Prince Sauryavong Savang (born 22 January 1937) is the youngest son of King
Savang VatthanaSavang or Sisavang Vatthana was the last king of the Kingdom of Laos. He ruled from 1959 after his father's death, until his forced abdication in 1975...
of
LaosLaos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, who was murdered by Communists. In 1965, he married Princess Dalavan and they have four children, Sthira Sauryavong, Dayavant Sauryavong, Balavant Sauryavong, and Krishnajina Sauryavong.
Control of the
Kingdom of LaosThe 'Kingdom of Laos' was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Communists overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a...
was seized by communist forces in August 1975. In November 1975, the Prince escaped from Laos by swimming across the
MekongThe Mekong River is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. . Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of ....
river to
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. He is currently head of the
LaotianThe Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of Lao people live in Laos .-Names:...
royal family and acts as
RegentA regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
to his nephew Crown Prince
Soulivong SavangCrown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation and began genocide and human rights violations of the Royal Lao family as...
.
Prior to leaving Laos he headed the Office of Crown Properties. He currently lives in Paris, France, where he worked for French
carAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturer
RenaultRenault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. Due to its alliance with Nissan, it is currently the world's fourth largest automaker. Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Renault owns the Romanian automaker Automobile Dacia and the Korean automaker Renault...
.
In September 1997, he and his nephews Crown Prince
Soulivong SavangCrown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation and began genocide and human rights violations of the Royal Lao family as...
and Prince
Thayavong SavangPrince Thayavong Savang is a surviving member of the now deposed royal family of the Kingdom of Laos. He was born at the Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, Laos...
initiated a Royal Lao Conference in Seattle,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, over three hundred
LaoThe Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of Lao people live in Laos .-Names:...
exilesExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened by prison or death upon return...
and representatives of the
HmongsThe terms Mong and Hmong refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia. Hmong are also one of the largest sub-groups in the Miao minzu population in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to...
community.
A
resolutionIn policy debate, a resolution or topic is a normative statement which the affirmative team affirms and the negative team negates. Resolutions are selected annually by affiliated schools....
was established at this historic meeting between the
LaoThe Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of Lao people live in Laos .-Names:...
and
HmongsThe terms Mong and Hmong refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia. Hmong are also one of the largest sub-groups in the Miao minzu population in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to...
leaders and the Royal Family and it held the common goal to change "the totalitarian regime to a genuine democratic system", and "the reunification of the Lao people".
In July 2000, he came under harsh criticism from some quarters after allegedly ordering the
Vang Tao raidThe Vang Tao Incident was a baffling episode broadcast live on Thai television. On July 3, 2000 a group of armed insurgents and mercenaries attacked a Lao customs outpost at the southern border town of Vang Tao...
, he denied prior knowledge of the military attack against the Communist government of
LaosLaos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
He works along with other surviving members of the Laos Royal Family such as Prince
Mangkra SouvannaphoumaPrince Mangkra Souvannaphouma of the Kingdom of Laos is the son of Prince Khampeng Souvannaphouma.-Biography:Since 1975, he has been living in exile in Paris, France...
, Crown Prince
Soulivong SavangCrown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation and began genocide and human rights violations of the Royal Lao family as...
and Prince
Thayavong SavangPrince Thayavong Savang is a surviving member of the now deposed royal family of the Kingdom of Laos. He was born at the Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, Laos...
to establish a
Constitutional MonarchyA constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written , unwritten or blended constitution...
in Laos.
Quotes
- "The fact that the anti-communist fighters called for the return of the Constitutional Monarchy makes an excellent path for the restoration of Liberty, Peace and Democracy in the country."
- "Once a dialogue has been established, we can discuss how democracy and freedom should be restored in Laos"
External links