Oknha Veang Thiounn

Samdech Chaufea (‘Lord Excellency’, in Khmer) Thiounn (8 Apr. 1864, Kompong Chhnang — Sep. 1946, Phnom Penh), also called Oknha Veang Thiounn ឧកញ៉ា វ៉ាង ជួន, was Minister of The Royal Palace and Treasury, and Minister of Fine Arts under the French Protectorate. He started his public career as an interpreter and advisor for several French explorers, in particular as an attaché to the Mission Pavie. He also served as Prime Minister under King Norodom Sihanouk.

In 1885, Auguste Pavie recommended him to the École Cambodgienne in Paris, where 13 Cambodian young men were trained as interpreters (the school was located in Hotel de Saxe, rue Jacob). Three years later, Thiounn served as interpreter for the Pavie Mission.

In 1906, Thiounn assisted King Sisowath of Cambodia during the King’s official visit to France, witnessing the performances (the first ones ever outside of the Royal Palace) of the Cambodian Royal Ballet. His account of the journey during which he developed his interest in Khmer classical dance (Voyage du roi Sisowath en France, translated from Khmer into French by Olivier de Bernon in 2006) remains a reference (1). He was closely vinculated to the Royal Ballet, as he married Malis Le Faucheur, daughter of Paul Le Faucheur and Royal Ballet dancer Anak Sok. 

After publishing a documented study on the frescoes at the Royal Pagoda Preah Oubosoth Rottanaram in 1903, with important insights on the Reamker mythology and symbolic, Samdech Chaufea (or Chauffa) wrote an essay on Khmer classical choreography, Danses Cambodgiennes (published by the Phnom Penh Buddhist Institute and illustrated by artist-researcher Sappho Marchal). He also took an important part in the foundation of the Musee Albert Sarraut (later National Museum of Cambodia) and the Ecole des arts cambodgiens (later Royal University of Fine Arts), and actively collaborating with Suzanne Karpeles in editing the Kambuja Surya review.

Blamed by Prince Yukhantor for being too lenient to French authorities, he resisted political turmoil, only to be sacked at the request of Vichyist French admiral Jean Decoux, replaced by Ung Hy. He was the only minister who served under the consecutive reigns of King Norodom, King Sisowath and King Monivong.

(1) Samdech Chaufea Thiounn’s relation of King Sisowaths 1906 journey has been published in Khmer in 2006, edited by Olivier de Bernon and Michel Antelme (Phnom Penh, National Library Press, 189 p)