phomvihane
Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; 13 December 1920 – 21 November 1992) was the first leader of the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized po ...
and Souphanouvong was more of a figurehead in it.
Souphanouvong, at least initially, was not a committed communist. He joined the Pathet Lao because of personal conflicts with the Lao Issara leadership. In a conversation with a US diplomat in Bangkok in 1949, he described Laos as a "classless, Buddhist country in which communist theories had no basis." He proposed an independent Laos, with American help, as a neutral buffer against the spread of communism in Asia. It cannot be ruled out that Souphanouvong was actually so clueless, since the close circle of leaders of the Vietnamese and Laotian communists was extremely secretive and kept his
Marxist-Leninist program strictly secret from outsiders, which probably included Souphanouvong. Radical goals such as dispossession, class warfare and abolition of the monarchy would not have appealed to the vast majority of the Laotian population with their Buddhist beliefs. However, all of Souphanouvong's statements was treated with caution, since according to two American contacts, he was a "perfect liar".
His pro-Vietnamese orientation was perhaps more decisive. He had spent much of his adult life, studying and working in Vietnam, and was married to a Vietnamese woman. As a result, he had more interactions with Vietnamese than with Laotians of his generation, and arguably a greater intellectual affinity with educated Vietnamese, whom he perceived as more dynamic, than with Lao elites, whom he described as apolitical and passive. He is thus part of a tradition of many aristocrats in Lao history who sought the support of one of the two large neighbors - either
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
or Vietnam - in order to gain or retain power.
Souphanouvong joined the Lao People's Party (which later became the
Lao People's Revolutionary Party
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The party's monopoly on state power is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Constitution of Laos, and it maintains a unitary ...
) in 1955, but was not part of its leadership. However, he became chairman of the Lao Patriotic Front (Neo Lao Hak Sat), which was founded in 1956, and in which trade unions, women's and peasant associations were also represented. During the national unity government under his neutralist half-brother
Souvanna Phouma
Prince Souvanna Phouma (; 7 October 1901 – 10 January 1984) was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times (1951–1954, 1956–1958, 1960, and 1962–1975).
Early life
Souvanna Phouma was the s ...
, he was Minister for Planning, Reconstruction and Urban Development from 1957 to 1958. In May 1958, he was elected
MP for Vientiane in the
National Assembly of Laos
The National Assembly ( lo, ສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດ, translit=Sapha Heng Xat, french: Assemblée nationale) is the unicameral parliament of Laos. The National Assembly meets in Vientiane.
Laos is a one-party state, with the Lao Peopl ...
with the highest number of votes among all candidates nationwide.
However, the unity government collapsed and the new government under Prime Minister
Phoui Sananikone
Phoui Sananikone ( lo, ຜຸຍ ຊະນະນິກອນ; 6 September 1903, in Laos – 4 December 1983, in Paris) locally known as Phagna Houakhong () was a politician and served as Prime Minister of thKingdom of Laosfrom 1950 to 1951 and 1958 ...
had Souphanouvong and other representatives of the Pathet Lao arrested in July 1959. In May 1960, the group managed to escape to the headquarters of the pro-communist forces at
Sam Neua
Xam Neua (ຊຳເໜືອ , sometimes transcribed as ''Sam Neua'' or ''Samneua'', literally 'northern swamp'), is the capital of Houaphanh Province, Laos, in northeast Laos.
Demographics
Residents are mostly Lao, Vietnamese, and Hmong, with so ...
in
Houaphan province
Houaphanh province ( Laotian: ຫົວພັນ ; Romanization of Lao: ''Houaphan'') is a province in eastern Laos. Its capital is Xam Neua.
Houaphanh province covers an area of . The province is bordered by Vietnam to the north, east, and ...
. Souphanouvong continued to advocate for Pathet Lao-neutralist cooperation and contributed to the negotiations that led to the
International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos
The International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos is an international agreement signed in Geneva on July 23, 1962 between 14 states, including Laos, as a result of the International Conference on the Settlement of the Laotian Question, which la ...
, which was signed in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
in 1962. In the second unity government that followed, Souphanouvong was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning. After the assassination of leftist Foreign Minister
Quinim Pholsena
Quinim Pholsena (18 November 1915 – 1 April 1963) was a leftist minister and the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Laos from 1962 to 1963, under Prime Minister Souvanna Phouma.
Early life
Pholsena was born 18 November 1915, Pakse, Champasak ...
on 1 April 1963, Souphanouvong left the government and retreated again to the Pathet Lao base in Sam Neua.
Only in 1967 did he publicly profess Marxism-Leninism. Whether this reflected his authentic ideological convictions or was a calculation of power remained questionable.
Souphanouvong tried again to create an alliance of Pathet Lao and neutralists to end the
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos which was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. It is associated with the Cambodian Civil War and the Vietnam War ...
, in which his eldest son was killed. In 1972 and 1973, he was again involved in talks that led to the third unity government, in which he took over no ministerial office. However, he presided over the National Political Consultative Council, which drafted the 18-point program that guided the government's policies.
President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
He was elected President of
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
from 1958 to 1959 following the success in the 1958 elections.
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. After 1986,
Phoumi Vongvichit
Phoumi Vongvichit ( lo, ພູມີ ວົງວິຈິດ; 6 April 1909 – 7 January 1994) was a leading figure of the Pathet Lao and an elder statesman of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
He was born April 6, 1909 in Xieng Khouang, the ...
acted in his stead as president, though Souphanouvong still retained the presidential title.
Kaysone Phomvihane
Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; 13 December 1920 – 21 November 1992) was the first leader of the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized po ...
succeeded him as president in 1991. He was the
President of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1975 to 1988.
[Speakers](_blank)
/ref>
In 1991, he became an Adviser of Party's Central Committee.
Later and personal life
He was married Le Thi Ky Nam, a Vietnamese woman who was the daughter of a civil servant. The two had ten children. Souphanouvong spoke eight languages, including Greek and Latin. His son, Khamsay Souphanouvong, escaped the country and applied for political asylum
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...
in New Zealand in 2000.
Souphanouvong died on 9 January 1995 in Vientiane
Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
, due to a heart disease. Following his death, the Laotian government decreed five days of mourning in his honor.
He is celebrated by the leadership of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and its press organs as a hero and "light figure" of the revolution and the Laotian nation. Especially on his 95th birthday in 2004, officials have increasingly emphasized his role in recent Laotian history and his services to the revolution, independence and national interests as well as the preservation of peace. He was buried in a stupa next to the Pha That Luang
Pha That Luang ( lo, ທາດຫຼວງ or ພຣະທາດຫລວງ; 'Great Stupa') is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city of Vientiane, Laos. Since its initial establishment, suggested to be in the 3rd century ...
and in 2012, his remains were moved to the newly constructed national cemetery in Vientiane.
Honours and Awards
Source:
*:
**
Gold Medal of the Nation
*:
**
Order of the Balkan Mountains
*:
**
Order of José Martí
The Order José Martí (Orden José Martí) is a state honor in Cuba. The Order was named so after José Martí, the national hero of Cuba. The design was realized by the Cuban sculptor José Delarra.
Notable recipients
* Alexander Lukashenko, ...
**
Order of Playa Girón
The Order of Playa Girón is a national order conferred by the Council of State of Cuba on Cubans or foreigners. It was established in 1961 and is named after the Playa Girón (Girón beach), site of the Cuban victory in the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
...
*:
**
First Class of the Order of the White Lion
The Order of the White Lion ( cs, Řád Bílého lva) is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia had no civilian decoration for its ...
**
Order of Klement Gottwald (1989)Řád Klementa Gottwalda – za budování socialistické vlasti (zřízen vládním nařízením č. 14/1953 Sb. ze dne 3. února 1953, respektive vládním nařízením č. 5/1955 Sb. ze dne 8. února 1955): Seznam nositelů (podle matriky nositelů)
/ref>
*:
**
Order of Sukhbaatar
The Order of Sukhbaatar (or Order of Suche Bator) is a state decoration of Mongolia, originally instituted on 16 May 1941. It was awarded to Mongolians and foreigners "for special services to defenses, economic and cultural construction of the Mon ...
*:
**
Order of the October Revolution
The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...
**
Order of Friendship of Peoples
The Order of Friendship of Peoples (russian: oрден Дружбы народов, translit=orden Druzhby narodov) was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military unit ...
**
Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms"
*:
**
Order of Ho Chi Minh
The Order of Ho Chi Minh ( vi, Huân chương Hồ Chí Minh) is a decoration of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that was first instituted on 6 June 1947. The creator of the order was the president Hồ Chí Minh.
The Order of Ho Chi Minh is c ...
References
Notes
Citations
, -
, -
{{Authority control
1909 births
1995 deaths
Lao People's Revolutionary Party politicians
École des Ponts ParisTech alumni
Communist rulers
Laotian royalty
People from Luang Prabang
Presidents of the National Assembly of Laos
People of the Vietnam War
Presidents of Laos
Recipients of the Order of Ho Chi Minh
Grand Crosses of the Order of the White Lion
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Members of the 1st Central Committee of the Lao People's Party
Members of the 2nd Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Members of the 3rd Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Members of the 4th Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Members of the 2nd Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Members of the 3rd Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Members of the 4th Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Laotian military leaders