Sauryavong Savang
Encyclopedia
Prince Sauryavong Savang (born 22 January 1937) is the youngest son of King Savang Vatthana
of Laos
. 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 seized by communist forces in August 1975. In November 1975, the Prince escaped from Laos by swimming across the Mekong
river to Thailand
. He is currently head of the Laotian
royal family and acts as Regent
to his nephew Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
.
Prior to leaving Laos he headed the Office of Crown Properties. He currently lives in Paris, France, where he worked for Renault
.
In September 1997, he and his nephews Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
and Prince Thayavong Savang
initiated a Royal Lao Conference in Seattle, United States
, over three hundred Lao
exile
s and representatives of the Hmongs
community.
A resolution
was established at this historic meeting between the Lao
and Hmongs
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 raid
, he denied prior knowledge of the military attack against the Communist government of Laos
.
He works along with other surviving members of the Laos Royal Family such as Prince Mangkra Souvannaphouma
, Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
and Prince Thayavong Savang
to establish a Constitutional Monarchy
in Laos.
Savang Vatthana
Savang 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 Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. 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
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Pathet Lao 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 Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
river to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He is currently head of the Laotian
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
royal family and acts as Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
to his nephew Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
Soulivong Savang
Crown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation, causing Savang Vatthana to abdicate his throne...
.
Prior to leaving Laos he headed the Office of Crown Properties. He currently lives in Paris, France, where he worked for Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
.
In September 1997, he and his nephews Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
Soulivong Savang
Crown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation, causing Savang Vatthana to abdicate his throne...
and Prince Thayavong Savang
Thayavong Savang
Prince 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 States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, over three hundred Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
s and representatives of the Hmongs
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
community.
A resolution
Resolution (policy debate)
In 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 Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
and Hmongs
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
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 raid
Vang Tao Incident
The Vang Tao Incident was a 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 Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and 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 Souvannaphouma
Mangkra Souvannaphouma
Prince 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 Savang
Soulivong Savang
Crown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation, causing Savang Vatthana to abdicate his throne...
and Prince Thayavong Savang
Thayavong Savang
Prince 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 Monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified 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"
