Pen Sovan

Pen Sovan (Khmer: ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ; 15 April 1936 – 29 October 2016) was a Cambodian politician and revolutionary who served as the Prime Minister of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea from 27 June to 5 December 1981. He also served as General Secretary of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) from 1979 to 1981. He was arrested and removed from office in December 1981 by the Vietnamese for irritating Lê Đức Thọ, the chief adviser to the PRK government. He was imprisoned in Vietnam until January 1992.

In this Cambodian name, the surname is Pen. In accordance with Cambodian custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Sovan.
Pen Sovan
ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ
Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Kampuchea
In office
27 June 1981 – 5 December 1981
PresidentHeng Samrin
Preceded byPol Pot (1979)
Succeeded byChan Sy (acting)
Member of Parliament
for Kampong Speu
In office
5 August 2014 – 29 October 2016
Preceded bySay Chhum
Succeeded bySuon Rida
Minister of Defense
In office
10 January 1979 – 5 December 1981
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded bySon Sen
Succeeded byBou Thang
General Secretary of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party
In office
5 January 1979 – 4 December 1981
Preceded byTou Samouth
Succeeded byHeng Samrin
Personal details
Born(1936-04-15)15 April 1936
Tram Kak District, Takéo Province, Cambodia, French Indochina
Died29 October 2016(2016-10-29) (aged 80)
Doun Kaev, Takéo Province, Cambodia
Political party
Military service
AllegianceCambodia
People's Republic of Kampuchea
Branch/serviceKhmer Issarak
Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation
Years of service1949–1981
Battles/warsFirst Indochina War
Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian–Vietnamese War

Sovan founded the Cambodian National Sustaining Party, which contested in the 1998 election but did not win a seat in parliament. He later joined the Human Rights Party founded in 2007 and served as its vice president. In 2012, he became a member of the newly founded Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and stood as an MP candidate for Kampong Speu. He was elected and was sworn in on 5 August 2014, serving until his death in October 2016.

Biography

Pen Sovan was born in Chan Teab Village, Samraong Commune, Tram Kak District, Takéo province.[1] He first joined the Khmer Issarak at the age of 13 in 1950 and fought against the French. Two years later, Sovan joined the Indochinese Communist Party where he first met Ta Mok. Sovan supported the Khmer Rouge during the 1970-1973 civil war against the Khmer Republic and he worked along with Chan Sy under Khieu Thirith, in charge of the Voice of the United National Front of Kampuchea. From 1973 to 1979, Sovan lived in exile in Hanoi.[2]

Sovan was a founding leader of Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS or FUNSK) on 25 November 1978. He served as Secretary-General of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party from 5 January 1979[3] to 1 December 1981, when he was replaced by Heng Samrin following his removal from office by the Vietnamese.

Sovan was arrested on 2 December 1981 for irritating Lê Đức Thọ, chief Vietnamese advisor to the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (FUNSK) and the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). He was released from Vietnam's prison on 25 January 1992, after he served over 10 years. Sovan explained his long ordeal in prison: "When I wanted to create our own army of five regiments, the Vietnamese didn't agree and Lê Đức Thọ went to the USSR to complain."[4] Sovan died in Doun Kaev, Takéo Province on 29 October 2016.[5][6] He was cremated in Phnom Penh on 6 November 2016.[7] On 10 November, Suon Rida was appointed to fill Sovan's vacant seat.[8]

See also

References
  1. "ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ ជីវប្រវត្តិសង្ខេប និងបុព្វហេតុជាតិមាតុភូមិកម្ពុជា". www.elibraryofcambodia.org.
  2. The People's Republic of Kampuchea, 1979-1989: The revolution after Pol Pot ISBN 978-974-9575-34-5
  3. "Cambodia - THE KPRP".
  4. Quoted by Margaret Slocomb in The People's Republic of Kampuchea, 1979-1989: The revolution after Pol Pot ISBN 978-974-9575-34-5
  5. Cambodia’s first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister dies at 80. In: Washington Post. 30 October 2016. ("Cambodia's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister dies at 80 - the Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.)
  6. Moniroth, Mam (30 October 2016). "សពអតីតនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីលោក ប៉ែនសុវណ្ណ អាចនឹងត្រូវដង្ហែពីខេត្តតាកែវទៅបូជានៅភ្នំពេញ" [Former Prime Minister Pen Sovan to be cremated in Phnom Penh]. Radio Free Asia (in Khmer). Retrieved 30 October 2016. លោក ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ បានទទួលមរណភាពនៅម៉ោង ៧ និង ១៧នាទី យប់ថ្ងៃសៅរ៍ ទី២៩ តុលា ដោយរោគាពាធ ក្នុងជន្មាយុ ៨០ឆ្នាំ នាគេហដ្ឋានរបស់លោកនៅភូមិស្នោ សង្កាត់រកាក្នុង ក្រុងដូនកែវ ខេត្តតាកែវ [Pen Sovan passed away at 7:17pm Saturday 29 October of natural causes at the age of 80 at his home in Snor Village, Rorka Knong Commune, Doun Kaev City, Takéo Province.]
  7. "Ex-PM Sovann cremated in capital". The Phnom Penh Post. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. "Opposition Appoints Official to Replace Pen Sovan". The Cambodia Daily. 10 November 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2016.

Bibliography
  • Luke Young: Cambodian Political History. The Case of Pen Sovann In: Monthly Review 65.1 (November 2013).
  • Scalapino, Robert A.; Wanadi, Jusuf; Economic, political, and security issues in Southeast Asia in the 1980s, Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, 1982, ISBN 0912966521
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