Crown Prince Soulivong Savang (born May 8, 1963), grandson of the last King of Laos
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...
, is the
pretenderA pretender is a claimant to an abolished throne or to a throne already occupied by somebody else. The English word pretend comes from the French word prétendre, meaning "to put forward, to profess or claim"...
to the Lao throne.
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...
was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the communist
Pathet LaoThe Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after a civil war, or insurgent revolution, lasting from the 1950s to 1975. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with...
seized control of the nation and began genocide and human rights violations of the Royal Lao family as a
monarchyThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
, and the indigenous
Hmong peopleThe 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...
of Laos. Soulivong Savang lives in exile in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Soulivong Savang was born at the Royal Palace in
Luang PrabangLuang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , Xieng Dong Xieng Thong, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000.The city was formerly the capital of a...
to Crown Prince
Vong SavangCrown Prince Vong Savang was born in September 27, 1931-, at the Royal Palace Luang Prabang, Laos. His father was King Savang Vatthana and mother was Queen Khamphoui...
and Princess Mahneelai 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...
.
Crown Prince Soulivong Savang (born May 8, 1963), grandson of the last King of Laos
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...
, is the
pretenderA pretender is a claimant to an abolished throne or to a throne already occupied by somebody else. The English word pretend comes from the French word prétendre, meaning "to put forward, to profess or claim"...
to the Lao throne.
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...
was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the communist
Pathet LaoThe Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after a civil war, or insurgent revolution, lasting from the 1950s to 1975. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with...
seized control of the nation and began genocide and human rights violations of the Royal Lao family as a
monarchyThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
, and the indigenous
Hmong peopleThe 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...
of Laos. Soulivong Savang lives in exile in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Biography
Soulivong Savang was born at the Royal Palace in
Luang PrabangLuang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , Xieng Dong Xieng Thong, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000.The city was formerly the capital of a...
to Crown Prince
Vong SavangCrown Prince Vong Savang was born in September 27, 1931-, at the Royal Palace Luang Prabang, Laos. His father was King Savang Vatthana and mother was Queen Khamphoui...
and Princess Mahneelai 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...
. After the communist revolution, some members of the Royal Family died while in communist 're-education' camps. Prince Savang escaped from captivity in
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...
with his younger brother 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...
in 1981, arriving in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
as refugees. Those members of the Royal Family who did not escape were
genocidallyGenocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, a legal definition is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of...
murdered or died of ill-treatment .
Education
Soulivong Savang attended the University of
Clermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census....
in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and also obtained a law degree.
Political aspirations
He has been working to bring "social and charitable reforms" for the people of Laos and the return of a constitutional monarchy to Laos to benefit the people. His Uncle Prince
Sauryavong SavangPrince Sauryavong Savang is the youngest son of King Savang Vatthana of Laos, 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 Laos was...
is currently head of the Laotian 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.
In September 19, 1997, Soulivong Savang and his Uncle Prince Sauryavong Savang 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 five hundred Lao exiles and representatives of the Hmong, Kmu, Mien, Thaidam and all ethnic minority community attended. This conference was to establish the Lao Representative Abroad Council.
In September 19, 1999, second conference was held in Montreal, Canada, to followup the progress of LRAC work and help each others which is focus on non-profit organization
to support the local community and worldwide such as community development, social service provider, education and job development to bridge the community self-sufficiency
to promote cultural activity and charity support to become good citizens in country they livein. some of the goal and mission are the vision of the majority objective how the Lao_oversea can help and support the education and economic development in their motherland in the eyes of the 21st century.
The world conference of the Lao Abroad council was successfully acknowledge and complete dialogue among the Lao refugee concern. This organization is not and was not focus
on the political activity like some media has been said. Our goal is to have re-united All Laotian Abroad and inside Laos to work for better understanding toward development of the country and to show the new generation to come most effectively educated and there will be their responsible leadership tomorrow.
On November 10th, 2007, the Prince married Princess Chansouk Soukthala. The ceremony, which took place in Canada, was attended by 800 guests.
Soulivong Savang works along with other members of the Lao Royal Family such as Prince
Sauryavong SavangPrince Sauryavong Savang is the youngest son of King Savang Vatthana of Laos, 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 Laos was...
, 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...
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.
See also
- Laotian Royal Family
The Lao Royal Family was the ruling family of the Kingdom of Laos from 1904 to 1975 and the group of close relatives of the monarch of the Kingdom of Laos...
- Prince Souvanna Phouma
Prince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times, from 1951-1952, 1956-1958, 1960 and 1962-1975.-Early life:...
- Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa
Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa was prime minister ofLaos from 1942 to 1945, and was the first and last vice-king of the Kingdom of Laos....
- Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after a civil war, or insurgent revolution, lasting from the 1950s to 1975. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with...
- Prince Souphanouvong
Prince Souphanouvong was, along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the “Three Princes” who represented respectively the communist , neutralist, and royalist political factions in Laos...
External links