President of Laos. A member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, he served as president from 2 December 1975 to 29 October 1986. Prior to becoming president, he was born a prince, a son of Viceroy Boun Khong of Luang Prabang. He was trained in civil engineering in France and, under the French Indochina administration, he built bridges and roads in Vietnam from 1938 to 1945. After World War II, he opposed French rule in Laos and joined the nationalist provisional government as defense minister. He was then foreign minister of the Free Lao government-in-exile in Bangkok 1947 to 1948 where he joined the Viet Minh and formed the Communist-oriented Pathet Lao in 1950. He continued to fight the Lao civil war for years as leader of the revolutionary Pathet Lao movement and in 1975 a republic was proclaimed. He became president and served on the Politburo of the Laotian Communist Party. He is best remembered as "The Red Prince" and fought with the Vietcong and Pathet Lao guerrillas against the United States.

President of Laos. A member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, he served as president from 2 December 1975 to 29 October 1986. Prior to becoming president, he was born a prince, a son of Viceroy Boun Khong of Luang Prabang. He was trained in civil engineering in France and, under the French Indochina administration, he built bridges and roads in Vietnam from 1938 to 1945. After World War II, he opposed French rule in Laos and joined the nationalist provisional government as defense minister. He was then foreign minister of the Free Lao government-in-exile in Bangkok 1947 to 1948 where he joined the Viet Minh and formed the Communist-oriented Pathet Lao in 1950. He continued to fight the Lao civil war for years as leader of the revolutionary Pathet Lao movement and in 1975 a republic was proclaimed. He became president and served on the Politburo of the Laotian Communist Party. He is best remembered as "The Red Prince" and fought with the Vietcong and Pathet Lao guerrillas against the United States.

Bio by: letemrip