Sisowath Monipong | |
|---|---|
| ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីពង្ស | |
 Monipong in 1950 | |
| Prime Minister of Cambodia | |
| In office 30 May 1950 – 3 March 1951 | |
| Monarch | Norodom Sihanouk |
| Preceded by | Norodom Sihanouk |
| Succeeded by | Oum Chheang Sun |
| Cambodian Ambassador to France | |
| In office 3 March 1955 – 31 August 1956 | |
| Monarchs | Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Suramarit |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1912-08-25)25 August 1912 Phnom Penh,Cambodia,French Indochina |
| Died | 31 August 1956(1956-08-31) (aged 44) Paris,France |
| Resting place | Oudong, Cambodia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Children | 13 |
| Parents |
|
| House | Sisowath |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  French Third Republic Free France |
| Branch/service | French Foreign Legion French Air Force[1] |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II[1] |
Sisowath Monipong (Khmer:ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីពង្ស; 25 August 1912 – 31 August 1956) was the second son of the formerKing of Cambodia,Sisowath Monivong and PrincessNorodom Kanviman Norleak Tevi.[2] He took part in Cambodian politics during and afterWorld War II.
He began his studies in Cambodia, before being sent to France, inGrasse then inNice, from 1927, under the control of the Governor of Indochina,François Marius Baudoin. Back to Cambodia in 1930, he spent a whole year at the monastery of Vatt Botum Vaddey inPhnom Penh.
The year after, the prince went back to France,[3] where he eventually entered the prestigious academy ofÉcole spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan. In 1939, he joined the French Air Force[4] and took part in military operations until June 1940. After his father's death on 23 April 1941, his nephew, KingNorodom Sihanouk, nominated him as "Preah Ang Krom Luong" on 2 May 1941.[5]
From 1941 on, Prince Sisowath Monipong participated actively in Cambodian politics. He was appointed Royal Delegate for Health, Sports and Economy and in 1946,[6] he was designated Minister of National Education in the government[7] led by his eldest brother, PrinceSamdech Krom Preah Sisowath Monireth. In May 1949, he was made Director General of Services in the Royal Palace and, in November 1949, represented Cambodia in Paris for the signature of the first treaty between France and Cambodia, as part of theUnion Française.[8] Eventually, in 1950, he was appointed Prime Minister (1 June 1950 – 3 March 1951).
In 1955, after the abdication ofNorodom Sihanouk and the nomination of KingNorodom Suramarit and of Her Majesty Samdech Preah Mahaksatriyani QueenSisowath Kosamak Nearirâth Serey Vatthana, his elder sister, prince Sisowath Monipong was appointed Ambassador of Cambodia in Paris,[9] where he died of a heart attack on 31 August 1956. His funeral took place in Phnom Penh a couple of years after, following the ancient tradition of the Khmer monarchy. His ashes were deposited by his eldest son, Prince Sisowath Samyl Monipong in thestupa of kingSisowath Monivong, on the holy hill of Phnom Preah Reach Troap[10] inOudong.
Prince Sisowath Monipong had 5 wives and 13 children:[11]
| Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945) | |
|---|---|
| French Protectorate (1945–1953) | |
| Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970) | |
| Khmer Republic (1970–1975) | |
| Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979) | |
| People's Republic of Kampuchea andState of Cambodia (1979–1993) | |
| Kingdom of Cambodia (1993–present) | |
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