Oknha Veang Thiounn

Samdech Chauvea (‘Lord Prime Minister’ in Khmer) Thiounn (8 Apr. 1864, Kompong Chhnang — Sep. 1946, Phnom Penh), also titled Samdech Chauvea Veanjay (“Lord Head of the Palace”) served as Prime Minister, 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 1941.

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.

1) A portrait of Samdech Thiounn, date unknown. 2) Minister Thiounn (far left), King Sisowath and two French officials at the ​‘Revue de Longchamp’ during the 1906 royal visit to France [photo published in L’Illustration, March 1906]. 

1) A portrait of Samdech Thiounn, date unknown. 2) Minister Thiounn (far left), King Sisowath and two French officials at the ​‘Revue de Longchamp’ during the 1906 royal visit to France [photo published in L’Illustration, March 1906]. 

In 1906, Thiounn [a French transliteration of Chhuon] 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, another French version of the Khmer title ចៅហ្វា chauvea) Thiounn 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 Musée Albert Sarraut (later National Museum of Cambodia) and the Ecole des arts cambodgiens (later Royal University of Fine Arts), and actively collaborating with Suzanne Karpelès in editing the review Kambuja Surya.

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. In his Au coeur du pays khmer (1921), Dr. A. Pannetier depicted him as ​“notre agent de liaison” [our liaison officer] manipulating the ageing King Sisowath. Along with colonial administrator Roland Meyer, French civil servant Charles Bellan hinted that Samdech Thiounn obtained his Legion d’honneur in 1921 as a favor from Resident-General François Baudoin, whom he accused of prevarication, forgery and fraud, torture and even murder [in Vérité! Faux…, Tortures…, Assassinats…impunis en Indochine (affaire Baudoin, etc), self-publication, 1924].

HM King Sisowath and his ministers, 1921,from left to right: Oknha Kralahom Son Diep, Minister of the Navy; HRH Prince Monivong, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers; the King; Samdech Chauvea Veang Thiounn, Minister of the Palace and Treasury; Samdech Chakrey Peich Ponn, Minister of War, and Oknha A.L. Chhun, Minister of Justice. [source: Julio Jeldres/​National Archives of Cambodia] 

(1) Samdech Chaufea Thiounn’s account of King Sisowath’s 1906 journey has been published in Khmer in 2006, edited by Olivier de Bernon and Michel Antelme : ព្រះករុណាព្រះបាទសម្តេច ព្រះស៊ីសុវត្ថិ ព្រះចៅក្រុងកម្ពុជាធិបតី ព្រះរាជដំណីរេទៅក្រុងបារាំងសស ឆ្នាំមមីអដ្ឋស័ក៏ត្រូវនឹងឆ្នាំបារាំង (Voyage du roi Sisowath en France, en l’année du Cheval, huitième de la décade, troisième du règne, correspondant à l’année occidentale 1906, par l’Oknha Veang Thiounn), [King Sisowath’s journey to France, in the year of the Horse, eighth of the decade, third of the reign, corresponding to the Western year 1906, by Oknha Veang Thiounn], Phnom Penh, Éditions de la Bibliothèque Nationale [National Library Press], 2006, 189 p; revised repr. National Bank of Cambodia Press, 2023, 228 p.].

See also

• Marie Aberdam, ​“Samdech Veang Thiounn, (1864−1946), figure de l’interprète devenu haut-dignitaire du royaume khmer sous l’administration française”, Bulletin de l’AEFEK 20, Feb. 2015.
• Thun Theara, Epistemology of the past : texts, history, and intellectuals of Cambodia, 1855 – 1970. Texts, history, and intellectuals of Cambodia, Honolulu : University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2024, Kindle Edition. [in particular on Thiounn’s role in the edition of the Royal Chronicles].