Khamtai Siphandone

Early life

Siphandone was born on 8 February 1924 in the village of Huakhongphayai in Khong district to Ny Nilaxay and Saybua Nilaxay, and was among six siblings. He came from a peasant family from the far south of Laos in present-day Champasak province. In 1931, at the age of seven, he was among several children selected by an officer of the department of religious affairs in Vientiane to study in the city, thus beginning his primary education. He later attended the College PAVIE for his secondary education, but left in 1941 after the official's death left Siphandone unable to financially sustain his studies.

His first job was as a postman. After taking a specialized course in Saigon, he became a telegrapher in Phongsaly province in 1944. He joined the national liberation movement Lao Issara, which stood for the independence of Laos and against the return of the French protectorate administration, after the end of the Second World War.

Before the French regained control of Savannakhet in March 1946, Siphandone seized the entire provincial fund (150,000 piastres). He became an officer of the armed wing of the movement and in 1948 their representative for southern Laos. After the split of Lao Issara in 1950 he joined the Viet Minh-backed Pathet Lao.

In 1954, Siphandone became a member of the Communist Party of Indochina, and in 1955 the Lao People's Party, on whose central committee he served from 1957. He was considered a close confidant of the first Secretary-General Kaysone Phomvihane. In 1962 he became his successor as chief of staff of the armed units of the Pathet Lao. In 1966 he became commander-in-chief of the resulting "Lao People's Liberation Army", which fought, with North Vietnamese support, in the Laotian Civil War against the royal troops. In 1972 he rose to membership in the Politburo of the LPRP.

Political career

Siphandone was the military commander of the Pathet Lao rebellion. After the successful Communist takeover in 1975, he became the Minister of Defense and a Deputy Prime Minister of Laos. During the 5th Party Congress in 1991, Siphandone was the third highest-ranking member of the party leadership, after Kaysone Phomvihane and Nouhak Phoumsavanh. On 15 August 1991, he succeeded Kaysone, who had left office to become president, as Prime Minister of Laos. After the death of longtime party leader Kaysone in 1992, Siphandone became Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

Siphandone succeeded Nouhak Phoumsavanh as president in 1998. At the 8th Party Congress in 2006, he became an advisor to the LPRP Central Committee.

Siphandone remained as party leader until 21 March 2006, when he was replaced by Choummaly. He stepped down as president in June, following the 2006 Laotian parliamentary election.

Family and personal life

Siphandone was married to Thongvanh Siphandone. His son Sonexay joined the LPRP Politburo in 2016 and became Prime Minister of Laos in 2022. His daughter Viengthong currently serves as President of the State Audit Organization.

On 8 February 2024, he turned 100, and was sent congratulatory messages by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyễn Phú Trọng and President of Vietnam Võ Văn Thưởng. The Vietnamese ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung presented a birthday gift to Siphandone to his son Sonexay.

Death and funeral

Siphandone died in his residence in Vientiane, on 2 April 2025, at the age of 101. The Laotian government declared a period of mourning lasting from 3 to 7 April. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm, Prime Minister of Vietnam Phạm Minh Chính, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping, Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen of Thailand Suthida, Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong Un, President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel, Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong and President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Manet issued messages of condolences upon Siphandone's death. On 3 April, Lâm led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Vientiane to pay respects to Siphandone. Vietnam announced a period of mourning for two days starting on 4 April. Cuba also announced a period of mourning for one day from 5 April.

Siphandone was granted a state funeral at the That Luang esplanade in Vientiane on 7 April 2025.

Awards and honours

• Laos:

  • [[File:LAO_Gold_Medal_of_the_Nation_BAR.svg|60px]] National Gold Medal
  • [[File:Order_of_Phoxay_Lane_Xang.png|60px]] Order of Phoxay Lane Xang

• Brunei:

  • [[File:Family Order of Laila Utama with rosette.svg|60x60px]] Family Order of Laila Utama (2004)

• Cuba:

  • [[File:CUB_Order_of_Jose_Marti_2nd_type_(after_1979)_ribbon.svg|60px]] Order of José Martí

• Vietnam:

  • [[File:Vietnam_Gold_Star_ribbon.png|60px]] Gold Star Order (1993)

• Soviet Union:

  • [[File:SU_Order_of_the_Red_Banner_ribbon.svg|60px]] Order of the Red Banner (1984)

References

References

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