Background
Chhay was born into a middle-peasant family in Prek Sbauv, Kampong Thom province.
Chhay was born into a middle-peasant family in Prek Sbauv, Kampong Thom province.
He is best known for being the older brother of Political Pot (Saloth Sar), future leader of the Khmer Rouge communists, and for influencing his early political development. Chhay is thought to have been killed by the Khmer Rouge shortly after their victory in the Cambodian Civil War, or to have died during deportation from Phnom Penh. In the mid-1930s he went to live in Phnom Penh, staying with relatives who had connections at the court of Cambodia"s king, Sisowath Monivong.
His visit to the eastern headquarters of the United Issarak Front, the Cambodian communist resistance, paved the way for his brother"s visit there in 1953.
Chhay became an activist for the Pracheachon socialist party, the legal "front" organization for the Cambodian communists. Chhay was, however, arrested in 1955 after his newspaper, Sammaki ("Solidarity"), publicly opposed Sihanouk"s Cambodian-United States Military Agreement.
During the later 1950s and early 1960s, the Pracheachon was repressed by Sihanouk"s Sangkum movement. Chhay was again jailed in 1969, but was however to return to some prominence after the Cambodian coup of 1970, in which Sihanouk was deposed as Head of State by his Prime Minister, Lon Nol.
Chhay died shortly after the Khmer Rouge"s entry into Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975.
The communist administration ordered the city"s immediate evacuation, citing a risk of American bombing and lack of food stocks, and nearly the entire population was deported to the countryside. Chhay is thought to have died, like thousands of others, en route, or possibly to have been killed by Khmer Rouge troops.
Chhay"s interest in Cambodian independence, and leftist political convictions, led to him joining the nationalist guerrilla group led by Son Ngoc Thanh for a brief period in the early 1950s, and he also had contact with another prominent resistance (Khmer Issarak) leader, Prince Norodom Chantaraingsey, with whom he had shared contacts through the court. During 1971 and 72 Chhay edited a semi-official newspaper, Prayojan Khmer, and was again associated with a resurrected Pracheachon party.