Boun Oum

Prince Boun Oum (also Prince Boun Oum Na Champassak) (December 12, 1912 - March 17, 1980) was the son of King Ratsadanay, and was the hereditary prince of Champassack (replaced the "king" system) and also Prime Minister of Laos.

Early life

He was born in Don Talad, the eldest son of H.H. Brhat Chao Buarabarna Rajadhaniya, Prince of Champasak and by his fourth wife, Princess Sudhisaramuni. He was educated at Wat Liep Monastery Sch. and l'École de droit, Vientiane. He met Mom Bouaphanh and married her in 1943. The couple had six sons and three daughters: Prince Keo Champhonesak na Champassak, Prince Saysanasak na Champassak, Prince Keo Halusak na Champassak, Prince Simoungkhounsak na Champassak, Prince Vannahsak na Champassak, Prince Vongdasak na Champassak, Princess Petchninchindasak na Champassak, Princess Keosondarasak na Champassak and Princes Keomanisak na Champassak. He succeeded on the death of his father as Head of the Princely House of Champassak, June 1946. in the same time, he renounced his rights in order to establish a unified kingdom, the Kingdom of Laos, on 27 August 1946, giving Sisavang Vong the right to rule. He then later became President of the Royal Council in 1948. In 1949, he was appointed as Inspector-General of the Kingdom.

Prime minister

Sympathetic to the white colonial French occupation of Laos, he commanded a force of 15,000 that fought Japanese troops and the Lao Issara in the south of Laos. Titular leader of the royalist faction, he served as prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos in 1948 - 1950 and again in 1960 - 1962 when The National Assembly installed him by unanimous vote of 41 to 0.

He retired from politics to pursue business interests from his base in Pakxe and Champassack but continued to be a major power broker until his exile in 1975, the year the communist Pathet Lao came to power. In 1975 he went to France for medical treatment and never returned to Laos. He died in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, and is buried at Meudon.