Les Kosem
Encyclopedia
Les Kosem, also known by the nom de guerre "Po Nagar
", was a Cambodia
n Cham military officer and a prominent figure in the Second Indochina War and the Cambodian Civil War
.
Kosem, a paratroop colonel, was the most senior Cham officer in the Royal Cambodian Army. During the later 1950s he had been responsible for setting up the FLC (Front de Liberation du Champa), an organisation seeking greater autonomy for the Cham people. In 1964, acting on the advice of a French
'handler', Kosem made overtures to the leadership of BAJARAKA, a group seeking independence for the Degar
people of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. Kosem was thought to have been acting as a double agent
, working for both the Cambodian secret service and the French SDECE. The link between the FLC, BAJARAKA, and the Khmer Krom
"White Scarves" separatist movement was to result in the creation of the guerrilla movement FULRO.
In 1968, after internal disagreements within FULRO, Kosem was to surround the movement's headquarters with several battalions of the Royal Cambodian Army, and arrest its president Y Bham Enuol.
Kosem was also heavily involved in directing clandestine shipments of weapons from the port of Sihanoukville
in Cambodia to the Viet Cong, in accordance with a secret arrangement between the Cambodian Head of State, Norodom Sihanouk
, and the North Vietnamese.
Following the Cambodian coup of 1970
, Kosem became a prominent supporter of the Khmer Republic
regime of Lon Nol
, and rose to the rank of general within the Khmer National Armed Forces
(FANK); he was part of the influential circle of officers around Nol's brother, Lon Non
. In the first years of the civil war fought by Lon Nol's forces against the Khmer Rouge
communists, Kosem's troops of the 5th Special Brigade were repeatedly engaged in the most active areas of insurgency, and allegedly gained a reputation for systematically slaughtering the inhabitants of pro-Khmer Rouge villages; the counterproductive results of this reputation led to the unit eventually being disbanded, according to some sources. Kosem became well known for his ferocity and for corruption, although was also known for his generosity. After 1974 he was appointed as a roving ambassador for the Khmer Republic.
After the Khmer Rouge victory of April 1975, Kosem escaped to Malaysia. He died of natural causes several years later.
Po nagar
Po Nagar is a Cham temple tower founded sometime before 781 AD and located in the medieval principality of Kauthara, near modern Nha Trang in Vietnam...
", was a Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n Cham military officer and a prominent figure in the Second Indochina War and the Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
.
Kosem, a paratroop colonel, was the most senior Cham officer in the Royal Cambodian Army. During the later 1950s he had been responsible for setting up the FLC (Front de Liberation du Champa), an organisation seeking greater autonomy for the Cham people. In 1964, acting on the advice of a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
'handler', Kosem made overtures to the leadership of BAJARAKA, a group seeking independence for the Degar
Degar
The Degar are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard means "mountain people" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they are known by the term thượng - this term can also be applied to other minority ethnic...
people of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. Kosem was thought to have been acting as a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
, working for both the Cambodian secret service and the French SDECE. The link between the FLC, BAJARAKA, and the Khmer Krom
Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
"White Scarves" separatist movement was to result in the creation of the guerrilla movement FULRO.
In 1968, after internal disagreements within FULRO, Kosem was to surround the movement's headquarters with several battalions of the Royal Cambodian Army, and arrest its president Y Bham Enuol.
Kosem was also heavily involved in directing clandestine shipments of weapons from the port of Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville , also known as Kampong Saom, is a province in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. This port city is a growing Cambodian urban center, located southwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The province is named after King Father Norodom Sihanouk and grew up around the...
in Cambodia to the Viet Cong, in accordance with a secret arrangement between the Cambodian Head of State, Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
, and the North Vietnamese.
Following the Cambodian coup of 1970
Cambodian coup of 1970
The Cambodian coup of 1970 refers to the removal of the Cambodian Head of State, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, after a vote in the National Assembly on 18 March 1970. Emergency powers were subsequently invoked by the Prime Minister Lon Nol, who became effective head of state...
, Kosem became a prominent supporter of the Khmer Republic
Khmer Republic
The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...
regime of Lon Nol
Lon Nol
Lon Nol was a Cambodian politician and general who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice, as well as serving repeatedly as Defense Minister...
, and rose to the rank of general within the Khmer National Armed Forces
Khmer National Armed Forces
The Khmer National Armed Forces , often abbreviated to FANK, were the official armed defense forces of the Khmer Republic, a short-lived state that existed from 1970 to 1975, known today as Cambodia...
(FANK); he was part of the influential circle of officers around Nol's brother, Lon Non
Lon Non
Lon Non was a Cambodian politician and soldier who rose to his greatest prominence during the Khmer Republic .Non was the younger brother of Prime Minister Lon Nol...
. In the first years of the civil war fought by Lon Nol's forces against the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
communists, Kosem's troops of the 5th Special Brigade were repeatedly engaged in the most active areas of insurgency, and allegedly gained a reputation for systematically slaughtering the inhabitants of pro-Khmer Rouge villages; the counterproductive results of this reputation led to the unit eventually being disbanded, according to some sources. Kosem became well known for his ferocity and for corruption, although was also known for his generosity. After 1974 he was appointed as a roving ambassador for the Khmer Republic.
After the Khmer Rouge victory of April 1975, Kosem escaped to Malaysia. He died of natural causes several years later.