Ke Kim Yan (Khmer: ឯកឧត្តម ឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី កែ គឹមយ៉ាន) is the former
Commander-in-Chief of the
Royal Armed Forces of Cambodia and currently one of the ten
Deputy Prime Ministers of Cambodia
Deputy or depute may refer to:
* Steward (office)
* Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy"
* Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including:
** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
. He is considered as a "highly professional officer with a realistic approach to the challenges before him".
Biography
Ke Kim Yan had no
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
background. He had originally distinguished himself in the
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia which existed from 1979 to 1989. It was a satellite state of Vietnam, founded in Cambodia by the Vietnamese-backed Kampuchean United Front for Nationa ...
military ranks as a commander fighting
Pol Pot
Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until Cambodian–Vietnamese War, his overthrow in 1979. During ...
Khmer Rouge
guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
in northwest Cambodia and had then become Secretary of the RPPK Committee and chairman of the provincial administration for
Battambang province
Battambang (, , ) is a province of Cambodia in the far northwest of the country. Bordering provinces are Banteay Meanchey to the north, Pursat to the east and south, Siem Reap to the northeast, and Pailin to the west. The northern and south ...
.
Losing the 1993 election
Along with Ung Sami and
Hul Savorn, General Ke Kim Yan was among the original candidates of the
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party (CPP; , UNGEGN: ) is a Cambodian political party which has ruled the country since 1979. Founded in 1951, it was originally known as the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP).
During the Cold War it allied ...
in the
province of Battambang during the
1993 general election. The overwhelming victory of the royalist party
FUNCINPEC
The National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, commonly referred to as FUNCINPEC, is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Founded in 1981 by Norodom Sihanouk, it began as a resistance movement again ...
in that province proved a "bitter political blow" to these powerful men.
After King Norodom Sihanouk proclaimed a post-election interim coalition government of
FUNCINPEC
The National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, commonly referred to as FUNCINPEC, is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Founded in 1981 by Norodom Sihanouk, it began as a resistance movement again ...
and the CPP on June 3, 1993, Sihanouk remained Uppermost High Commander of a multi-partite Cambodian Armed Forces proclaimed on June 10 but Ke Kim Yan was named chief of the armed forces Supreme General Staff in replacement of Pol Saroeun, and with deputies including general officers from both FUNCINPEC,
Nhek Bunchhay, and the CPP, represented by Pol Saroeun.
Restoring the unity of the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces
Ke Kim Yan was the head of the powerful General Political Department of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces before being named Chief of Staff of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. In the early 1990s, despite financial difficulties and lack of human resources, he was in charge of the difficult mission of uniting the various rebel military movements such as those led by
Nhek Bun Chhay
Nhek Bun Chhay (; born 1956) is a Cambodian politician and leader of the Khmer National United Party. Prior to his career in the military, he began as a rebel and supported the royalist forces of Funcinpec until he rose to the rank of general. ...
and reintegrate them into the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF; , ) is Cambodia's national military force. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is King Norodom Sihamoni. Since 2018, General Vong Pisen has been the Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF as head of the Army, Na ...
. With written orders from Prince
Norodom Ranariddh
Norodom Ranariddh (; 2 January 1944 – 28 November 2021, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: , Romanization of Khmer#ALA-LC Romanization Tables, ALA-LC: ) was a Cambodian politician and law academic. He was the second son of King Norodom S ...
an Co-Prime Minister Hun Sen, General Ke Kim Yan sold 30,000m3 of allegedly already
felled timber which had been 'confiscated' in
Koh Kong, in order to raise money to fund the 1995-1996 dry season offensive on the last Khmer Rouge positions during the
Battle of Pailin. In 1995, as Chief of Staff, General Ke Kim Yan had to demobilize part of the 130,000 strong army, as part of the reform process, while allegations emanated from the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
that he had engaged in forced
conscription
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
s in order to find soldiers to fight on the Thai border. Meanwhile, he was sometimes considered dangerously “soft” on UNTAC and FUNCINPEC by the government of Cambodia, as he tried to walk on the narrow path between the UNTAC on one side and Cambodian politics on another.
In May 1997, General Ke Kim Yan led the Khmer delegation in the first meeting of the border peace-keeping Committee between Thailand and Cambodia.
Avoiding bloodshed during the coup of 1997
Between unstable years from 1993 and 1997, General Ke Kim Yan had to face no less than four
coup attempts. During the successful coup in July 1997, the military led by commander-in-chief, General Ke Kim Yan (CPP), and the CPP Minister of the Interior,
Sar Kheng
Sar Kheng (; born 15 January 1951) is a Cambodian politician. He is the vice president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party and served as Minister of the Interior and deputy prime minister from 1992 to 2023. He also represents the province of ...
, refused the use of force despite direct orders from
Hun Sen
Samdech Hun Sen (; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the List of presidents of the Senate (Cambodia), president of the Senate. He previous ...
which were executed only by key military forces participating under the authority of Pol Saroeun,
and with the help the private security and financial support of powerful tycoons such as
Teng Bunma
Teng Bunma 許銳騰 (; 1941 – 17 June 2016), also written as Teng Boonma, Theng Boonma, and Theng Bunma, was one of the wealthiest businessmen in Cambodia. He was one the founders of Thai Boon Roong Group and, along with Sok Kong and Meng Ret ...
,
Sok Kong
Lok Oknha Sok Kong (; born in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia) is a Khmer-Vietnamese oligarch and founder of Sokimex, a petroleum company based in Cambodia. He is considered among Cambodia's two "most successful entrepreneurs" along with Kith Men ...
and
Mong Reththy. General Ke Kim Yan instructed all units of the armed forces that all units must stay at their base, and no troop movements were allowed without orders from the General Chief of Staff, avoiding even more bloodshed. After the coup, Prime Minister Hun Sen gave his gun made of solid gold to Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, General Ke Kim Yan, now kept in the National Museum of the Military as a symbol of the massive surrender of weapons in order to return to peace in Cambodia after the coup.
Leading Cambodian military diplomacy
General Ke Kim Yan, Chief of General Staff, Ministry of Defence of Cambodia led a 3 - member delegation for participation in the Aero India 1998 at Bangalore from 6–14 December 1998.
After Hun Sen resigned as
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in 1999, the Prime Minister elevated General Ke Kim Yan who was the former Chief of the General Staff, as the new Commander-in-Chief. In October 1999, Ke Kim Yan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, led a senior military delegation to Beijing to discuss China's offer of military assistance, in what was the highest diplomatic visit to China since 1993 and the return of King Sihanouk from China, and has since then resulted in the generous military support of China for Cambodia.
Between crisis and promotion as Deputy Prime Minister
In 2005, Hun Sen publicly attacked General Ke Kim Yan, saying that the general would be fired if he disobeyed orders because the prime minister controlled the armed forces.
In January 2009, General Ke Kim Yan was removed from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF; , ) is Cambodia's national military force. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is King Norodom Sihamoni. Since 2018, General Vong Pisen has been the Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF as head of the Army, Na ...
and was replaced by his deputy, General Pol Saroeun, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. While it was believed that this resulted from an internal dispute within the Cambodian People's Party and others accused Ke Kim Yan of being caught in shady land deals, the move was presented as an ordinary reshuffle within the military. It has been said that General Ke Kim Yan was promoted to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, not only because of his proximity with Chea Sim, but more specifically due to his widespread support in the military.
Family
General Ke Kim Yan is related by marriage to
Sar Kheng
Sar Kheng (; born 15 January 1951) is a Cambodian politician. He is the vice president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party and served as Minister of the Interior and deputy prime minister from 1992 to 2023. He also represents the province of ...
, who is also the brother-in-law of the belated
Chea Sim
Chea Sim (; 15 November 19328 June 2015) was a Cambodian politician. He was President of the Cambodian People's Party from 1991 to 2015, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia from 1981 to 1998 (Vice President from June to October 19 ...
.
Legacy
Demining Cambodia
Chief of General Staff Ke Kim Yan is not only credited with defeating the remaining Khmer Rouge soldiers after the return of the monarch in Cambodia in 1993, he has also contributed significantly to the effort of demining Cambodia which kept mines as wounds since the
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War (, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ) was a civil war in Cambodia fought between the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khmer Rouge, supported by North Vietnam and China) against the government of the Ki ...
. It is reported that from 1993 to 2002, the engineering forces of the Cambodian army have liberated 4,288,913 ha from mines.
Reforming the Cambodian military
After uniting the various rebellious factions into one military force under the banner of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, General Ke Kim Yan has also strived to reform the military to international military standards; as such, the United Nations consider him as "the strongest backer for military reform
.who wishes to transform the RCAF into a sufficiently professional force such that it could take part in future peacekeeping missions."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ke, Kim Yan
Cambodian People's Party politicians
Cambodian generals
Cambodian military personnel
Deputy prime ministers of Cambodia
Government ministers of Cambodia
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)