Yem Sambaur ( km, យ៉ែម សំបូរ, ; 2 February 1913 – December 1989) was a Cambodian politician who served twice as prime minister of Cambodia between 1949 and 1950. Yem Sambaur was an influential political figure in Cambodia, mainly during the turbulent years between 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 opposing ...

and final achievement of

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

in 1953. Although Sambaur maintained close relationships with the palace and traditional elites of Khmer society, he was initially a member of the Cambodian Democratic Party, a heavily left-leaning coalition of groups which favored immediate independence, a Cambodian government modeled after the

French Fourth Republic The French Fourth Republic (french: Quatrième république française) was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Re ...

and sympathized with the armed resistance of the Khmer Issarak guerrilla movements. Unsatisfied with these goals, Sambaur left the Democratic Party in November 1948, taking along with him eleven other deputies, and aligned himself with the Liberal Party (''Kanak Sereipheap'') led by Prince Norodom Norindeth which had French support and favored gradual independence, a strong monarch and close ties with France. Sambaur's defection left the Democratic Party temporarily, but severely, weakened and allowed more the more radical elements including Hu Nim,

Ieng Sary Ieng Sary ( km, អៀង សារី; 24 October 1925 – 14 March 2013) was a Cambodian politician who was the co-founder and senior member of the Khmer Rouge. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea le ...

and

Saloth Sar Pol Pot; (born Saloth Sâr;; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian revolutionary, dictator, and politician who ruled Cambodia as Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1976 and 1979. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist a ...

(later known as Pol Pot), to gain influence in the party. Although the Democratic Party was later dissolved in 1957, these names would haunt Cambodia decades later. After the sudden death of Prime Minister Prince Sisowath Youtevong, the leader and founder of the Democratic Party on 11 July 1947, the unstable fledgling Cambodian polity saw three governments in an 18-month period, all headed by the Democratic Party. In January 1949 Sambaur, as commissioner of the police, exposed a

political scandal In politics, a political scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Politicians, government officials, party officials and lobbyists can be accused of various illegal, corrupt, uneth ...

involving Cambodia's fisheries and Prime Minister Penn Nouth who was forced to step down. King Norodom Sihanouk then persuaded

Ieu Koeus Ieu Koeus ( km, អៀវ កើស; 1905 – 14 January 1950) was a Cambodian politician. He served as President of the National Assembly of Cambodia from 1946 to 1949, and as Prime Minister of Cambodia for nine days in September 1949. Conside ...

, the president of the National Assembly to appoint Sambaur as the new Prime Minister. On 1 February 1949, he then formed a coalition government with Liberal Party deputies with the backing of the king and the support of the French. During his term, he was constantly opposed by the Democrat led Assembly and faced popular criticism for his plans to open a casino. The criticism intensified when Minister of Education Meas Saem closed the

Lycee Sisowath In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

in response to the protests. Sambaur's government fell in September 1949. The Democratic Party again took the reins with Ieu Koeus as Prime Minister. His administration lasted nine days until the King, tired of ministerial instability, took advantage of ambiguous wording in the Democratic Party drafted constitution and stepped in. Asserting his newly claimed powers, the King dissolved the National Assembly, postponed elections and formed a new government without an Assembly and named Sambour Prime Minister again. As an ally of Sihanouk, he continued to support efforts by Shihanouk to gain concessions from the French and move towards independence. Sambaur resigned in April 1950 and Sihanouk himself became Prime Minister. Twenty years later, after the

Cambodian coup of 1970 Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** For ...

that deposed Sihanouk and placed Lon Nol in power, Sambaur wrote an essay defending his withdrawal of support for the King entitled ("Why We Abandoned Sihanouk").

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yem, Sambaur 20th-century Cambodian politicians Cambodian expatriates in France Democratic Party (Cambodia) politicians Prime Ministers of Cambodia People from Battambang province Presidents of the National Assembly (Cambodia) Foreign ministers of Cambodia Finance ministers of Cambodia Interior ministers of Cambodia Government ministers of Cambodia 1989 deaths 1913 births Cambodian Buddhists Cambodian independence activists