Pen Sovan

Pen Sovan (Khmer: ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ; 15 April 1936 – 29 October 2016) was a Cambodian politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea from 27 June to 5 December 1981 and was 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.

Pen Sovan
ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ
28th Prime Minister of Kampuchea
In office 27 June 1981 – 5 December 1981
President	Heng Samrin
Preceded by	Pol Pot
Succeeded by	Chan Sy
Member of Parliament for Kampong Speu
In office 5 August 2014 – 29 October 2016
Preceded by	Say Chhum
Succeeded by	Suon Rida
Minister of Defence
In office 10 January 1979 – 5 December 1981
Preceded by	Son Sen
Succeeded by	Bou Thang
General Secretary of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party
In office 5 January 1979 – 4 December 1981
Succeeded by	Heng Samrin
Personal details
Born	(1936-04-15)15 April 1936 Tram Kak, Takéo, Cambodia, French Indochina
Died	29 October 2016(2016-10-29) (aged 80) Doun Kaev, Takéo, Cambodia
Political party	Cambodia National Rescue Party (2013–16) Human Rights Party (2007–13) National Sustaining Party (1998–2007) Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (1978–81) Communist Party of Kampuchea (1958–74)
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Cambodia  People's Republic of Kampuchea
Branch/service	Khmer Issarak Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation
Years of service	1949–1981
Battles/wars	First Indochina War Cambodian Civil 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 into an ethnic Vietnamese family in Takéo.[1] He first joined the Khmer Issarak at the age of 13 in 1949 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

• Communist Party of Kampuchea

References

1. Scalapino, Wanandi (1982), p. 225
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. ("Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link))
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. 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

Political offices
Preceded by Pol Pot	Prime Minister of Cambodia 1981	Succeeded by Chan Sy
Party political offices
Preceded by None	First Secretary of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party 1979–1981	Succeeded by Himself General Secretary
Preceded by Himself First Secretary	General Secretary of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party 1981	Succeeded by Heng Samrin