Souvanna Phouma

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The Lao prince and political leader Souvanna Phouma (1901-1984) played a political balancing role during the first decade and a half of Lao independence that may have permitted the survival of the badly splintered Southeast Asian nation.

Born on October 7, 1901, in Luang Prabang in then French-ruled Laos, Prince Souvanna Phouma was educated as an engineer in France. Highly Frenchified in manner, he subsequently served as an engineer in the public transport department upon his return from France. He supported the 1945 declaration of independence, made by King Sisavangvong with strong Japanese encouragement; and, when French troops returned to reoccupy the country, he joined the national resistance movement (Lao Issara) in neighboring Thailand.

Following French acquiesence in partial independence, Souvanna Phouma served as minister of public transport, minister of planning, and minister of posts and telegraphs in 1950-1951. Premier during the years when Lao independence was finally completely obtained (1951-1954), he fell from office shortly thereafter. He returned as premier in 1956 and successfully negotiated a coalition government with the Pathet Lao, allies of Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh in neighboring Vietnam.

An early advocate of neutralism, Souvanna Phouma fell again as premier in 1958 - partly in response to American pressure for a stronger anti-Communist position. The shortsightedness of this pressure was evidenced when the Pathet Lao resumed their armed revolt and air force captain Kong Le staged an initially successful coup (1960). Souvanna Phouma reluctantly supported the Kong Le forces, which further splintered Lao political life.

The Souvanna Phouma-Kong Le neutralists cooperated with the Communist Pathet Lao in the Lao civil war of the early 1960s, partly because the anti-Communists left them with no alternative. Souvanna Phouma played a major role in 1962, at the time of the Geneva Agreement on Laos, in reconciling the three major political factions, which formed a new coalition government.

Souvanna Phouma was premier in the government formed in 1962 and remained in this position throughout the decade. The Communists resumed their revolt in 1963, however, and Souvanna Phouma's neutralists and the rightists subsequently drew closer together. Souvanna Phouma solicited American economic and military aid to preserve Lao independence in the light of increasing intervention by the Communist Vietnamese, whose numbers in Laos by 1970 approximated 60,000.

The tragedy of Souvanna Phouma was that he devotedly pursued a policy of neutrality for his country but ultimately had to call on the United States to assure the survival of his nation. His triumph was that he did this with such skill that the Soviet Union, Communist China, and North Vietnam were not able to mount a convincing propaganda case that Souvanna Phouma had abandoned his neutralists approach. Although most of eastern Laos was in Communist hands throughout the 1960s, the Communist powers continued to recognize his regime as the legitimate government of Laos. Souvanna Phouma did not hold Laos together in the 1960s, but he kept more of it in one piece than probably anybody anticipated.

In 1971 the South Vietnamese government sent troops into Laos in an effort to stop the flow of military supplies from North Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Objecting to the influence of the North Vietnamese over the Pathet Lao, Souvanna Phouma began working with the United States government and gave approval to U.S. air raids on Pathet Lao forces. After the United States began to withdraw from Vietnam, the government and the Pathet Lao agreed on a cease fire in 1973, and a coalition government was formed in which he allied himself once again with his brother and the Pathet Lao. With North Vietnam's victory, however, the Pathet Lao moved to dominate the coalition. He was ousted in 1975 when they abolished the monarchy and established the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

After 1975 Souvanna Phouma was seen at official gatherings and was allowed to attend high-level government meetings. He served as an adviser to the government until his death in 1984.

Further Reading

There was no biographical study of Souvanna Phouma, probably the most important Lao political figure of his times. His importance, however, came through in several excellent studies dealing with various crises in which he was a participant. The best of them was Anatomy of a Crisis: The Laotian Crisis of 1960-1969, the last book by the late Bernard B. Fall, edited and completed by Roger M. Smith (1969). Another excellent book on the same subject was Arthur J. Dommen, Conflict in Laos (1964). An account by a Laotian who himself figured prominently in events in his country was Sisouk Na Champassak, Storm over Laos (1961). An update of the narrative begun in the more specific studies of the major crises in the start of the 1960s was Hugh Toye, Laos: Buffer State or Battleground (1968).

See also Perry Stieglitz, In a Little Kingdom: The Tragedy of Laos, 1960-1980 (M.E. Sharpe, 1990); William Bouarouy, The Roots of the Conflicts in Indochina: With Chronology of Laos History, & Major Successive Political Events in Laos from 1316 Through 1975 (Asian-Americans Research Center & Publishing Agency, 1992); and Timothy Castle, At War in the Shadow of Vietnam: United States Military Aid to the Royal Lao Government, 1955-1975 (Columbia University Press, 1995).

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Souvanna Phouma
7th, 9th, 14th, 16th Prime Minister of Laos
In office 21 November 1951 – 27 April 1952
Preceded by	Phoui Sananikone
Succeeded by	Katay Don Sasorith
In office 5 July 1956 – 13 November 1958
Preceded by	Katay Don Sasorith
Succeeded by	Phoui Sananikone
In office 29 June 1960 – 29 April 1960
Preceded by	Prince Somsanith
Succeeded by	Boun Oum
In office 23 June 1962 – 2 December 1975
Preceded by	Boun Oum
Succeeded by	Kaysone Phomvihane
Born	7 October 1901 (1901-10-07) Luang Phrabang, Laos
Died	10 January 1984 (1984-01-11) Vientiane, Laos
Political party	Phak Xat Kao Na, Lao Rouam Lao
Spouse(s)	Aline Claire Allard

Prince Souvanna Phouma (7 October 1901-January 10, 1984) was the leader of the neutralist faction and prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times, from 1951-1952, 1956-1958, 1960 and 1962-1975.

Early life

Souvanna Phouma was the son of Bounkhong, the last vice-king of Luang Prabang and a nephew of King Sisavang Vong of Laos, given a French education in Hanoi, Paris and Grenoble, where he obtained his degree in architecture and engineering. He returned to his homeland in 1931, marrying Aline Claire Allard, the daughter of a French father and a Lao mother.

Souvanna Phouma, together with his brother, Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa (1891-1959) and his half-brother, Prince Souphanouvong (1909-1995), became involved in Laotian politics at around the end of World War II, at which time the Lao Issara was established to counter the French occupation.

Souvanna Phouma and his wife had a daughter, Princess Moune, who married Perry J. Stieglitz, cultural-affairs attache of the U.S. embassy.^[1]

Prime Ministership

In 1951 Souvanna became Prime Minister of Laos with a landslide victory.

7th Premier of Laos known for having sought, throughout several terms in office, to maintain Laotian neutrality in Southeast Asian affairs. Souvanna was the nephew of King Sisavangvong of Laos. He studied architectural engineering in France and then entered the Public Works Service of French Indochina on returning to his country in 1931. When his uncle welcomed the return of French rule after the defeat of the Japanese, who had occupied Laos at the end of World War II, Souvanna and his half brother Souphanouvong joined the Lao Issara (Free Laos) movement and its provisional Vientiane government (1945–46). When the French reoccupied Laos, Souvanna fled to exile in Bangkok, but returned to Laos in 1949 as France began conceding autonomy to Laos. In 1951 he was elected premier and held that office until 1954. He returned to the premiership in 1956 as the head of a coalition government that included both rightist representatives and members of the Communist Pathet Lao, which Souphanouvong headed. The coalition collapsed in 1958, and civil war broke out between the two groups. Souvanna served briefly as premier in 1960 and again returned during a brief truce in 1962. During the 1960s and early 1970s Souvanna struggled to retain a neutral position; with the proximity of the war in Vietnam, his efforts were in vain, and he came to depend upon U.S. military assistance. After the United States began to withdraw from that struggle, however, the Vientiane government and the Pathet Lao agreed on a cease-fire (February 1973), and in April 1974 a coalition government was formed. Souvanna retained the premiership until December 1975, when the People's Democratic Republic of Laos was established. He remained an adviser to the government until his death.

After elections in December 1955, Souvanna Phouma returned to the prime ministership on a platform of national reconciliation. In August 1956 Souvanna and the Pathet Lao leadership agreed on broad proposals for a ‘government of national union’. Elections for 21 extra assembly seats were finally held in May 1958, with parties aligned with the Pathet Lao acquiring 13. Souphanouvong entered the government as Economic Minister. Another Pathet Lao leader, Phoumi Vongvichit, also acquired a Ministry. The United States considered Souvanna Phouma's return to office bad news.

In June 1958 Souvanna was again forced to resign by the rightists. The king accepted the vote as legal the next day when he signed Royal Ordinance No. 282, dismissing Souvanna Phouma's government and giving powers provisionally to the Revolutionary Committee. Royal Ordinance No. 283, approved a provisional government formed by Prince Boun Oum, who acted as front man for Phoui Sananikone. The king had scruples about naming a general to be prime minister. The conflict in the 1960s was intensifying and Kong Le captured Vientiane and asked for a restoration of neutrality. Souvanna Phouma returned as Prime Minister, and subsequently reached an agreement with Souphanouvong on behalf of the Pathet Lao. In December 1960, however, Royal Lao troops under rightist command stormed Vientiane. Kong Le, his troops and Souvanna fled to the Pathet Lao-controlled Plain of Jars. The communist world and some non-aligned nations like India now upheld Souvanna as Lao rightful Prime Minister. The United States and the West recognised a new military-controlled Vientiane government, technically under another prince, Boun Oum, as Prime Minister.

Despite American intrigue in Laos up to this point, the incoming United States President in January 1961, John F Kennedy, concluded that a neutral Laos was desirable. In May 1961 another Geneva Conference called once more for the neutralisation of Laos. In June the three Lao princes, Boun Oum, Souvanna Phouma, and Souphanouvong agreed to a second attempt at a coalition government.

The new government came into existence in July 1962 with Souvanna as Prime Minister. The coalition led a tenuous existence, beset by tension, provocation and assassination until mid-1964 when its Pathet Lao component effectively abandoned it, later dismissing it as a ‘United States puppet’. Souvanna held on as Prime Minister, but he and other neutralists were now reduced to irrelevance. Laos was becoming one of the key theatres of war in the sharply escalating conflict in Vietnam. In 1975 he was removed from office by the new communist government.

References

1. ^ "Married". Time (magazine). 1968. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839623,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. "Princess Moune, 33, daughter of Laotian Premier Prince Souvanna Phouma, currently a foreign-affairs adviser in her father's cabinet; and Perry J. Stieglitz, 48, cultural-affairs attache of the U.S. embassy in, Vientiane; she for the second time, he for the first; in a traditional Buddhist ceremony; in Vientiane." 

Preceded by Phoui Sananikone	Prime Minister of Laos 1951-1954	Succeeded by Katay Don Sasorith
Preceded by Katay Don Sasorith	Prime Minister of Laos 1956-1958	Succeeded by Phoui Sananikone
Preceded by Somsanith	Prime Minister of Laos 1960	Succeeded by Boun Oum
Preceded by Boun Oum	Prime Minister of Laos 1962-1975	Succeeded by Kaysone Phomvihane

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Laos Kingdom of Laos (1945-1975) Phaya Khammao · Kindavong · Souvannarath · Boun Oum · Phoui Sananikone · Savang Vatthana · Souvanna Phouma · Katay Don Sasorith · Souvanna Phouma · Phoui Sananikone · Sounthone Pathammavong† · Kou Abhay · Somsanith Vongkotrattana · Souvanna Phouma · Boun Oum · Souvanna Phouma Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975-) Kaysone Phomvihane · Khamtai Siphandon · Sisavath Keobounphanh · Bounnhang Vorachith · Bouasone Bouphavanh † military

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