Prince Boun Oum

Prince Boun Oum (born December 2, 1912, Champasak, Laos—died March 17, 1980, near Paris, France) was a Laotian politician who renounced his rights as heir to the throne of Champasak (though he retained his traditional title) and became known for his rightist, pro-Western positions.

Boun Oum was the oldest son of Chao Rasadani, king of Champasak, and was educated in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) and Laos. He took part in the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation during World War II and supported France following the war. Boun Oum twice served as prime minister of Laos, from 1948 to 1950 (during which time an independence agreement was signed) and later from 1960 to 1962. Despite the 14-nation 1954 Geneva Conference agreement stating that Laos was to be a unified independent buffer state, the deeply divided country continued to be torn apart by three factions. The civil war between pro-Western (led by Boun Oum), communist (Pathet Lao, led by Souphanouvong), and neutralist (led by Souvanna Phouma) forces was halted in 1962 when the three reaffirmed Laos as a neutral state. Boun Oum rejoined the government four years later as minister of religion, serving until 1972. He retained the honorary title of inspector general of the realm until 1975, when he was forced to flee to France after the Pathet Lao gained full control of Laos. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic condemned Boun Oum to death in absentia.