Soulivong Savang

From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia

Crown Prince Soulivong Savang (born May 8, 1963), grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when the Communist Pathet Lao took over the nation. Soulivong Savang lives in exile in Paris, France. Template:Infobox pretender

1 Biography
2 See also
3 Quotes
4 External links

Biography

Soulivong Savang was born at the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang to Crown Prince Vong Savang and Princess Mahneelai. After the communist revolution, some members of the Royal Family were taken into captivity to be 're-educated'. Savang escaped from captivity from Laos with his younger brother Prince Thayavong Savang in 1981, arriving in France as refugees. Those members of the Royal Family who did not escape were progressively murdered or died of ill-treatment ^[1] ^[2].

Soulivong Savang attended the University of Clermont-Ferrand in France and also obtained a law degree. He has been working to bring "social and charitable reforms" for the people of Laos and the return of a constitutional monarchy to Laos to benefit the people. His Uncle Prince Sauryavong Savang is currently head of the Laotian royal family and acts as regent to his nephew.

In September 1997, Soulivong Savang and his brother Prince Thayavong Savang along with their Uncle Prince Sauryavong Savang initiated a Royal Lao Conference in Seattle, United States. Over three hundred Lao exiles and representatives of the Hmong community attended. The Revered Hmong Leader and Former Royal Lao Army Commander, General Vang Pao, was in attendance and a strong force at this meeting. Many of the American Lao and Hmong community members stressed that they will support a Constitutional Monarchy again in Laos if Prince Soulivong Savang "initiates the stand". They believe, and some know, that none of this will be possible without another Laotian civil war.

However, a resolution^{[citation needed]} was established at this historic meeting between the Lao and Hmong leaders and the Royal Family, and it held the common goal to change "the totalitarian regime to a genuine democratic system", and "the reunification of the Lao people".

Soulivong Savang works along with other members of the Lao Royal Family such as Prince Sauryavong Savang, Prince Mangkra Souvannaphouma and Prince Thayavong Savang to establish a constitutional monarchy in Laos.

^ Christopher Kremmer, Stalking the Elephant Kings, In Search of Laos (1997)
^ Christopher Kremmer, Bamboo Palace, Discovering the Lost Dynasty of Laos (2003)