Kaysone Phomvihane Kraisorn Brahmavihara | |
|---|---|
ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ | |
 Kaysone in 1978 | |
| General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party[a] | |
| In office 22 March 1955 – 21 November 1992 | |
| Succeeded by | Khamtai Siphandon |
| 2ndPresident of Laos | |
| In office 15 August 1991 – 21 November 1992 | |
| Prime Minister | Khamtai Siphandon |
| Preceded by | Phoumi Vongvichit(Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Nouhak Phoumsavanh |
| 11thPrime Minister of Laos | |
| In office 8 December 1975 – 15 August 1991 | |
| President | Souphanouvong Phoumi Vongvichit(Acting) |
| Preceded by | Souvanna Phouma |
| Succeeded by | Khamtai Siphandon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nguyễn Cai Song (1920-12-13)13 December 1920 |
| Died | 21 November 1992(1992-11-21) (aged 71) |
| Political party | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| Spouse | Thongvin Phomvihane |
| Children | 4, including Saysomphone, Thongsavanh |
| a.^General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Party until February 1972; General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party until March 1991; Chairman of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party since March 1991 | |
Kaysone Phomvihane (Kraisorn Brahmavihara;Lao:ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ,pronounced[kàj.sɔ̌ːnpʰóm.wī(ʔ).hǎːn];[1] 13 December 1920 – 21 November 1992) was the firstleader of the CommunistLao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized power in the wake of theLaotian Civil War, he was thede facto leader ofLaos from 1975 until his death. He served as the firstPrime Minister of theLao People's Democratic Republic from 1975 to 1991 and then as the secondPresident from 1991 to 1992. His theories and policies are officially known asKaysone Phomvihane Thought.
Kaysone was bornNguyễn[citation needed] Cai Song[2] (although he also used the nameNguyễn Trí Mưu for a short period in the 1930s) in Na Seng village, Khanthabouli district, French Indochina (nowKaysone Phomvihane District,Savannakhet Province, Laos). His father, Nguyễn Trí Loan, wasVietnamese and his mother, Nang Dok, was Lao. He had two sisters: Nang Souvanthong, living in Thailand, and Nang Kongmany, who lived in the USA.[3]
He attended law school atUniversity of Indochina inHanoi alongside fellow future revolutionaryNouhak Phoumsavan, but dropped out to fight the French colonialists in Vietnam. Later, he joined thePathet Lao movement.
He became an active revolutionary while studying in Hanoi during the 1940s, establishing theLao People's Liberation Army (LPLA) on 20 January 1949 and becoming the Minister of Defense of the Resistance Government (Neo Lao Issara) from 1950. In 1955, he was instrumental in setting up the LPRP atXam Neua in the north, and subsequently served as the Pathet Lao leader. For several years, he mostly stayed in the background, with PrinceSouphanouvong serving as the Pathet Lao's figurehead. In the years which followed, he led communist forces against the Kingdom of Laos and U.S. forces.
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Kaysone came out of the shadows in December 1975, shortly after the Pathet Lao took Vientiane, and seized control of the country. At a National Conference of People's Representatives that opened on December 1, Kaysone declared the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. The following day, on a motion by presiding officer Kaysone, the National Conference accepted KingSisavang Vatthana's abdication, abolished the monarchy, and proclaimed the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Kaysone nominated Souphanouvong as first president, while he was named prime minister, which he held until becoming president in 1991. Along the way, he marriedThongvin Phomvihane.
Under Kaysone's watch, the process ofdemarcating the border between Laos and Vietnam started in 1977 and finished in 2007. According to Western journalists, the border is "very close" to the 1945 French-made border between Laos and Annam.
According to Vatthana Pholsena, assistant professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and author of the book "Post-War Laos", Kaysone was "the top policy maker and a strongman in the LPDR". He createdSekong Province to honour the southern minority for their support in the war effort.
Kaysone died in Vientiane on 21 November 1992. After his death, the government of Laos built amuseum in his honor, partially funded by Vietnam.[4]
In 2012, his cremated ashes were transferred from their original resting place to the newly built National Cemetery.[5] The cemetery is not open to tourists.[6]
Kaysone had four sons:Saysomphone,Thongsavanh, Sanyahak, and Santiphap, all of whom went on to hold important positions in the LPRP. Saysomphone served as President of theLao Front for National Construction and currently[when?] serves asPresident of theNational Assembly. Thongsavanh is the head of the LPRP External Relations Committee. Sanyahak was elected to the LPRP Central Committee at the8th LPRP Congress and became a Major General at the age of 40 in 2008. However, he suffered an early death on 19 July 2013 at the age of 45.[7] Santiphap currently serves as Governor ofSavannakhet Province.
Thailand: Knight of theOrder of the Rajamitrabhorn
Cuba: Grand Cross of theOrder of José Martí
Vietnam:Gold Star Order
Philippines: Grand Collar of theOrder of Sikatuna
Indonesia:Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class
Austria: Grand Star of theDecoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Soviet Union:{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Laos 1975–1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Laos 1991–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by None | General Secretary of theLao People's Revolutionary Party 1955–1991 | Succeeded by Himself (as Chairman) |
| Preceded by Himself (as General Secretary) | Chairman of theLao People's Revolutionary Party 1991–1992 | Succeeded by |
Heads of state of Laos | |
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| Kingdom of Laos Kings (1945–1975) | .svg) |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic Presidents (1975–) | |
* acting for Souphanouvong | |
| Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975) | |
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| Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–) | |
† military | |
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