Lon Non
Encyclopedia
Lon Non was a Cambodia
n politician and soldier who rose to his greatest prominence during the Khmer Republic
(1970–1975).
Non was the younger brother of Prime Minister (and later President) Lon Nol
. As a result he was often referred to as "Little Brother" in political circles, in which he was regarded as a somewhat machiavellian
figure who was determined to protect his brother's monopoly on power. Non was executed by members of the Khmer Rouge
after the Communist seizure of Phnom Penh
in April 1975.
. Later, sponsored by his successful older brother, he completed his education in France
, where he studied criminology
.
, Non served as an officer of the military police, reaching the rank of Major. Subsequent to the Cambodian coup of 1970
, in which Sihanouk was ousted by Lon Nol, then serving as Prime Minister, Non was rapidly promoted. Despite a lack of substantial military experience, he was soon given the rank of Colonel, and then General: the 'elite', American-trained militias of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom and Khmer Serei
, flown into the country after the coup, were placed under his command. The massacres of Vietnamese residents of Cambodia in the period subsequent to the coup are thought to have been carried out by the military under Lon Non's direction.
, caused serious divisions in the Cambodian administration. While Lon Nol was in poor health during 1970 and 1971, his brother and the army made it clear they would accept no other leader and made efforts to sideline Sirik Matak, who was given the title of "Prime Minister-Delegate". In 1971 Non raised his political profile by directing a moderately successful military operation, Akineth Moha Padevuth, driving Communist guerrillas from villages around National Route 3 (Akineth was a wizard and hermit in the Reamker
on whom Non seems to have modelled himself).
By early 1972 Lon Non finally managed to drive Sirik Matak from the government after organising groups of students to demonstrate against him. When, later in 1972, presidential elections were held, Non boasted that the monolithic vote of the Khmer National Armed Forces
had secured his brother's inevitable victory. Non, who was ultimately to become Minister of the Interior, also created the Sangkum Sathéaranak Râth (the Socio-Republican Party
, PSR) as a political organisation to represent the interests of Lon Nol and the officer corps. The two rival parties, In Tam
's Democratic Party
and Sirik Matak's Republicans
, refused to contest the elections to the National Assembly in September 1972, leading to the PSR's total dominance.
Non's faction of the party was referred to as the Dangkor group, distinguishing it from the rival Dangrek faction centred on veteran radical Son Ngoc Thanh
and academic Hang Thun Hak
. In the ongoing Cambodian Civil War
, Non appears to have planned to circumvent the influence of the People's Republic of China
in the region by seeking help from the Soviet Union
and France
in achieving a peace settlement.
and Chhim Chhuon and a former member of the Pracheachon
socialist party, Major Penn Yuth.
The American government, the main supplier of aid to the Republic, began applying increasing pressure on Lon Nol to reduce his brother's influence, concerned about the latter's corruption, lack of moral scruple (combined with unusual ambition and energy) and his suspected implication in bombing and other attacks on his political rivals. Australian intelligence confirmed that Non had formed an assassination unit, called the "Republican Security Battalion", which used a fleet of yellow Hondas. The US suggested a variety of posts to occupy Lon Non's energies, or induce him to get out of the country: in 1973, after Non was eventually forced to leave Cambodia, his wife was caught with $170,000 in US $100 bills at Orly Airport
in Paris as she was leaving to join her husband in the United States.
, the US ambassador, soon complained about Non's "frantic maneuvering", and appealed for US government assistance in controlling him. In April 1975, with the Khmer Rouge surrounding the capital, Non chose to remain after his brother finally left for exile; along with Long Boret
he made efforts to broker a cease-fire agreement, despite both having been threatened with execution by the Khmer Rouge. Non remained in the city until it fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, and was detained by their forces at the Information Ministry. He was seen along with a group of officials under guard, looking apparently composed, "impeccably dressed" with a freshly starched uniform and trimmed moustache, and smoking a pipe. It is possible that he may have believed that the arrest was being carried out largely for 'effect', and that the Communists wished to work with him in the future. He also appears to have been responsible for a bizarre last-ditch plot in which a group of students, led by a man named Hem Keth Dara and posing as a faction of the Khmer Rouge (under the title of Monatio
, or the 'National Movement') attempted to seize key parts of the city ahead of the actual Communist forces.
Soon after, Koy Thuon, a Khmer Rouge deputy front commander, organized the Committee for Wiping Out Enemies at the Hotel Monorom. Its first action was ordering the immediate execution of Lon Non and other leading government figures, who were probably executed on the grounds of the Cercle Sportif in Phnom Penh within hours. A later broadcast by the Communist authorities stated that Non had in fact been beaten to death by a crowd of "enraged" members of the populace, though the truth of this account is unclear.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n politician and soldier who rose to his greatest prominence during the Khmer Republic
Khmer Republic
The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...
(1970–1975).
Non was the younger brother of Prime Minister (and later President) Lon Nol
Lon Nol
Lon Nol was a Cambodian politician and general who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice, as well as serving repeatedly as Defense Minister...
. As a result he was often referred to as "Little Brother" in political circles, in which he was regarded as a somewhat machiavellian
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct", deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe and other works...
figure who was determined to protect his brother's monopoly on power. Non was executed by members of the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
after the Communist seizure of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
in April 1975.
Early life
Non was the son of Lon Hin, a Cambodian district administrator from Prey Veng. He attended Collège Norodom Sihanouk in Kampong Cham; his best friend there was a youth called Saloth Sar, who would later become better known as Pol PotPol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
. Later, sponsored by his successful older brother, he completed his education in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he studied criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
.
Career
Under the administration of Prince Norodom SihanoukNorodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
, Non served as an officer of the military police, reaching the rank of Major. Subsequent to the Cambodian coup of 1970
Cambodian coup of 1970
The Cambodian coup of 1970 refers to the removal of the Cambodian Head of State, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, after a vote in the National Assembly on 18 March 1970. Emergency powers were subsequently invoked by the Prime Minister Lon Nol, who became effective head of state...
, in which Sihanouk was ousted by Lon Nol, then serving as Prime Minister, Non was rapidly promoted. Despite a lack of substantial military experience, he was soon given the rank of Colonel, and then General: the 'elite', American-trained militias of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom and Khmer Serei
Khmer Serei
The Khmer Serei, or "Free Khmer", were an anti-communist and anti-monarchist guerrilla force founded by Cambodian nationalist Son Ngoc Thanh.-Origin:...
, flown into the country after the coup, were placed under his command. The massacres of Vietnamese residents of Cambodia in the period subsequent to the coup are thought to have been carried out by the military under Lon Non's direction.
Political activity
Non's political motivation seems to have partly derived from an unswerving loyalty to his brother, and his machinations against the coup's other main figure, Prince Sisowath Sirik MatakSisowath Sirik Matak
Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak was a member of the Cambodian royal family, the Varman dynasty.Sirik Matak was mainly notable for his involvement in Cambodian politics, particularly for his involvement in the 1970 right-wing coup against his cousin, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, and for his subsequent...
, caused serious divisions in the Cambodian administration. While Lon Nol was in poor health during 1970 and 1971, his brother and the army made it clear they would accept no other leader and made efforts to sideline Sirik Matak, who was given the title of "Prime Minister-Delegate". In 1971 Non raised his political profile by directing a moderately successful military operation, Akineth Moha Padevuth, driving Communist guerrillas from villages around National Route 3 (Akineth was a wizard and hermit in the Reamker
Reamker
Reamker is a Cambodian epic poem, based on the Sanskrit's Ramayana epic. The name means "Glory of Rama". It adapts the Hindu ideas to Buddhist themes and shows the balance of good and evil in the world. More than just a reordering of the epic tale, the Reamker is a mainstay of the royal ballet's...
on whom Non seems to have modelled himself).
By early 1972 Lon Non finally managed to drive Sirik Matak from the government after organising groups of students to demonstrate against him. When, later in 1972, presidential elections were held, Non boasted that the monolithic vote of the Khmer National Armed Forces
Khmer National Armed Forces
The Khmer National Armed Forces , often abbreviated to FANK, were the official armed defense forces of the Khmer Republic, a short-lived state that existed from 1970 to 1975, known today as Cambodia...
had secured his brother's inevitable victory. Non, who was ultimately to become Minister of the Interior, also created the Sangkum Sathéaranak Râth (the Socio-Republican Party
Social Republican Party
The Social Republican Party or Socio-Republican Party was a political party in Cambodia, founded by the then Head of State Lon Nol in June 1972 to contest the National Assembly Elections of the Khmer Republic held on September 3, 1972.-History:...
, PSR) as a political organisation to represent the interests of Lon Nol and the officer corps. The two rival parties, In Tam
In Tam
In Tam was a former Prime Minister of Cambodia. He served in that position from May 6, 1973 to December 9 1973, and had a long career in Cambodian politics.-Political career:...
's Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Cambodia)
The Cambodian Democratic Party was a left-leaning, pro-independence political party formed in 1946 by Prince Sisowath Yuthevong, who had previously been a member of the French Section of the Workers' International....
and Sirik Matak's Republicans
Republican Party (Cambodia)
The Cambodian Republican Party was a short-lived political movement established during the Khmer Republic period .-History:The Republican Party was one of the new parties established in the aftermath of the Cambodian coup of 1970, which had overthrown the Sangkum regime of Prince Norodom...
, refused to contest the elections to the National Assembly in September 1972, leading to the PSR's total dominance.
Non's faction of the party was referred to as the Dangkor group, distinguishing it from the rival Dangrek faction centred on veteran radical Son Ngoc Thanh
Son Ngoc Thanh
Son Ngoc Thanh was a Cambodian nationalist and republican policitian, with a long history as a rebel and a government minister.-Early life:...
and academic Hang Thun Hak
Hang Thun Hak
Hang Thun Hak was a Cambodian radical politician, academic and playwright.Hak studied theatre in Paris, where he became associated with the group of radical students centred on Keng Vannsak, which included several future leaders of the Cambodian Communists...
. In the ongoing Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
, Non appears to have planned to circumvent the influence of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in the region by seeking help from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in achieving a peace settlement.
Allegations of corruption
Evidence was found linking Non with international heroin traffic, through a CIA-organised commando training camp that he headed. He also exploited his control of the army to accrue a large personal fortune by selling its weapons (many of which ended up in the hands of its Khmer Rouge opponents). Non surrounded himself with a coterie of officers who were to have a substantial impact on the political and military conduct of the Republic, such as Lieutenant-Colonels Les KosemLes Kosem
Les Kosem, also known by the nom de guerre "Po Nagar", was a Cambodian Cham military officer and a prominent figure in the Second Indochina War and the Cambodian Civil War....
and Chhim Chhuon and a former member of the Pracheachon
Pracheachon
The Krom Pracheachon , often referred to simply as Pracheachon, was a Cambodian political party that contested in parliamentary elections in 1955, 1958 and 1972....
socialist party, Major Penn Yuth.
The American government, the main supplier of aid to the Republic, began applying increasing pressure on Lon Nol to reduce his brother's influence, concerned about the latter's corruption, lack of moral scruple (combined with unusual ambition and energy) and his suspected implication in bombing and other attacks on his political rivals. Australian intelligence confirmed that Non had formed an assassination unit, called the "Republican Security Battalion", which used a fleet of yellow Hondas. The US suggested a variety of posts to occupy Lon Non's energies, or induce him to get out of the country: in 1973, after Non was eventually forced to leave Cambodia, his wife was caught with $170,000 in US $100 bills at Orly Airport
Orly Airport
Paris-Orly Airport is an airport located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris, France. It has flights to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Southeast Asia. Prior to the construction of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly was...
in Paris as she was leaving to join her husband in the United States.
Death
Despite a period in America as the Republic's "Ambassador-At-Large", Lon Non returned to Cambodia during 1974 and resumed his political activities: John Gunther DeanJohn Gunther Dean
John Gunther Dean is a distinguished career United States diplomat. From 1974-1988, Dean served as the United States Ambassador to five different nations under four different U.S. Presidents.-Early years:...
, the US ambassador, soon complained about Non's "frantic maneuvering", and appealed for US government assistance in controlling him. In April 1975, with the Khmer Rouge surrounding the capital, Non chose to remain after his brother finally left for exile; along with Long Boret
Long Boret
Long Boret or Long Boreth was a Cambodian politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from December 26, 1973 to April 17, 1975. Highly regarded for his honesty, he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement with the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War...
he made efforts to broker a cease-fire agreement, despite both having been threatened with execution by the Khmer Rouge. Non remained in the city until it fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, and was detained by their forces at the Information Ministry. He was seen along with a group of officials under guard, looking apparently composed, "impeccably dressed" with a freshly starched uniform and trimmed moustache, and smoking a pipe. It is possible that he may have believed that the arrest was being carried out largely for 'effect', and that the Communists wished to work with him in the future. He also appears to have been responsible for a bizarre last-ditch plot in which a group of students, led by a man named Hem Keth Dara and posing as a faction of the Khmer Rouge (under the title of Monatio
MONATIO
MONATIO, short for Mouvement National was a short-lived, supposedly nationalist, political faction in Cambodia. The exact nature of the group is still obscure...
, or the 'National Movement') attempted to seize key parts of the city ahead of the actual Communist forces.
Soon after, Koy Thuon, a Khmer Rouge deputy front commander, organized the Committee for Wiping Out Enemies at the Hotel Monorom. Its first action was ordering the immediate execution of Lon Non and other leading government figures, who were probably executed on the grounds of the Cercle Sportif in Phnom Penh within hours. A later broadcast by the Communist authorities stated that Non had in fact been beaten to death by a crowd of "enraged" members of the populace, though the truth of this account is unclear.