Sim Var

Sim Var (Khmer: ស៊ឹម វ៉ា; 2 February 1906  12 October 1989) was a Cambodian politician. He served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from July 1957 to January 1958. Together with Chhean Vam and Ieu Koeus, he co-founded the Democratic Party in April 1946. A nationalist,[2] Sim Var opposed the French rule over Cambodia and led opposition movements with other nationalists. Sim Var was Cambodia's Ambassador to Japan during the 1970s.[1]

Sim Var
17th Prime Minister of Cambodia
In office
24 April 1958  10 July 1958
MonarchNorodom Suramarit
Preceded byPenn Nouth
Succeeded byNorodom Sihanouk
In office
26 July 1957  11 January 1958
MonarchNorodom Suramarit
Preceded byNorodom Sihanouk
Succeeded byEk Yi Oun
Cambodian Ambassador to Japan
In office
1970  17 April 1975
Appointed byLon Nol
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
1957–1958
Succeeded byPenn Nouth
Personal details
Born2 February 1906
Kampong Cham, Cambodia, French Indochina (now Cambodia)
Died12 October 1989 (aged 83)[1]
Paris, France
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Ma Prakob (m. 1962; div.)
Yoko Kawada[2]

Background

Sim Var was born in 1906 in the Kompong Cham district of Tbuong Khmom (now a province) to a family of farmers. He was one of the first Cambodian nationalists. He co-founded the Democratic Party in 1946 alongside fellow nationalists Chhean Vam and Ieu Keous, with the purpose of leading a democratic movement against the French protectorate. He also co-founded the first newspaper in Cambodia in 1939 along with Pach Chheun and Son Ngoc Thanh, known as "Nokor Wat".[1][2]

In February 1947, Var was under arrest along with 16 other Democrats by French authorities over accusations of being a member of a pro-Japanese group that opposes the French rule of Cambodia.[2] He was sent to Prey Nokor for nine months from March to November 1947 and finally to Kompong Cham until his release in 1948. He became Prime Minister in 1957 and served just under one year until 1958 due to economic issues.[1][2]

In 1962, he married Ma Prakob and gave birth to a son and a daughter. The couple formally divorced years later. He later served as Cambodia's envoy to Japan in the Lon Nol government and married a Japanese woman there, named Yoko Kawada.[2] Var was believed to be involved in the coup that overthrew Norodom Sihanouk.[3] He took refuge in Paris during the Khmer Rouge rule of Cambodia until his death on 12 October 1989 at the age of 83.

References

  1. "Sim Var, Ex-Cambodian Premier, 85". The New York Times. 18 October 1989. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  2. "Sim Var (1906-1989)". nationalrescueparty.org. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. Richie, Rich. "Yale University Library Research Guides: Cambodian Newspaper Project: I - J". guides.library.yale.edu.
Political offices
Preceded by
Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister of Cambodia
1957–1958
Succeeded by
Ek Yi Oun
Preceded by
Penn Nouth
Prime Minister of Cambodia
1958
Succeeded by
Norodom Sihanouk
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