Biography of General Duong Sam Ol

The following information is provided by “Les Personnalités du Cambodge” (Cambodia’s VIPs) published in 1963:

Colonel, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the RAFK.

Born on 15 March 1919 in Lolok Sor (Pursat province), son of Mr. Duong and Mrs. Om.

Maried on 29 June 1944 to Ms. Nem Navan.

Child: Van Thol.

Honor: Commander of the Sowathara Medal, Commander of the Monisaraphon Medal, Officer of the ORC, Gold Medal for the Kingdom Reign, National Defense Medal, Gold Medal for Labor, Knight of the Legion d’Honneur, Colonial Medal.

Additional Information:

Shortly prior to the March 18, 1970 coup d’état which toppled then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk, General Duong Sam Ol and his wife were visiting Beijing. After the coup d’état, General Duong Sam Ol decided to join Prince Sihanouk and was nominated as Minister of Armament. During the 1970-1975 war period, General Duong Sam Ol remained mainly in Beijing and was not actually involved in any fighting per se. Following the Khmer Rouge victory on 17 April 1975, General Duong Sam Ol returned to Cambodia with other Sihanoukists, such as Sarin Chhak, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ong Thong Hoeung, the author of the book “J’ai cru aux Khmers Rouges” (I believed the Khmer Rouge) indicated that, upon their arrival in Cambodia, General Duong Sam Ol, Sarin Chhak, Ang Kim Khoan and several other Sihanoukists were imprisoned in the Boeung Trabek detention center, also known as B-32. Hor Nam Hong was one of the directors of B-32 under the KR regime.

For additional information about General Duong Sam Ol after 1979, please read the article by Baphuon below.

Duong Sam Ol: A Great Soldier

A Great Soldier

07 August 2009
By Baphuon
Article originally posted online

On April 27, 1954, the Geneva Conference produced the Geneva Agreement which supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Indochina thereby granting its independence from France. In addition, the Conference declaration agreed upon the cessation of hostilities and foreign involvement (or troops) in internal Indochina affairs.

Vietnam must withdraw their armed forced from Cambodia but never did since then to these days.

The Vietnamese armed resistance (Vietminh) for Vietnam liberation from France was very active all over Cambodia from inside to outside. Indeed, to run Cambodia, French colonial administration used Vietnamese cadres. By this way, Vietnamese officers were infiltrated in the Force Royale Armée Khmer (FARK), Security forces and civil administration.

To fight against the Vietminh, French Army created district armed forces. At the village level, French army armed Cambodian villagers with rifles and ammunitions. In order to get armament and ammunition from French Army, the chief of village must do first the survey, how many families, how many people lived in his village? Hence, the Chief of village must fill the forms of the survey of their village. The Vietnamese village’s chiefs in Cambodia knew very well how to make that kind of paper works of survey while Cambodian villages in majority illiterate, except Khmer Krom villages in Cambodia, didn't.

Finally, all the Vietnamese villages in Cambodia got their rifles and ammunitions from French Army to defend their villages against the Vietminh. But in reality, these rifles and ammunitions went straight to the Vietminh. After a few skirmishes, the Vietnamese villagers, in connivance with the Vietminh, abandoned their rifles and ammunitions to the Vietminh. On other hand, the Vietminh got also their rifles and ammunitions from the Vietnamese cadres in FARK and Security forces.

That was the main avenue the Vietminh got armament and ammunitions from French Army to fight against French Army during the French colonialist war, 1945-1955, and later to dominate all Indochina.

Immediately after Geneva Agreement 1954, France Army demobilized the district Cambodian armed forces, stocked pile their armored vehicles, canons, mortars, machine guns rifles and ammunitions and brought them back to France. But the Vietminh were very active to steal theses armaments and ammunitions from French stock piles. Almost half of the French stock pile armament and ammunitions was looted and went straight to arm the Vietminh.

Only two Cambodia generals, General Lon Nol and General Duong Sam Ol saw the danger for Cambodia. General Lon Nol and Duong Sam Ol fought with the Vietminh to get some 5,000 rifles Garand M1 and Enfield and ammunition from French stock pile. To hide these 5,000 Garand M1 and Enfield and ammunitions, General Lon Nol and Duong Sam Ol buried them all in Long Vek district.

FARK of King Norodom Sihanouk did not fight at all against the North Vietnamese Army which continued to occupy Cambodia.

FARK was very ill equipped, had never been trained, and never fought. King Sihanouk was afraid of the FARK’s coup. Even his uncle Sisowath Monireth made a coup to topple him in 1946.

In the 1950s General Lon Nol, Samdech Sangh Chuon Nath and Iv Tout believed firmly that Vietnam would never withdraw their armed forces from Cambodia, and Vietnam will swallow Cambodia. To free Cambodia, Cambodia need a strong army, well trained, well led and well equipped. Hence the three national leaders decided to create a secrete army of Special Forces, independent of the FARK. They named it KANSEIGN SAR [white scarf]. Khmer Krom and Khmer Krom Vat supported enthusiastically from the start financially and in human resources the creation of the secrete armed forces.

In 1958, General Lon Nol, Samdech Sangh Reach Chuon Nath and Samdech Sangh Pravanarath Iv Tuot would equip the Special Forces KANSEIGN SAR with these 5,000 rifles Garand M1 and Enfield that General Lon Nol and Duong Sam Ol buried in Long Vek.

In 1979, when the People Army of Vietnam (PAVN) invaded Cambodia, General Duong Sam Ol was stuck in Cambodia. He was hiding in Phnom Penh suburb Stung Mean Chey with Sarin Chhak and Ang Kim Khoan families for more than one year. Chau Dara, one of Resistance chiefs, sent a team led by his bodyguard Phéng, now living in Massachusetts, to bring General Duong Sam Ol to Thailand. Chau Dara commanded an army division of 10,000 soldiers. Dara needed a well known Cambodian leader to lead the Armed Resistance to free Cambodia. Chau Dara had refused to eliminate Son Sann and General Dien Del and Co in spite of the CIA insistence because he has sweared to Buddha, he will not kill no more Cambodian brothers.

The Duo General Duong Sam Ol/Chau Dara might well lead Cambodia to the victory, but fate had decided otherwise.

Phéng, the bodyguard, met with these three eminent families. But in a split second, Sarin Chhak, our national hero for his thesis of Doctorat en Droit on Cambodia borders, lose his way and later disappeared in Vietnamese incarceration. Only Genera Duong Sam Ol and Ang Kim Khoan escaped to Thailand under Phéng leadership.

Chau Dara deemed that Prince Sihanouk and Son Sann were incompetent and a big obstacle toward Cambodia’s victory. Even the CIA station chief advised Chau Dara to decapitate the FNLPK leadership and took over the movement. Son Sann and General Dien Del launched a smear campaign against Chau Dara and General Duong Sam Ol to Thai military and asked Thai military special force to hunt down Chau Dara and General Duong Sam Ol. Chau Dara and General Duong Sam Ol were wanted for 50,000 Bath reward per head. Chau Dara and General Duong Sam Ol went to hiding until Père Venet sneaked General Duong Sam Ol out the refugee camp and brought him to France. The CIA Station Chief brought Chau Dara to the States and said, we will meet again in thirty years if Cambodia is lucky enough of not being swallowed by Vietnam and when Sihanouk was no more in political arena.

The US can do nothing to help Cambodia when Sihanouk is there politically, said the CIA agent.

General Duong Sam Ol died on Wednesday August 5, 2009 at Hospital LAGNY, FRANCE, at 93 years old. He was a great soldier!

All my sincere condolences to the family.

Sihanouk Laments Loss of Former Minister

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
28 January 2009

Former king Norodom Sihanouk expressed condolences to the family of deceased former statesman Chau Sen Cocsal, who died Thursday at the age of 104.

Sihounk wrote on his Web site that Chau Sen Cocsal had been a son of the nation, a nationalist, and a “Sihanoukist,” and pledged $10,000 for his funeral.

Chau Sen Cocsal served as prime minister and president of the National Assembly between 1959 and 1968, under the government of Sihanouk.

Mr. Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum passed away

Mr. Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum (1905-2009)
He was a former prime minister of Cambodia (1962)
and former President of the National Assembly,
he was born in Kampuchea Krom.

Respected Bhantes, Compatriots and Press,

Mrs. Chau Sen Cocsal and her family wish to inform friends and relatives that Samdech Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, High Privy Councilor of His Majesty The King, former Member of the Constitutional Council, and former President of the National Assembly, decorated Commander of the French Legion d'Honneur, has passed away on Thursday January 22, 2009 at 6:45 AM, at his house located at No. 18A Street 604, Boeung Kok 2 commune, Tuol Kork district, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Religious ceremonies will be performed from Friday January 23 to Sunday January 25, 2009.

The funeral procession will leave the house on Monday January 26, 2009 at 7h30.

For further information, please contact this telephone number 012 97 91 92 or 011 20 22 22.

Khmer Kampuchea Krom Commununity Press Office

Part 3 of the never-ending battle: Where King-Father squarely places the entire responsability of the 1970-1975 war on the long-ago-dead "Lonnolians"

King-Father holding hands with his great friend, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong of Vietnam who later ordered the more-than-one-decade long occupation of King-Father's beloved Cambodia. Ieng Sary can be seen in the background overlooking the friendship exchange between the two great friends.

Translated from French by Tola Ek

History

During the 5-year war (1970-1975) in which they were responsible, the “Lonnolians” (with Long Boret at their helm) made unheard of efforts to make the world believe that N. Sihanouk was definitively rejected by the entire nation and by the entire Khmer People, and that, fighting against their (dirty) “Khmer Republic” in Cambodia, there were only Vietcong and North Vietnamese (sic!!).

The historical Truth was as follows:

1- Between March 1970 and 1973, there was a majority of Sihanoukist-Khmer people who were fighting against the Lonnolians, the Americans and the blue South Vietnamese. The PR of China did not give arms nor money (these were given to the Khmer Rouges only) to the Sihanoukist Resistant Fighters who were militarily trained and armed by the North Vietnamese in conformance to the orders given by my great friends, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and General Vo Nguyen Giap.

2- Between 1973 and 1975, the Khmer Rouge people (Polpotians, IengSaryists, NuonCheaians) put into application, “from A to Z,” their killing “Program” against Sihanoukists who remained “faithful to the end” to their King-Father.

3- The Lonnolians (with Long Boret at their helm) saw, in 1975, the crumbling – like a card castle – of their coward propaganda in which, in Cambodia, the only enemies of the “ Khmer Republic” were the Vietcong and North Vietnamese, because the historical winners were Khmer people of pure breed, (they were) Rouges (communists) but Khmer people.

(Signed) N. Sihanouk
May 2008

Prince Thomico accuses F’pec of no longer being a Sihanoukist party

Friday, November 02, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On 01 November, Prince Sisowath Thomico severely criticized Funcinpec by considering this party as no longer being a Sihanoukist party anymore, because F’pec selected Princess Norodom Arunrasmy to oppose Prince Norodom Ranariddh, whereas the pair are both King-Father’s children.

Prince Thomico told reporters: “F’pec leadership boasted that they are Sihanoukists, today, I am rejecting their claim.”

Prince Thomico added that F’pec is neither a royalist party, nor a Sihanoukist party. If it were to be royalist, it would have initiated a union policy and a national reconciliation, but instead, it is Samdach Dek Cho Hun Sen who is organizing the national unity, and those who are boasting themselves to be royalists who struggle to bring back the constitutional monarchy for the country, they ended up betraying the monarchy and the monarchic principles instead.

F’pec leadership no longer supports Sihanouk’s standing anymore because F’pec leadership is presenting the candidacy of King-Father’s youngest daughter to oppose Prince Ranariddh, her own brother. Prince Thomico asked: “Where can His Majesty hide his face when one of his children is opposing another one.”

Prince Thomico told reporters that, starting Monday, he will withdraw his confidence from the F’pec leadership which is unable to lead F’pec anymore because it betrays the Sihanoukist principles and the F’pec principles which were laid down by King-Father who founded this party in 1981.

From today on, Prince Thomico said that, each week, he will visit the party grass root levels to explain to the middle and grass root levels of the F’pec party members in provinces, districts and communes, so that all these party members withdraw their confidence from the current F’pec leadership. If there were to be a new path, the only choice would be to tear down the current F’pec leadership structure and organize anew the ability for the middle and grass root level party members who are true royalists, so they can express their own position.

The prince said that each of the current F’pec leaders boasts that they removed Prince Ranariddh in order to establish democracy in the party, but where can democracy be, if Nhiek Bun Chhay and Lu Lay Sreng decide whatever they want. The selection of Prince Arunrasmy as candidate for the premiership was Nhiek Bun Chhay and Lu Lay Sreng’s idea, it was not a decision made by the grass root party members, nor by the middle ranking party members.

The prince warned that both F’pec and NRP will be disintegrated if the two parties are not searching for a solution to unite with each other. The prince said that he places all the blames on Nhiek Bun Chhay, F’pec secretary-general, and on Lu Lay Sreng, F’pec vice-president No. 1, and that the two do not have the ability to lead the royalist movement after they decided to split this movement.

However, Nouv Sovathero, state secretary of the Ministry of Information and F’pec spokesman, said: “We will not be disintegrated like those who want to see us disintegrated. Even if these 3 royals (Thomico, Sirivuth, and Vacheara) are not in F’pec, this party will not be disintegrated. We will still move forward.”

Besides this, Nouv Sovathero claimed that F’pec still faithfully follow the path set by Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk in 1981. He added that F’pec was not formed just yesterday, and that when it was formed, it was formed when leaders and fighters invited King-Father to become the party president.

Nouv Sovathero criticized Prince Thomico, saying that whatever he said, it was done because his thinking is shallow, and that it is merely his personal view. He added that “Prince Thomico cannot see further than the tip of his nose.”

King-Father: On the pains inflicted by the Blue-Khmers, lackeys of the USA, and the "mysterious Dr. L.M.H." on Sihanouk and his faithful followers

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Cambodian Studies
“The Lonnolian ‘Republican Khmer People’ are perfect masochist, sadomasochist, and sadistic”
By N. Sihanouk

* Read in my “Nouveau Petit Robert” [French dictionary]”:

• Masochism: behavior of a person seeking pain and humiliation.
• Sadomasochism: sadism combined with masochism in the same individual.
• Sadism: Perverse taste to inflict suffering; delight in the suffering of others.

Currently (September 2007, October 2007), The “Doctors” and other Sihanouk-haters are delighting themselves in the “suffering” of N. Sihanouk against their unending “attacks” and “leaning themselves” on the coming of the (already infamous) UN ECCC.

However, in the present articles, I want “to talk” about their diabolic “masochism,” “sadism,” “sadomasochism” in the 70s.

* Their MASOCHISM: In the 60s, these guys had everything, owned everything, with the exception of the deposition of Sihanouk, the SRN [Sangkum Reastr Niyum] and the Monarchy, and the martyr of my mother.

Lon Nol had the government, the National Assembly which obeyed him completely, the Army which was completely devoted to him.

But, adoring the “Masochism” god, they had to conduct this sinister and catastrophic PUTSCH dated March 18, 1970, which, in April 1975, they faced complete Defeat, humiliation, some went into exile, others were tortured and (had to face) death inflicted by the Khmer Rouge, some others had to survive so-so until the “setup” in Cambodia of the UN ECCC which allows them to attack Sihanouk verbally and in writing (the latter, Lonnolians, Republicans, Blue Khmers, lackeys of the US Imperialism – can boast to be “the exception – ‘finally pink’”! which confirms the “black” rule.)

* Their SADISM: During 5 years (1970-1975), these Blue Khmers “Rep. Khm. [Republican Khmers]”, lackeys of the USA, inflicted maximum suffering on Cambodia (which they changed into a hell whereas it was a peace oasis held in esteem by the entire World) and on the Khmer People – one of the happiest people in the world (testimonials from so many visitors from the US, France, Switzerland, etc…. Bernard Couret, etc…, etc… [for the entire list, please read the ¾ page long on the original French article] … Jerrold Schecter, and so many others whom I forgot their names and whom I respect.

* Because of these diabolic and ultra-sadistic Lonnolians “Rep. Khm.”, the Small Khmer People [ordinary Khmer citizens] who were Sihanoukist and royalist, suffered beyond any belief from the bombardments, machine gun shootings, etc… by the US Air Force, and by the (innumerable) cases of the most savage cruelty inflicted by the blue South Vietnamese of Thieu-Ky.

And now (in September and October 2007), the “Doctors” and other Lonnolian Blue Khmers, and their offspring have no shame to proclaim themselves as “Righter of wrongs” by demanding from the UN ECCC Sihanouk’s “head”!

* Their SADOMASOCHISM: The “Doctors” and other “Rep. Khm.” blue-Lonnolians now, in the 21st century, from the USA, France, Cambodia, etc… dare become agitators by doing all they can to transform the new Cambodia (the admirable one belonging to Samdach Hun Sen and the CPP) into a country with a murky atmosphere, a divided country, a semi-dictatorship (their “dictatorship” is based, in fact, on a foreign tribunal; their claim dishonors them; a dictatorial sadomasochist claim which consists of inflicting hardship on some, such as N. Sihanouk, his faithful, authentic royalist followers, and on a country which never knew this murky atmosphere, this division, before their recent interventions.

Recently, a high-ranking Personality (Gentleman) came to the Khemarin Palace to only tell me his support, while saying that Dr. L.M.H. is intellectually dishonest (sic).

(Signed) Norodom Sihanouk

Political Cartoon: Untouchable Turtle

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)