Peter Khoy Saukam
{{Short description|Cambodian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Western name order|Saukam Khoy}}
{{family name hatnote|Saukam|Peter|lang=Cambodian}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = General
| name = Peter Khoy Saukam
| native_name = {{nobold|សូកាំ ខូយ}}
| image = General Saukham Khoy.jpg
| caption = Khoy in 1975
| order = 2nd President of the Khmer Republic
| status = Acting
| term_start = 1 April 1975
| term_end = 12 April 1975
| deputy =
| predecessor = Lon Nol
| successor = Sak Sutsakhan
{{small|as Chairman of the Supreme Committee}}
| office1 = President of the Senate
| primeminister1 =
| term_start1 = 1972
| term_end1 = 1975
| predecessor1 = Position established
| successor1 = Chea Sim (1999)
| birth_name = Saukam Khoy
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1915|2|2}}
| birth_place = Cambodia, French Indochina
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2008|11|14|1915|2|2}}
| death_place = Stockton, California, U.S.
| residence =
| spouse = Vom Tep Saukam
| children = 7
| constituency =
| party = Social Republican Party
| signature =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970)|name=First Kingdom of Cambodia}}
{{flag|Khmer Republic}}
| branch = {{army|Cambodia}}
{{army|Khmer Republic}}
| serviceyears = 1940–1975
| rank = Lieutenant general
20px
| commands =
| unit =
| battles = World War II
First Indochina War
Cambodian Civil War
| awards =
| native_name_lang = km
}}
Peter Khoy Saukam (born Saukam Khoy {{langx|km|សូកាំ ខូយ}}; 2 February 1915 – 14 November 2008) was a Cambodian senior military officer and politician who served as 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 Khmer Royal 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.{{Cite web |url=http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917230-2,00.html |title=Time runs short for Phnom Penh |date=7 April 1975 |work=Time Magazine |access-date=8 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929073539/http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917230-2,00.html |archive-date=29 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917275,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018181625/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917275,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2012 |title=Waiting for the Fall |date=14 April 1975 |work=Time Magazine }}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917322,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930083721/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917322,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 September 2007 |title=American Pullout from a City Under Siege |date=21 April 1975 |work=Time Magazine }}
Death
Khoy died at the age of 93 in Stockton, California, United States, on 14 November 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081121/A_NEWS/811210327 |title=Fallen Leader Mourned |date=21 November 2008 |work=The Record |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928033003/http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081121/A_NEWS/811210327 |archive-date=28 September 2011 }}
Notes
{{reflist|30em}}
References
{{refbegin|30em}}
- Kenneth Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975, Equinox Publishing (Asia) Pte Ltd, Djakarta 2011. {{ISBN|978-979-3780-86-3}}
- Kenneth Conboy, Kenneth Bowra, and Mike Chappell, The War in Cambodia 1970-75, Men-at-arms series 209, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989. {{ISBN|0-85045-851-X}}
- Justin Corfield and Laura Summers, Historical Dictionary of Cambodia, Asian/Oceanian Historical Dictionaries No. 43, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, Maryland, and Oxford 2003. {{ISBN|0-8108-4524-5}} – [https://archive.org/details/historicaldictionaryofcambodia]
- Sak Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse, U.S. Army Center of Military History, Washington D.C. 1980. – available online at Vietnam.ttu.edu [https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060055/https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/star/images/239/2390505001A.pdf Part 1 PDF], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070221083105/http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/star/images/239/2390505001B.pdf Part 2 (PDF)], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070221083124/http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/star/images/239/2390505001C.pdf Part 3 (PDF)], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180419053236/http://www.virtual.vietnam.ttu.edu/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?97laG21WoZlsnsWDvnA31cNKtjxPNll0tmML2jW%40FwEn4i8u1B8IEc.QazoGZ6EyR.jZs3iSmJy.%40b5lWydOtg737NiWUVNgTGwUSqlvIfg%2F2390505001D.pdf Part 4 (PDF)].
{{refend}}
{{Heads of state of Cambodia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saukam, Peter Khoy}}
Category:20th-century Cambodian politicians
Category:Cambodian emigrants to the United States
Category:Cambodian republicans
Category:Politicians from Stockton, California
Category:Social Republican Party politicians
Category:Heads of state of Cambodia
Category:Presidents of the Senate (Cambodia)
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