Sosthene Fernandez
Encyclopedia
General Sosthène Fernandez was the commander-in-chief of the Khmer National Armed Forces
(French
: Forces Armées Nationales Khmère) and chief of general staff after Norodom Sihanouk
was deposed as head of state in 1970
, and is of Khmer Krom
-Filipino
descent. Prior to 1970, he was a prominent politician and a former chief of the police.
General Sosthène Fernandez and Lon Nol
left the country before the Khmer Rouge
took Phnom Penh in 1975. All the republicans wanted to stop the Civil War in Cambodia. Several others officials such as Long Boret
, Lon Non
and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak
remained in office until the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh
on April 17, 1975. They mistakenly thought that they would be spared through the intercession of Norodom Sihanouk
, but were executed by the Khmer Rouge.
Undoubtedly, General Fernandez was an important figure of Cambodia's war against the red Khmer. He is a part of Cambodia History and said to be very influential General that couldn't continue the fight against the Khmer Rouge, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.
In 1975, because of the cut of US aid, all the republican government's leaders wanted to stop the war without conditions. Whereas, General Fernandez Sosthène refused to negotiate with the Red Khmer if the government would impose to his army's soldiers (FANK) to lay down their arms during the negotiation; for this reason he resigned. He agreed to step down as army chief. The government let the Khmer rouge take Phnom Penh without real battle for the purpose of negotiation.
In 1998, General Sosthène Fernandez came back to Cambodia to meet his former soldiers and all Cambodian citizens. He has written a book about his life as the Commander in Chief of the Khmer National Armed Force.
United States: Senate and congress
Introduction by senator Kennedy:
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...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Forces Armées Nationales Khmère) and chief of general staff after 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...
was deposed as head of state in 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...
, and is of 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...
-Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
descent. Prior to 1970, he was a prominent politician and a former chief of the police.
General Sosthène Fernandez and 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...
left the country before 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...
took Phnom Penh in 1975. All the republicans wanted to stop the Civil War in Cambodia. Several others officials such as Long Boret
Long Boret
Long Boret or Long Boreth was a Cambodian politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from December 26, 1973 to April 17, 1975. Highly regarded for his honesty, he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement with the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War...
, 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...
and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak
Sisowath Sirik Matak
Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak was a member of the Cambodian royal family, the Varman dynasty.Sirik Matak was mainly notable for his involvement in Cambodian politics, particularly for his involvement in the 1970 right-wing coup against his cousin, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, and for his subsequent...
remained in office until the Khmer Rouge captured 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,...
on April 17, 1975. They mistakenly thought that they would be spared through the intercession of 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...
, but were executed by the Khmer Rouge.
Undoubtedly, General Fernandez was an important figure of Cambodia's war against the red Khmer. He is a part of Cambodia History and said to be very influential General that couldn't continue the fight against the Khmer Rouge, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.
In 1975, because of the cut of US aid, all the republican government's leaders wanted to stop the war without conditions. Whereas, General Fernandez Sosthène refused to negotiate with the Red Khmer if the government would impose to his army's soldiers (FANK) to lay down their arms during the negotiation; for this reason he resigned. He agreed to step down as army chief. The government let the Khmer rouge take Phnom Penh without real battle for the purpose of negotiation.
In 1998, General Sosthène Fernandez came back to Cambodia to meet his former soldiers and all Cambodian citizens. He has written a book about his life as the Commander in Chief of the Khmer National Armed Force.
External links
- http://hot-talks.blogspot.com/2007/05/results.html vidéo
- http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=glp&search=sosthene%20fernandez&img=67238954 chief of staff
- http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20F14FF3A55127B93C3AB178AD85F458785F9 The New York Time
- http://www.krtrial.info/showarticle.php? *Red khmer's trial
- An Analysis on Seeking a Formula for Bringing top Red Khmer Leaders to Trial
- Image of Ltg Sosthène Fernandez
- Western Democratic league
- BBC TV clip of Ltg Sosthene Fernandez
- Military History
- Kissinger,Ltg Sosthène Fernandez against Pol Pot connection
- Documentation Center of Cambodia in association with Yale's University
- Cambodia (Khmer Republic) 1975
- Cambodia History
- Chronology of Cambodian History
- French video channel
- Ltg Sosthène Fernandez commemorate the Armed Forced day with Prince Sisovath and FANK's Soldiers
- Survivors
United States: Senate and congress
Introduction by senator Kennedy: