Democratic Kampuchea’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister
Cambodian communist leader born in southern Vietnam. He associated with Pol Pot while studying in France and entered the Workers’ Party of Kampuchea Central Committee in 1960. As foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Democratic Kampuchea from 1975 to 1979 he handled external relations and Chinese support. He remained in the Khmer Rouge leadership after its fall before defecting in 1996. Arrested in 2007, he faced international criminal proceedings but died before judgment.
Activities and affiliations
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1960–1979
Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK)
Diplomacy and international organization -
1975–1979
Democratic Kampuchea state institutionsForeign Minister and Deputy Prime MinisterMain
Diplomacy and international organization
Career Timeline
- 1951Married Ieng Thirith while studying in Paris
- 1960Central Committee member, Workers’ Party of Kampuchea
- 1975–1979Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
- 1996Defected from the Khmer Rouge
- 2007Arrested and brought before the ECCC
- 2013Died before judgment