Keo Viphakone

Last updated
Keo Viphakone
Personal details
Born
Henri Boucharon

15 August 1917
Luang Prabang
Spouse(s)Khamboua Sengsathit
Alma mater Sisawat College
Training Center for Indochina Inspectors of Water and Forests of Phnom Penh
Awards Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service
Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
Medal of the Kingdom of Laos in Gold
Medal of the Lao Veterans Legion
Chevalier of the Legion of Honour [1]

Henri Boucharon (August 15, 1917- April 13, 2006), better known by his adopted Lao name Keo Viphakone, was a Laotian diplomat, nationalist and public servant who demonstrated exemplary performance in his various government posts. For his achievements, he garnered several awards including Commander grade of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (1953), and Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1967.

Contents

Personal life and education

The eldest of seven children, Keo belonged to an upper-middle-class family in Luang Prabang. His father was a French soldier and for this, he could have been a French citizen. When Keo's father returned to France after suffering an illness, he had attempted to take Keo with him but Keo's grandmother refused to let her favorite grandson go. [2] The same grandmother almost succeeded in keeping Keo away from school until a teacher found him playing by a Mekong River tributary and brought him back to school. [1]

While his school records show that his birth date was April 15, 1920 making it seem that he was eight years old at the time of his school admission, Keo was actually already eleven years old when he started his primary education. [1] [2]

Finishing at the top of his class at the Lycee in Vientiane where he learned French and English, he went on to enroll in Sisawat College in 1939. At the onset of the Japanese occupation of Cambodia, Keo entered the Training Center for Indochina Inspectors of Water and Forests of Phnom Penh where he graduated with distinction in 1941.

Career

After his studies in Cambodia, Keo returned to Laos to work at the Water and Forest Service. With Japan's defeat in World War II, Keo's nationalistic sentiments grew and he joined the Lao Issara movement. It was at this point in time when he decided to stop using his birth name.

Keo was appointed as chief of Cabinet by Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa when the latter established his government in October 1945. In 1946, French troops entered Laos and Lao Issara leaders including Keo were forced to flee to Thailand. While exiled, Keo started a charcoal-making and marketing project in order to raise funds for the Issara government. In 1949, Keo returned to Laos following the establishment of the Royal Lao Government and was named chief of the Forest and Land Division in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

From 1951 to 1958, Keo lived as a diplomat, first at the French High Commission as representative of Laos. He was posted in Paris as First Secretary of the Lao Embassy in 1953 where he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor for promoting friendship and understanding between Laos and France. At that time, he also served as Secretary General of the High Council of the French Union. He then served as counselor of the Royal Lao Embassy in Washington, D.C.. From 195 to 1958 he was part of the Permanent Mission of Laos to the United Nations.

Keo returned to Laos in 1958 and took on the responsibility of improving the rural areas in Laos as administrator of the Rural Development Program. Challenges faced during those days were insufficient roads and bridges, schools, teachers, wells, sanitary facilities, dispensaries, and health workers. On the other hand, the ongoing fight between the government and the communists became a hindrance to development efforts. Obtaining foreign aid, Keo was able to pull off the Rural Development Plan with the construction of 701 schools; 153 dispensaries, markets, training centers, crematories and warehouses; 203.5 kilometers of roads; 72 bridges and 10 air strips; 14 irrigation systems, 44 water storage and flood control dams; and 15 fishponds. In addition, villagers and soldiers were trained in rural development techniques. [1]

Under the 11th Royal Lao Government, Keo served as Minister of Economics and Rural Development Affairs from April 5, 1960 to August 9, 1960. From March 23, 1962 to June 1974, under the 14th Lao Three-Party Government, he was Vice-Minister of Social Welfare. He kept this post even after the government reshuffle under Souvanna Phouma’s 14th government.

As Laotian ambassador to France from December 1974, Keo sought political asylum in France with the ongoing war between the government and the Communists. He lived with his relatives while in Paris. [3]

Later on as Secretary of State for Social Welfare, Keo gained the support of Filipino organization Operation Brotherhood to train workers needed in the programs that he developed. As Laos's demand for skilled labor increased, Keo initiated studies on labor laws in Laos which led to the creation of the Labor Department which shall focus on developing skilled manpower.

Throughout his career as public servant, Keo lived in integrity and simplicity, having a simple house and without even a car of his own. [1]

Honors

Related Research Articles

Evidence for modern human presence in the northern and central highlands of Indochina, that constitute the territories of the modern Laotian nation-state dates back to the Lower Paleolithic. These earliest human migrants are Australo-Melanesians — associated with the Hoabinhian culture and have populated the highlands and the interior, less accessible regions of Laos and all of South-east Asia to this day. The subsequent Austroasiatic and Austronesian marine migration waves affected landlocked Laos only marginally and direct Chinese and Indian cultural contact had a greater impact on the country.

Viet Minh Communist Vietnamese independence movement between 1941 and 1951

Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on May 19, 1941. The Việt Nam Độc Lập Đồng Minh Hội had previously formed in Nanjing, China, at some point between August 1935 and early 1936 when Vietnamese nationalist parties formed an anti-imperialist united front. This organization soon lapsed into inactivity, only to be revived by the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) and Hồ Chí Minh in 1941. The Việt Minh established itself as the only organized anti-French and anti-Japanese resistance group. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. The United States supported France. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China. After World War II, the Việt Minh opposed the re-occupation of Vietnam by France, resulting in the Indochina War, and later opposed South Vietnam and the United States in the Vietnam War. The political leader and founder of Việt Minh was Hồ Chí Minh. The military leadership was under the command of Võ Nguyên Giáp. Other founders were Lê Duẩn and Phạm Văn Đồng.

Kaysone Phomvihane

Kaysone Phomvihane was the first leader of the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized power in the wake of the Laotian Civil War, he was the de facto leader of Laos from 1975 until his death. He served as the first Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic from 1975 to 1991 and then as the second President from 1991 to 1992.

Souphanouvong

Prince Souphanouvong was, along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the "Three Princes" who represented respectively the communist (pro-Vietnam), neutralist and royalist political factions in Laos. He was the figurehead President of Laos from December 1975 to August 1991.

Boun Oum

Prince Boun Oum was the son of King Ratsadanay, and was the hereditary prince of Champassak and also Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos from March 1949 to February 1950 and again from December 1960 to June 1962.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa Laotian prime minister and prince

Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa (Somdej Chao Maha Uparaja Petsaraj Ratanavongsa was the 1st Prime Minister of Luang Phrabang in French Laos from 21 August 1941 to 10 October 1945, and Head of State of Laos between 12 October 1945 and 4 April 1946.

Souvanna Phouma

Prince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times.

Phoumi Vongvichit

Phoumi Vongvichit was a leading figure of the Pathet Lao and an elder statesman of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Laotian Civil War 1959–1975 civil war in Laos

The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos which was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. It is associated with the Cambodian Civil War and the Vietnam War, with both sides receiving heavy external support in a proxy war between the global Cold War superpowers. It is called the Secret War among the CIA Special Activities Center and Hmong veterans of the conflict.

Ramon Magsaysay 7th President of the Philippines

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster. An automobile mechanic by profession, Magsaysay was appointed military governor of Zambales after his outstanding service as a guerrilla leader during the Pacific War. He then served two terms as Liberal Party congressman for Zambales's at-large district before being appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Elpidio Quirino. He was elected president under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He was the first Philippine president born in the 20th century and the first to be born after the Spanish colonial era.

Flag of Laos National flag

The flag of Laos consists of three horizontal stripes, with the middle stripe in blue being twice the height of the top and bottom red stripes. In the middle is a white disc, the diameter of the disc is 4⁄5 the height of the blue stripe. The flag ratio is 2:3.

This article details the history of Laos since 1945.

French protectorate of Laos

The French protectorate of Laos was a French protectorate in Southeast Asia of what is today Laos between 1893 and 1953—with a brief interregnum as a Japanese puppet state in 1945—which constituted part of French Indochina. It was established over the Siamese vassal, the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, following the Franco-Siamese War in 1893. It was integrated into French Indochina and in the following years further Siamese vassals, the Principality of Phuan and Kingdom of Champasak, were annexed into it in 1899 and 1904, respectively.

Lao Issara Laotian anti-French movement

The Lao Issara was an anti-French, non-communist nationalist movement formed on 12 October 1945 by Prince Phetsarath. This short-lived movement emerged after the Japanese defeat in World War II and became the government of Laos before the return of the French. It aimed to prevent the French from restoring their control over Laos. The group disbanded in 1949.

Healthcare in Laos is provided by both the private and public sector. It is limited in comparison with other countries. Western medical care is available in some locations, but remote areas and ethnic groups are underserved. Public spending on healthcare is low compared with neighbouring countries. Still, progress has been made since Laos joined the World Health Organization in 1950: life expectancy at birth rose to 66 years by 2015; malaria deaths and tuberculosis prevalence have plunged; and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has declined by 75 percent.

Norodom Arunrasmy

Norodom Arunrasmy is a Cambodian princess, politician, and diplomat. She is the youngest daughter of HM King Father Norodom Sihanouk and stepdaughter of Queen Mother Norodom Monineath. Her birth mother is Mam Manivan Phanivong, a Lao woman who was born in Vientiane, Laos and married King Sihanouk in 1949.

Sombath Somphone Lao civil society member

Sombath Somphone is an internationally acclaimed community development worker and prominent member of Lao civil society. Sombath was abducted from a Vientiane street in 2012 and has not been seen since.

Phaya Khammao Vilay was a Lao politician. He was born in Luang Prabang, and was educated in France, and eventually in 1917 joined the French colonial administrator in Laos. He was appointed as governor of Viang Chan from 1941 to 1945. He was one of the big contributors for funding Lao Issara in the cause of fighting for independent from France.

General Sing Rattanasamay (1912–1973) was one of the officers who founded the Royal Lao Army (RLA). Originally a policeman, he joined the anti-Japanese resistance during World War II, and the anti-French Lao Issara from 1946–1949. He subsequently joined the nascent RLA, and went on to serve the Kingdom of Laos until just prior to his death in 1973.

Khampheng Boupha is a Laotian former politician, who served as a member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao Women's Union.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Balgos, Cecile C.A., ed. (2007). "Keo Viphakone". Great Men and Women of Asia: Ramon Magsaysay Awardees from Southeast Asia 1958-1973. Anvil.
  2. 1 2 "Viphakone, Keo: BIOGRAPHY". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Keo Viphakone Seeks Asylum". The Indiana Gazette. 17 March 1977. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.