Preap In
Encyclopedia
Preap In was a Cambodian political dissident of the 1950s - 1960s.
A high-level cadre of the Khmer Serei
, a rightist militia formed to oppose the regime of Prince Norodom Sihanouk
, In is remembered largely for an unsuccessful 1963 attempt to 'negotiate' directly with Sihanouk, resulting in his arrest and public execution by firing squad.
, a provincial governor and prominent Cambodian politician of the post-independence years. In studied engineering in Phnom Penh
; like Tam, he was a member of the Democratic Party
, a broadly leftist, pro-independence party that was absorbed into Sihanouk's Sangkum
movement in the later 1950s.
At some point In joined the Khmer Serei
, an anti-communist and anti-monarchist guerrilla movement founded by the exiled politician Son Ngoc Thanh
; the Khmer Serei operated largely in areas on the Thai and South Vietnamese borders, and were thought to be at least partly funded by the CIA. Sihanouk was later to describe In as "one of the right-hand men" of Son Ngoc Thanh.
, is thought to have met with his nephew and offered assurances that In would be given safe-conduct to negotiate directly with Sihanouk in the National Assembly. Sihanouk was to describe In as mistakenly supposing he was to negotiate Sihanouk's "surrender", though this is likely to be an exaggeration. It seems that In put forward a proposal involving the return of Thanh to Cambodia, though whether this was a genuine coup plot or merely an amnesty for Thanh remains unclear.
Preap In and an associate, Saing San (described as a chauffeur
at the Royal Palace) were arrested in Takeo on 19 November 1963; they were bought to Phnom Penh
and displayed in cages in public. Although San was soon to be released, In was bought before the National Assembly, where he readily 'confessed' that his organisation, the Khmer Serei, was funded and controlled by the CIA with the intention of overthrowing Sihanouk. Sihanouk asked the assembly to decide In's fate, and interpreted the response as a demand for the death penalty.
He was then handed over to a military tribunal, who sentenced him to death; "in his case, I had no inhibitions in signing the death warrant", commented Sihanouk. The Preap In affair was used by Sihanouk to underline his rejection of American aid from 1963.
The execution was filmed, and the fifteen-minute newsreel was shown in cinemas across Cambodia for a month prior to the main feature; many Cambodians were deeply shocked by the film, which remained in their memories for many years. As a result, Preap In is still remembered in Cambodia as a figure of opposition to the Sangkum: the current Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen
, has several times threatened to broadcast the film of In's execution as part of his ongoing public disagreements with Sihanouk.
A high-level cadre of the 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:...
, a rightist militia formed to oppose the regime of Prince Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom 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...
, In is remembered largely for an unsuccessful 1963 attempt to 'negotiate' directly with Sihanouk, resulting in his arrest and public execution by firing squad.
Biography
In was born in Kampong Trach, Kampot, into a farming family, and was the nephew of In TamIn 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:...
, a provincial governor and prominent Cambodian politician of the post-independence years. In studied engineering in 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,...
; like Tam, he was a member of the 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....
, a broadly leftist, pro-independence party that was absorbed into Sihanouk's Sangkum
Sangkum
The Sangkum Reastr Niyum , commonly known simply as the Sangkum, was a political organisation set up in 1955 by Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia...
movement in the later 1950s.
At some point In joined the 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:...
, an anti-communist and anti-monarchist guerrilla movement founded by the exiled politician 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:...
; the Khmer Serei operated largely in areas on the Thai and South Vietnamese borders, and were thought to be at least partly funded by the CIA. Sihanouk was later to describe In as "one of the right-hand men" of Son Ngoc Thanh.
Arrest
Preap In's uncle, In TamIn 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:...
, is thought to have met with his nephew and offered assurances that In would be given safe-conduct to negotiate directly with Sihanouk in the National Assembly. Sihanouk was to describe In as mistakenly supposing he was to negotiate Sihanouk's "surrender", though this is likely to be an exaggeration. It seems that In put forward a proposal involving the return of Thanh to Cambodia, though whether this was a genuine coup plot or merely an amnesty for Thanh remains unclear.
Preap In and an associate, Saing San (described as a chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
at the Royal Palace) were arrested in Takeo on 19 November 1963; they were bought to 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,...
and displayed in cages in public. Although San was soon to be released, In was bought before the National Assembly, where he readily 'confessed' that his organisation, the Khmer Serei, was funded and controlled by the CIA with the intention of overthrowing Sihanouk. Sihanouk asked the assembly to decide In's fate, and interpreted the response as a demand for the death penalty.
He was then handed over to a military tribunal, who sentenced him to death; "in his case, I had no inhibitions in signing the death warrant", commented Sihanouk. The Preap In affair was used by Sihanouk to underline his rejection of American aid from 1963.
Execution
In was executed by firing squad at Trapeang Kraleung, Kampong Speu Province, in January 1964.The execution was filmed, and the fifteen-minute newsreel was shown in cinemas across Cambodia for a month prior to the main feature; many Cambodians were deeply shocked by the film, which remained in their memories for many years. As a result, Preap In is still remembered in Cambodia as a figure of opposition to the Sangkum: the current Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen
Hun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
, has several times threatened to broadcast the film of In's execution as part of his ongoing public disagreements with Sihanouk.