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Long Boret

Long Boret (Khmer: ឡុង បូរ៉េត, pronounced [loŋ boureːt]; 3 January 1933 – 17 April 1975) was a Cambodian politician who served as the last prime minister of the Khmer Republic from 26 December 1973, to 17 April 1975. Highly regarded for his honesty, he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement with the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War. He was later arrested by the Khmer Rouge and executed on the orders of Angkar. He is one of two prime ministers to die in office, the other being Chan Sy. He is also the longest serving prime minister under the presidency of Lon Nol for the Khmer Republic.

Long was born in Chbar Ampéou near Phnom Penh in Kandal Province, Cambodia, the son of Ly Long Meas and Neang Ieng Buth. He attended the prestigious Lycée Sisowath in Phnom Penh from 1946 to 1952, studied in France from 1953 to 1955, then returned to Cambodia to work in the Royal Treasury.

Long had two wives. He divorced his first wife and he married his second wife one year later. He and his second wife were executed by the Khmer Rouge immediately after the Fall of Phnom Penh.

Long Boret was the author of a Khmer film called "Sea of Tears" (សមុទ្រទឹកភ្នែក).

Long's children are still alive today, some are in Cambodia and some in the United States. His second wife's eldest child is serving as a judge in Cambodia.

In 1958 he was elected to parliament as MP for Stung Treng Province, and was the youngest MP in parliament. He served briefly in 1958 as Deputy Secretary of State for Labour and Social Action and was re-elected to Parliament in 1962. During this period he became known as the author of romance stories, many of which were serialized in newspapers. He was appointed State Secretary for Finance but he publicly opposed the decision in November 1963 by Norodom Sihanouk to nationalize banks and foreign trade, and was forced to resign. He retained his parliamentary seat in the 1966 elections. He was the Information Minister from 1971 to 1972 and the Foreign Minister from 1972 to 1973.

On 9 December 1973, he succeeded In Tam to become Prime Minister of Cambodia. On 2 April 1974, he became one of four members of an executive board composed, in addition to Long Boret, of Lon Nol, Sisowath Sirik Matak and General Sosthene Fernandez.

On 8 April 1975, he attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement in Bangkok with representatives of the Khmer Rouge.

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