Thongloun Sisoulith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thongloun Sisoulith
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Thongloun in 2024
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| General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party | |
| Assumed office 15 January 2021 |
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| Deputy | Bounthong Chitmany (Standing Member) |
| Preceded by | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| 7th President of Laos | |
| Assumed office 22 March 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Phankham Viphavanh Sonexay Siphandone |
| Vice President | First Vice President Pany Yathotu Second Vice President Bounthong Chitmany |
| Preceded by | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| 17th Prime Minister of Laos | |
| In office 20 April 2016 – 22 March 2021 |
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| President | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| Preceded by | Thongsing Thammavong |
| Succeeded by | Phankham Viphavanh |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 8 June 2006 – 20 April 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Bouasone Bouphavanh Thongsing Thammavong |
| Preceded by | Somsavat Lengsavad |
| Succeeded by | Saleumxay Kommasith |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Laos | |
| In office 27 March 2001 – 20 April 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Bounnhang Vorachit Bouasone Bouphavanh Thongsing Thammavong |
| President of the State Committee for Planning and Investment | |
| In office 27 March 2001 – 8 June 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| Preceded by | Bouathong Vonglokham |
| Succeeded by | Soulivong Daravong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 November 1945 Houaphanh Province, Laos |
| Political party | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| Spouse | Naly Sisoulith |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Pedagogical College of Neo Lao Hak Sat Herzen University Russian Academy of Sciences (PhD) |
Thongloun Sisoulith, born on November 10, 1945, is an important politician from Laos. He is currently the leader of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He has also been the seventh president of Laos since 2021.
Thongloun grew up and went to school in Houaphan province. He later studied in Leningrad and Moscow in the Soviet Union. During the Laotian Civil War, he worked as a teacher and supported the Pathet Lao group.
He started his government career as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1987. He then held other important jobs. In 2001, he became the deputy prime minister. Later, in 2006, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
People described Thongloun as a 'moderate' leader. He helped make relations between Laos and the United States better. He also worked to improve Laos' connections with China and Vietnam. In 2016, he became the prime minister. During this time, he started campaigns to fight corruption. In 2021, he became the general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the president of Laos.
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Early Life and Education
Thongloun Sisoulith was born in the Houaphan province of Laos. This was on November 10, 1945. He attended the Pedagogical College of Neo Lao Hak Sat in Houaphan from 1962 to 1969.
He continued his studies in the Soviet Union and Vietnam. He earned a PhD in history and a master's degree in arts. From 1973 to 1978, Thongloun studied linguistics and literature. He did this at the Herzen Pedagogical Institute in Leningrad, Soviet Union. Then, from 1981 to 1984, he earned a PhD in the history of international relations. This was at the Academy of Social Sciences in Moscow.
Teaching Career
During the Laotian Civil War, Thongloun worked as a teacher. He supported the Communist Pathet Lao group. From 1967 to 1969, he was a senior member of the Educational Department of the Neo Lao Hak Sat. In 1969, he joined the Office of the Representative of the Neo Lao Hak Sat in Hanoi, North Vietnam.
He returned to Laos and taught at the National University of Laos. This was from 1978 to 1979, after the Communists took over Vientiane in 1975. He was in charge of the Russian language program at the university.
Political Career
Thongloun Sisoulith has held many important positions in the government. He was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1992. From 1993 to 1997, he served as the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. He was also a member of the National Assembly from 1998 to 2000.
On March 27, 2001, he became the deputy prime minister. He also became the President of the State Planning Committee. On June 8, 2006, he was also made Foreign Minister. He took over this role from Somsavat Lengsavad. On January 23, 2016, he was chosen to become the Prime Minister of Laos. This happened at the 10th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
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As Prime Minister (2016-2021)
After Thongloun became Prime Minister of Laos, he started campaigns to fight corruption. From April 2016 to February 2017, the State Inspection Authority made 25 arrests related to corruption. Under Thongloun, the government sold off luxury cars like BMW-7 series and Mercedes-Benz. They replaced them with Toyota Camrys for government use.
In 2017, there were disagreements about the Cambodia–Laos border. The Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, asked Laos to remove its troops from Cambodian land.
On July 23, 2018, a part of the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower project collapsed. This dam was on the Mekong river in Champassak province. The collapse killed 71 people and forced 14,440 people to leave their homes. Laos, Thailand, and South Korea were working on the dam. There had been warnings about the dam's safety before it collapsed. As Prime Minister, Thongloun postponed meetings. He traveled to the affected area in Sanamxay district to help with relief efforts.
On January 4, 2020, Thongloun represented Laos in Hanoi. He attended the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam – Laos Inter-Governmental Committee. He met with the Vietnamese Prime Minister. During the meetings, he praised Vietnam's economy. Both countries agreed to make their ties and cooperation stronger.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Laos worked with Vietnam and Cambodia. Thongloun had phone calls with his Cambodian and Vietnamese counterparts. At the 36th ASEAN summit on June 26, 2020, he represented Laos. He spoke about how well ASEAN handled the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 10, he praised the National Taskforce Committee. This was for their work in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Laos. This happened after 59 days with no new COVID-19 cases. He also thanked countries like China, the United States, and Vietnam for their support.
In August 2020, he asked the media to keep "defeating the fake, deceptive, and harmful news" on social media. This was seen by international media as a way to tell the media in Laos not to report negatively on the government. On December 13, 2020, Thongloun spoke to the United Nations. He explained how Laos continues to follow the Paris Agreement. This agreement includes policies to reduce carbon emissions. He asked other nations for help to reach these goals.
At the 11th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on February 15, 2021, he was elected the party's general secretary. This made him the main leader of Laos. He was the first civilian, meaning he had no military background, to become general secretary. Thongloun officially started his new role on March 22, 2021. He replaced the previous leader, Bounnhang Vorachith, who retired. Phankham Viphavanh then became the new Prime Minister.
Leadership
After becoming general secretary and president, Thongloun promised to help Laos' economy grow. He also vowed to reduce poverty by working with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). In March 2021, Laos began using the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine became the main one for their vaccination programs.
On December 3, 2021, he and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping opened a new railway. This was the Boten–Vientiane section of the Lao-China railway. Laos has been facing increasing debt to China. About half of Laos' debt to other countries is owed to China. At the 27th Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 27, 2022, Thongloun said that concerns about a Chinese debt-trap were not a big worry.
Foreign Policy
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Under Thongloun's leadership, Laos tries to keep a good balance in its relationships. This includes its ties with both China and Vietnam. On May 26, 2023, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and tensions between China and Taiwan, Thongloun warned about these conflicts. He said they might grow into bigger wars.
In October 2024, Thongloun attended the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. There, he met with General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping and other leaders.
Personal Life
Thongloun Sisoulith is married to Naly Sisoulith, who was born in 1947. They have three children: two sons and one daughter. Thongloun's daughter, Moukdavanh, works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos. She is a deputy director general in the International Organization Department.
Besides Lao, he can speak Vietnamese, Russian, and English.
Awards and Honors
- Thailand: Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant (2010)
- Russia: Gold Medal of the Russian Peace Foundation "For Peacekeeping and Charitable Activities" (October 5, 2015)
- Russia: Order of Friendship (October 20, 2015)
- Vietnam: Gold Star Order (2017)
Honorary Doctorates
- Thailand: Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (2016)
- Thailand: Khon Kaen University (2017)
- China: Guangxi University for Nationalities (2022)
See also
In Spanish: Thongloun Sisoulith para niños
