Sak Sutsakhan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General Sak Sutsakhan
សក់ ស៊ុតសាខន
Chairman of the Supreme Committee
In office 12 April 1975 – 17 April 1975
Preceded by	Saukham Khoy (acting) as President of the Khmer Republic
Succeeded by	Norodom Sihanouk as President of the State Presidium
Personal details
Born	(1928-02-08)8 February 1928 Battambang, Cambodia, French Indochina
Died	29 April 1994(1994-04-29) (aged 66) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party
Military service
Allegiance	Cambodia Khmer Republic Khmer People's National Liberation Front
Branch/service	Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces
Years of service	1957–1994
Rank	Major general

General Sak Sutsakhan (Khmer: សក់ ស៊ុតសាខន; born February 8, 1928 – died April 29, 1994) was an important Cambodian leader. He was both a politician and a soldier. He had a very long career in his country's government and military.

He was the last Head of State (like a president) of the Khmer Republic. This was the government that was taken over by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Sak Sutsakhan also created a group that supported the United States. This group was called the Khmer Sâ, which means White Khmer. Later in his life, he also owned a Dairy Queen shop in Anaheim, California, in the United States.

Early Life and Military Career

Sak Sutsakhan was born in a place called Battambang. He was a cousin of Nuon Chea, who later became a very important member of the Khmer Rouge.

He studied at the Royal Military Academy. He also went to the French General Staff School in Paris, France. His career in the Cambodian army, called the Forces Armées Royales Khmeres (FARK), grew very quickly.

In 1957, when he was only 29 years old, he became the world's youngest Minister of Defence. This happened under the government of Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

The Khmer Republic Era

In 1970, Prince Norodom Sihanouk was removed from power by General Lon Nol. This event is known as the Cambodian coup of 1970. Sak Sutsakhan continued his work in the army. The army was renamed the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK).

He helped the army grow a lot between 1971 and 1972. He was the Minister of Defence several times. He also led the special forces of the FANK. American diplomats and military advisors thought he was a very good officer. They also saw him as a smart and honest politician.

On April 12, 1975, the U.S. embassy staff left Phnom Penh. The acting President, Saukam Khoy, also left during an operation called Operation Eagle Pull. After they left, a group of seven leaders took charge. This group was called the Supreme Committee.

Sak Sutsakhan was the head of this committee. He became the Head of State. This group tried to make a deal for a ceasefire with the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge were attacking Phnom Penh at that time. Sak Sutsakhan stayed in the capital city until the Khmer Rouge entered it on April 17. He escaped with his family on one of the last helicopters. They left from the Olympic Stadium.

Sak Sutsakhan was married and had four children.

Life in Exile and the KPNLF

After leaving Cambodia, Sak Sutsakhan moved to the United States. He became an American citizen there. In 1979, Vietnamese forces removed the Khmer Rouge from power. After this, a politician named Son Sann and a former general named Dien Del started a new group. This group was called the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF).

The KPNLF was a non-communist group. They wanted to remove the government that Vietnam had put in place. At first, the KPNLF was made up of different groups. These groups were often based in refugee camps near the Thai-Cambodian border.

Sak Sutsakhan came back from the U.S. in 1981. His joining the KPNLF made the group much stronger and more respected. He became the commander of the KPNLF's armed part, called the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF). He tried to organize the different armed groups into one strong force.

In 1982, the KPNLF formed an alliance with other groups. This alliance was called the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea. It included the KPNLF, the FUNCINPEC royalists (led by Sihanouk), and the remaining Khmer Rouge forces. After 1985, Sutsakhan met with Son Sen of the Khmer Rouge. He also met with Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Sihanouk's son. Prince Ranariddh led FUNCINPEC's army. They met to plan how their three groups could work together in the military.

By 1985, Sutsakhan and Son Sann started to disagree. They argued about how to fight the war. Sutsakhan wanted more cooperation with the royalist army. This disagreement caused a split in the KPNLF. This made it harder for their armed forces to operate. The KPNLAF had some early successes in northwest Cambodia. However, a Vietnamese attack in 1984–1985 badly damaged them. After this, they mostly fought using guerrilla warfare (small, surprise attacks).

After the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, Sak Sutsakhan left Son Sann and the KPNLF. He then formed his own political group, the Liberal Democratic Party.

He passed away in Detroit on April 29, 1994. His body was cremated, and his ashes were spread in Lake Michigan.

See also

In Spanish: Sak Sutsakhan para niños

• Cambodian Civil War
• Khmer Republic
• Khmer Rouge
• Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
• Khmer National Armed Forces
• Operation Eagle Pull