Sisavang Vatthana

Sisavang Vatthana
King of Laos
Reign	29 October 1959 – 2 December 1975
Predecessor	Sisavang Vong
Successor	Monarchy abolished; Prince Souphanouvong becomes President in 1975
Born	(1907-11-13)13 November 1907 Luang Phrabang, Laos
Died	13 May?, 1978 or as late as 1984 Sam Neua, Laos
Spouse	Queen Khamphoui
Issue	Crown Prince Vong Savang Princess Savivanh Savang Princess Thala Savang Prince Sisavang Savang Prince Sauryavong Savang
House	Khun Lo Dynasty
Father	Sisavang Vong
Mother	Kham-Oun I

Sisavang Vatthana (Lao: ເຈົ້າສີສະຫວ່າງວັດທະນາ) or sometimes Savang Vatthana (full title: Samdach Brhat Chao Mavattaha Sri Vitha Lan Xang Hom Khao Phra Rajanachakra Lao Parama Sidha Khattiya Suriya Varman Brhat Maha Sri Savangsa Vadhana; 13 November 1907 – 13 May 1978 ~ 1984) was the last king of the Kingdom of Laos. He ruled from 1959 after his father's death until his forced abdication in 1975. Savang Vatthana proved unable to manage a country in political turmoil. His rule ended with the takeover by the Pathet Lao in 1975, after which he and his family were sent to a re-education camp by the new government.^[1]

Early life

Prince Savang Vatthana was born on 13 November 1907 at the Royal Palace of Luang Prabang, the son of King Sisavang Vong and Queen Kham-Oun I. He was the second of five children along with Princess Khampheng, Princess Sammathi, Prince Sayasack, and Prince Souphantharangsri. He was also a distant cousin of Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Souphanouvong. At the age of 10, Prince Savang was sent to study in France. He attended a lycée in Montpellier and obtained a degree from École Libre des Sciences Politiques (now called Sciences Po) in Paris, where French diplomats were trained. The young heir continued his studies in France, and after a decade overseas, he could no longer speak Lao. Upon his return, he had to be instructed by a palace functionary for years.

On 7 August 1930, he married Queen Khamphoui and they had five children, Crown Prince Vong Savang, Prince Sisavang Savang, Prince Sauryavong Savang, Princess Savivanh Savang, and Princess Thala Savang. The family played tennis together, and liked to attend major tournaments on their travels abroad. The prince was also a devout Buddhist and became an authority on the sangkha, and would later took his role as protector of the state religion seriously.

French General Salan and Prince Savang in Luang Prabang, 4 May 1953

During World War II, he represented his father with the Japanese forces. His father sent him to the Japanese headquarters in Saigon, where he vigorously protested about the Japanese actions, when they invaded Laos and forced them to declare independence from France.

King of Laos

Savang Vatthana on 3 November 1959, shortly after his informal accession upon the death of his father on 29 October.

In 1951, he served as Prime Minister, and when his father became ill on 20 August 1959, he was named Regent. On 29 October 1959, he informally acceded upon the death of his father. He was, however, never officially crowned and anointed king, deferring his coronation until the cessation of civil war. During his reign, Savang Vatthana visited many countries on diplomatic missions. In March 1963, he toured 13 countries, including the United States, where he stopped at Washington, D.C. to meet with President Kennedy. It was the second stop on a tour of 13 of the nations signatory to the Geneva Pact that guaranteed the "neutrality" of the Kingdom of Laos. The first stop had been Moscow, and the Russians showered gifts, including Chaika limousines. He was also accompanied by his Prime Minister, Souvanna Phouma.

He was active in Lao politics, trying to stabilise his country after the political turmoil started with the Geneva Conference of July 1954, which granted full independence to Laos but did not settle the issue of who would rule. Prince Souvanna Phouma, a neutralist, operated from Vientiane, claiming to be Prime Minister and being recognized by the USSR; Prince Boun Oum of Champassak in the south, right-wing, pro-US, dominated the Pakse area, recognized as Prime Minister by the US; and in the far north, Prince Souphanouvong led the leftist resistance movement, the Pathet Lao, drawing support from North Vietnam, also claiming to be Prime Minister with the backing of the communists. To avoid argument over whether Souvanna or Boun Oum was the "legitimate" Prime Minister, both sides would deal through the pro-western King Savang Vatthana.

In 1961, a majority of the National Assembly had already voted Boun Oum into power and King Savang Vatthana left Luang Prabang, visiting the capital to give the new government his blessing. But he wanted the Three Princes to form a coalition government, which happened in 1962 but then the coalition government collapsed.

In 1964 series of coups and counter coups resulted in the final alignment of the Pathet Lao on one side with the neutralist and right wing factions on the other. From this point the Pathet Lao refused to join any offers of coalition or national elections and Laotian Civil War began.

Abdication and death

On 23 August 1975, Pathet Lao forces entered Vientiane, the last city to be captured. The Phouma Government became effectively powerless for the next few months. On 2 December, Vatthana was forced to abdicate the throne by the Pathet Lao, abolishing the 600-year-old monarchy, and was appointed to the meaningless position of "Supreme Advisor to the President".^[2] He refused to leave the country and in 1976 he surrendered the royal palace to the Lao Government, which turned it into a museum, and moved to a nearby private residence where he was later placed under house arrest. In March 1977, fearing Vatthana might escape to lead a resistance, the Communist authorities arrested him along with the Queen, Crown Prince Vong Savang, Prince Sisavang, and his brothers Princes Souphantharangsri and Thongsouk and sent them to the northern province of Viengxai.^[3] He was transported to Sam Neua and imprisoned in "Camp Number One," which held high-ranking officials from the former government.^[4] During his time in the camp, the royal family was allowed to move freely around in their compounds during the day and were often visited by members of the politburo and Sopuhanouvong himself. He was the oldest prisoner in the camp and turned 70 during the earlier months of imprisonment, whereas the average age of prisoners was around 55.^[5]

In 1978, the government reported that Vatthana, Queen Khamphoui, and Crown Prince Vong Savang had died from malaria.^[6] More recent accounts suggest that the King died in mid-March 1980. However, according to Kaysone Phomvihane, Vatthana died in 1984, at the age of 77.^[7] With Vatthana and the Crown Prince's deaths, the King's youngest son Sauryavong Savang became the head of the Laotian royal family, acting as regent to his nephew Crown Prince Soulivong Savang. Other accounts claim the royal family were forced to do hard labor and given little food in the camp, contributing to their health deteriorating.^[8]

Issue

The children of Savang Vatthana and Khumphoui as follows:

See also

• King Sisavang Vong
• Monarchs of Laos
• Pathet Lao
• Kingdom of Laos
• Soth Phetrasy
• Laotian Royal Family

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Savang Vatthana.

• Laos - "Seminar Camps" And The Death Of King Savang Vatthana
• Photographs of Royal Family of Laos
• Biography of King Sauryavong Savang (French)
• Death of King Savang Vatthana reported

Heads of state of Laos
Kingdom of Laos Kings (1949–1975)	Sisavang Vong Sisavang Vatthana
Lao People's Democratic Republic Presidents (1975–)	Souphanouvong Phoumi Vongvichit* Kaysone Phomvihane Nouhak Phoumsavanh Khamtai Siphandon Choummaly Sayasone Bounnhang Vorachith
* acting for Souphanouvong

Prime Ministers of Laos
Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975)	Phetsarath Ratanavongsa Phaya Khammao Kindavong Souvannarath Boun Oum Phoui Sananikone Savang Vatthana Souvanna Phouma Katay Don Sasorith Souvanna Phouma Phoui Sananikone Sounthone Pathammavong† Kouprasith Abhay Somsanith Vongkotrattana Souvanna Phouma Boun Oum Souvanna Phouma
Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–)	Kaysone Phomvihane Khamtai Siphandon Sisavath Keobounphanh Bounnhang Vorachith Bouasone Bouphavanh Thongsing Thammavong Thongloun Sisoulith
† military

Pretenders to the Lao throne since 1975
King Savang Vatthana Crown Prince Vong Savang Prince Soulivong Savang