Saukam Khoy
| General Peter Khoy Saukam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Khmer Republic Acting | |
|
In office 1st April 1975 – 12th April 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Lon Nol |
| Succeeded by |
Sak Sutsakhan as Chairman of the Supreme Committee |
| 1st President of the Khmer Republic Senate | |
|
In office 1972–1975 | |
| Prime Minister |
Sisowath Sirik Matak Son Ngoc Thanh Hang Thun Hak In Tam Long Boret |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Chea Sim |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 2, 1915 French Indochina |
| Died |
November 14, 2008 (aged 93) Stockton, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Social Republican Party |
| Spouse(s) | Vom Tep Saukam |
| Children | 6 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Cambodia (pre-1970 Kingdom of Cambodia)  Cambodia (Khmer Republic) |
| Service/branch |
Royal Cambodian Army Khmer National Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1975 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
Saukam Khoy (Khmer: សូកាំ ខូយ; 2 February 1915 – 14th November 2008), later known as Peter Khoy Saukam, was Acting President of the Khmer Republic for 12 days in April 1975. He was President of the Senate from 1972 to 1975.
Early life
Born on 2 February 1915, Saukam Khoy enlisted into the Royal Khmer Army in 1940, when he was 25. He achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1953 and subsequently, lieutenant-general. He became President of the Senate of the Khmer Republic in 1972[1]
Presidency
He took office on 1 April 1975, when a tearful Lon Nol left 'temporarily' with his entire family for Bali in Indonesia after an invitation from his friend, Indonesian President Suharto.[2]
Khoy's time in office was short. He left Phnom Penh together with American Ambassador John Gunther Dean aboard a CH-53 helicopter during the evacuation of American embassy staff and civilians, dubbed Operation Eagle Pull on 12 April, just five days before Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge.[3]
Khoy died at the age of 93 in Stockton, California, United States on 14 November 2008.[4]
References
- ↑ Time runs short for Phnom Penh, Monday 7th April 1975 Time Magazine
- ↑ Waiting for the Fall, Monday 14th April 1975 Time Magazine
- ↑ American Pullout from a City Under Siege, 21st April, 1975, Time Magazine
- ↑ Fallen Leader Mourned, 21st November 2008 The Record