Bounleut Saycocie

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Colonel Bounleuth Saycocie (born September 1, 1931) was a Lao military and political figure of the Second Indochina War.

[edit] Biography

He was born in Muang Hinboune, Khammouan Province and attended the Lycée Pavie in Vientiane followed by the Lao Military Academy (Army Officers School) at Dong Hene, Savannakhet Province. He also studied at the French Army Staff College (Ecole d'Etat-Major) in Paris and at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

From 1960-1962 he was a lieutenant colonel and served as Military Attache to the Royal Lao Embassy in Washington D.C. He was promoted to colonel in 1962 and served as Chief of Special Cabinet (Military Affairs) of the Ministry of Defense until 1964. From 1964-1966, he was Chief Logistics Officer of the Royal Lao Army in Vientiane.

A loyal support of Phoumi Nosavan, he conspired with him to attempt a putsch in February 1965. U.S. Ambassador William Sullivan telegramed Washington ominously, saying "Bounleut's principal accomplishment so far has been seizure of radio station." The coup failed and Bounleut sought and received political asylum in Thailand, where he remained until 1968, when he moved to France.

Along with Phoumi, he is said to have assisted in drafting the plan for Thao Ma's attempted coup in August 1973, another failure.

He is now requesting political asylum in the United States.^{[citation needed]}