Pach Chhoeun

Pach Chhoeun (1895-1971) was a Cambodian patriot, journalist and librarian. In 1936 he co-founded and worked as the Director of the first national Khmer-language newspaper, Nagara Vatta, (Pali for 'Angkor Wat'). The newspaper was an "expression of subdued anti-French colonialism". The newspaper "advocated very moderate reforms, more Cambodian participation in commerce and greater educational opportunities and equal opportunity treatment for Cambodians". Pach Chhoeun served in multiple government positions over the course of his political life including Minister of the National Economy in 1945, Minister of Information in 1951,

Biographical timeline 1915-1920 Pach Chhoeun enlisted in the French Colonial Army as an interpreter. He served in Flanders France during World War I. After WWI he returned to Phnom Penh. The editorial stand of Nagara Vatta was pro-Cambodian without being anti-French. It objected to Vietnamese domination of Cambodian civil service, Chinese domination of commerce and shortage of employment for educated Khmer, advocated modernization of the educational system, improved credit for Cambodian farmers, and low pay of Cambodian civil servants. The effects of Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia and the lack of French response to it in Cambodia contributed to Anti-French sentiment towards French colonialism. Cambodian independence had become primarily a matter of time. On July 17, 1942 Hem Chieu a popular Buddhist Sangha monk was implicated, accused and arrested suspected for organizing a French coup outraging many in the Cambodian educated elite and Sanga monk population. On July 20, 1942 Pach Chhoeun organized and led a demonstration in support of Hem Chieu. More than 1,500 supporters, half of them Buddhist Monks, marched along the Phnom Penh main boulevard to the Office of French Superior to demand his freedom. The march itself was peaceful and became known as the "Umbrella Protest (also known as War March)" because the peaceful Monks carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. Pach Chhoeun was arrested as soon as he submitted the petition for Hem Chieu's release to the Consulate. Afterwards, the Nagara Vatta newspaper was shut down by the French government. Hem Chieu and Pach Chhoeun were sentenced to death but were later commuted to life imprisonment on Poulo Condor as a non-communist Nationalist along with his colleague Son Ngoc Than

1945-1950 Japanese military pushed out the French from Cambodia in March 1945. Norodom Sihanouk presided over a rally to proclaim Cambodia's Independence and commemorated the anti-French demonstration of the Umbrella March of July 20, 1942. Pach Chhoeun just released from Poulo Condor prison and Sơn Ngọc Thành returned from Tokyo joined Norodom Sihanouk at a rally in Phnom Penh. However the group collapsed in May 1946 after the French military reclaimed the Cambodian-Vietnam border in the lower Cambodia Khmer Krom region. Pach Chhoeun surrendered and was imprisoned by the French and was eventually exiled to France from 1947 to 1950

1952-1971 Pach Chhoeun retired from political life in 1952 and worked in his business running a garage in Phnom Penh. In the late 1950's Pach Chhoeun became Curator of the National Library.