Ieng Sary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ieng Sary
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| អៀង សារី | |
Sary in 2010
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 4 April 1976 – 7 January 1978 |
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| Prime Minister | Pol Pot Nuon Chea (acting) |
| Preceded by | Sarin Chhak |
| Succeeded by | Hun Sen |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea | |
| In office 14 April 1976 – 7 January 1979 |
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| Prime Minister | Pol Pot |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kim Trang
24 October 1925 Trà Vinh, Cochinchina, French Indochina |
| Died | 14 March 2013 (aged 87) Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Resting place | Malai District, Banteay Meanchey |
| Nationality | Cambodian |
| Political party | Democratic National Union Movement (1996–2007) Cambodian National Unity Party (1992–1996) Party of Democratic Kampuchea (1981–1993) Communist Party of Kampuchea French Communist Party |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Sciences Po |
Ieng Sary (Khmer: អៀង សារី; born Kim Trang; 24 October 1925 – 14 March 2013) was a very important leader of the Khmer Rouge group in Cambodia. He helped start the group and was a senior member. He was known as "Brother Number Three" because he was third in command after Pol Pot and Nuon Chea.
From 1975 to 1979, he served as the foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the government of Democratic Kampuchea. His wife, Ieng Thirith, was also a minister in the Khmer Rouge government. Ieng Sary was arrested in 2007 and faced accusations of serious wrongdoings. However, he died in 2013 before his trial could finish.
Early Life and Education
Ieng Sary was born in a village called Nhan Hoa in southern Vietnam in 1925. His father was Khmer Krom, and his mother had both Chinese and Vietnamese heritage. Sary changed his name from Kim Trang when he joined the Khmer Rouge.
He was also related to the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, through marriage. Sary and Pol Pot (whose real name was Saloth Sar) studied together at Phnom Penh's Lycée Sisowath high school. Their future wives, sisters Khieu Thirith and Khieu Ponnary, also studied there. Before going to Paris for more studies, Sary became engaged to Khieu Thirith.
In Paris, Sary and Saloth Sar continued their studies. They rented an apartment in an area known for student activism. There, they met French communist thinkers and formed their own group of Cambodian communists. Sary and Khieu Thirith got married in Paris in 1951. After their marriage, Thirith took her husband's name, becoming Ieng Thirith.
Role in Government
After returning to Cambodia, Ieng Sary joined the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Kampuchea in 1960. When the Khmer Republic fell on 17 April 1975, Sary encouraged Cambodians living abroad to return and help rebuild the country. Sadly, many who returned were arrested and held in harsh centers.
As "Brother Number 3," he was in charge of foreign relations. He met with visitors from other countries. He was also involved in government actions that led to arrests within ministries. In 1977, he spoke at the United Nations. He denied claims from Cambodian refugees about the Khmer Rouge government.
After the Khmer Rouge government was overthrown in 1979, Ieng Sary and Pol Pot were sentenced to death in their absence. Later, in 1996, King Norodom Sihanouk officially pardoned Ieng Sary. This happened after Sary left Pol Pot's group. Sary then started a new political group called the Democratic National Union Movement.
Arrest and Final Years
Ieng Sary was arrested on 12 November 2007 in Phnom Penh. He was living in a large house with security guards. He was arrested based on a warrant from the Cambodia Tribunal. His wife, Ieng Thirith, was also arrested.
In December 2009, the tribunal formally accused him of serious wrongdoings. These accusations were related to his involvement in the treatment of Vietnamese and Muslim groups in Cambodia.
Ieng Sary passed away in Phnom Penh on 14 March 2013, at the age of 87. He died before his trial could be completed. He had been suffering from heart problems and other illnesses for many years. He was taken to a hospital from his holding cell a few days before his death. His body was taken to his home in Banteay Meanchey province. It rested there for seven days before being cremated. For the victims of the Khmer Rouge, his death meant that their search for truth and justice in his case was limited.
See also
In Spanish: Ieng Sary para niños
