Sak Sutsakhan
Encyclopedia
General Sak Sutsakhan was a Cambodia
n politician and soldier who had a long career in the country's politics. He was the last Head of State of the Khmer Republic
, the regime overthrown by the Khmer Rouge
in 1975. Sak Sutsakhan formed a pro-US force known as the "Khmer Sâ" (White Khmer).
. He was the cousin of Nuon Chea
, who would later go on to be a prominent member of the Khmer Rouge
. He studied at the Royal Military Academy and the French General Staff School in Paris
; his subsequent career with the small Cambodian army, the Forces Armées Royales Khmeres (FARK
) resulted in his rapid promotion, and under the Sangkum
regime of Prince Norodom Sihanouk
he became the world's youngest Minister of Defence in 1957 at the age of 29.
, in which Sihanouk was deposed by General Lon Nol
, Sutsakhan continued his career with the army, now renamed the Khmer National Armed Forces
(FANK) and substantially expanded. He served as Minister of Defence several times, was the commander of the FANK Special Forces
, and had a reputation amongst US observers as a competent officer, as well as a capable and non-corrupt politician.
After the Americans and acting President Saukam Khoy
left Phnom Penh on April 12, a seven-member Supreme Committee, headed by General Sak Sutsakhan, assumed authority over the collapsing Republic. Sutsakhan took over the post of Head of State and chaired the Governing Council that attempted to negotiate a conditional ceasefire with the Khmer Rouge, then encircling Phnom Penh
. Sutsakhan remained in the capital until communist forces entered it on April 17, escaping on the final helicopter to leave.
Sutsakhan was married and had four children.
, and became an American citizen. After the Khmer Rouge had been expelled by Vietnam
ese forces in 1979, politician Son Sann
and former FANK General Dien Del
set up the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), a non-communist and largely republican movement dedicated to expelling the regime installed by the Vietnamese (the People's Republic of Kampuchea
). The KPNLF was initially a coalition of various disparate 'resistance' and even semi-bandit groups based in the refugee camps along the Thai
-Cambodian border; however the recruitment of Sutsakhan, who arrived from the US in 1981, helped to lend considerable legitimacy to the cause. Sutsakhan became commander of the KPNLF's armed wing, the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces
(KPNLAF), and attempted to impose a centralized structure on its armed factions.
In 1982 a formal political alliance, the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea
, was formed between the KPNLF, the FUNCINPEC
royalists headed by Prince Norodom Sihanouk
and the remaining forces of the Khmer Rouge. After 1985 Sutsakhan was to meet with Son Sen
of the Khmer Rouge and Prince Norodom Ranarridh, Sihanouk's son, who commanded FUNCINPEC's military arm, the Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS), to arrange military cooperation between the three movements.
By 1985, Sutsakhan and Sann began to disgree on the conduct of the war, especially on the issue of cooperation with the royalist (ANS), which Sutsakhan favoured. The resulting split in the KPNLF hampered the operations of its armed forces: despite some initial successes in the northwest of Cambodia, the KPNLAF was shattered by a Vietnamese offensive
in 1984-1985 and was largely restricted to guerrilla warfare
after this point.
After the Paris Peace Accords of 1991, Sutsakhan was to split from Son Sann and the KPNLF, and formed the Liberal Democratic Party
.
He died in Phnom Penh in 1994.
. Available online at http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=2390505001.
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 politician and soldier who had a long career in the country's politics. He was the last Head of State 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...
, the regime overthrown by 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...
in 1975. Sak Sutsakhan formed a pro-US force known as the "Khmer Sâ" (White Khmer).
Early life
Sutsakhan was born in BattambangBattambang
Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...
. He was the cousin of Nuon Chea
Nuon Chea
Nuon Chea , also known as Long Bunruot , is a Cambodian former communist politician and former chief ideologist of Khmer Rouge. He was commonly known as "Brother Number Two" second in command to Pol Pot who was leader during the Cambodian Genocide 1975-1979...
, who would later go on to be a prominent member of 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...
. He studied at the Royal Military Academy and the French General Staff School in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; his subsequent career with the small Cambodian army, the Forces Armées Royales Khmeres (FARK
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are the national military forces of Cambodia. The Commander-in-Chief is HM King Norodom Sihamoni, and consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Forces....
) resulted in his rapid promotion, and under the Sangkum
Sangkum
The Sangkum Reastr Niyum , commonly known simply as the Sangkum, was a political organisation set up in 1955 by Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia...
regime of Prince 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...
he became the world's youngest Minister of Defence in 1957 at the age of 29.
The Khmer Republic
Following the Cambodian coup of 1970Cambodian 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...
, in which Sihanouk was deposed by General 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...
, Sutsakhan continued his career with the army, now renamed 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) and substantially expanded. He served as Minister of Defence several times, was the commander of the FANK Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
, and had a reputation amongst US observers as a competent officer, as well as a capable and non-corrupt politician.
After the Americans and acting President Saukam Khoy
Saukam Khoy
Saukam Khoy was Acting President of the Khmer Republic in Cambodia for 12 days in April 1975.Before becoming President, Saukam Khoy was a senior commander in the army of the Republic and the President of the Senate...
left Phnom Penh on April 12, a seven-member Supreme Committee, headed by General Sak Sutsakhan, assumed authority over the collapsing Republic. Sutsakhan took over the post of Head of State and chaired the Governing Council that attempted to negotiate a conditional ceasefire with the Khmer Rouge, then encircling Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
. Sutsakhan remained in the capital until communist forces entered it on April 17, escaping on the final helicopter to leave.
Sutsakhan was married and had four children.
Exile and the KPNLF
Sutsakhan settled in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and became an American citizen. After the Khmer Rouge had been expelled by Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese forces in 1979, politician Son Sann
Son Sann
Son Sann was a Cambodian politician and anti-communist resistance leader. Born in Phnom Penh, he held the office of Prime Minister in 1967-68. A devout Buddhist, he fathered seven children and was married....
and former FANK General Dien Del
Dien Del
General Dien Del is a distinguished military figure who directed combat operations in Cambodia, first as a general in the Army of the Khmer Republic and then as a leader of KPNLF guerrilla forces fighting against the Vietnamese occupation .-Early career:Born in the Khmer Krom region of South...
set up the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), a non-communist and largely republican movement dedicated to expelling the regime installed by the Vietnamese (the People's Republic of Kampuchea
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea , , was founded in Cambodia by the Salvation Front, a group of Cambodian leftists dissatisfied with the Khmer Rouge, after the overthrow of Democratic Kampuchea, Pol Pot's government...
). The KPNLF was initially a coalition of various disparate 'resistance' and even semi-bandit groups based in the refugee camps along the Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
-Cambodian border; however the recruitment of Sutsakhan, who arrived from the US in 1981, helped to lend considerable legitimacy to the cause. Sutsakhan became commander of the KPNLF's armed wing, the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces
Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces
The Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces was the military component of the Khmer People's National Liberation Front a political front organized in 1979 in opposition to the Vietnamese-installed People's Republic of Kampuchea regime in Cambodia...
(KPNLAF), and attempted to impose a centralized structure on its armed factions.
In 1982 a formal political alliance, the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea
Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea
The Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea was a coalition government in exile composed of three Cambodian political factions: Prince Norodom Sihanouk's Funcinpec party, the Party of Democratic Kampuchea and the Khmer People's National Liberation Front formed in 1982, broadening the de...
, was formed between the KPNLF, the FUNCINPEC
Funcinpec
FUNCINPEC is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Before the 2008 election, FUNCINPEC and the Cambodian People's Party formed a coalition government, although FUNCINPEC's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.FUNCINPEC is...
royalists headed by Prince 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 remaining forces of the Khmer Rouge. After 1985 Sutsakhan was to meet with Son Sen
Son Sen
Son Sen was a Cambodian Communist politician and soldier. A member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea/Party of Democratic Kampuchea, the Khmer Rouge, from 1974 to 1992, Sen oversaw the Party's security apparatus, including the Santebal secret police and the notorious...
of the Khmer Rouge and Prince Norodom Ranarridh, Sihanouk's son, who commanded FUNCINPEC's military arm, the Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS), to arrange military cooperation between the three movements.
By 1985, Sutsakhan and Sann began to disgree on the conduct of the war, especially on the issue of cooperation with the royalist (ANS), which Sutsakhan favoured. The resulting split in the KPNLF hampered the operations of its armed forces: despite some initial successes in the northwest of Cambodia, the KPNLAF was shattered by a Vietnamese offensive
Vietnamese border raids in Thailand
After the 1978 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and defeat of Democratic Kampuchea in 1979, the Khmer Rouge fled to the border regions of Thailand, and with assistance from China Pol Pot's troops managed to regroup and reorganize in forested and mountainous zones on the Thai-Cambodian border...
in 1984-1985 and was largely restricted to guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
after this point.
After the Paris Peace Accords of 1991, Sutsakhan was to split from Son Sann and the KPNLF, and formed the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Cambodia)
The Liberal Democratic Party was a Cambodian political party founded in 1992 by former Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces commander Sak Sutsakhan...
.
He died in Phnom Penh in 1994.
Publications
In 1980, Sutsakhan published The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse, which remains a major source of information on the Cambodian Civil WarCambodian 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...
. Available online at http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=2390505001.
Sources
- Corfield, J. Khmers Stand Up! a history of the Cambodian government 1970-1975, 1994
- Shawcross, W. Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia, 1979