Lt. Col. Salath Rasasack is a Laotian politician who was held as a political prisoner at a concentration camp (5 A, 5 B) in Laos for over 16 years.
Rasasack, a former Minister of the Lao Government was born on April 10, 1934 in Savannakhet, Laos. He was educated at the College of Savannakhet. He further his education in police training in Chalon -Sur- Saône and Saint-Cyr-au-Mont d'Or, France. Rasasack was elected as Congressman for the Province of Saravane, Laos. Thereafter, he was elected as Minister to the Two-Party Coalition Assembly.
Prior to his life as a Statesman, Rasasack was a Police Commissioner for the Royal Lao Government. He disappeared in 1975 after he was summoned by the President of the Coalition Assembly for a meeting with the Assembly. This was the last contact he had with his family. While he was in prison, Rasasack was in constant fear of losing his life as other political prisoners were being systematically executed. While in prison, Rasasack was physically and psychologically abused by the prison officials. Many political prisoners did not live to tell their stories of abuse and torture.
It was learned that Amnesty International negotiated Salath Rasasack's release from the political prison after 16 years. On November 13, 1991 Rasasack was reunited with his family, wife Chansouk Manibod Rasasack (daughter of Phagna Tha Manibod-former Chief Justice for the Kingdom of Laos, former Mayor and Governor of Laos), sons, Salysanh Rasasack, Souksanh Rasasack, Sacksith Rasasack and daughter, Soukhy M. Clark. The majority of the Rasasacks currently reside in Memphis, TN. The day Salath Rasasack arrived at the Memphis International Airport, over 150 people arrived to meet and welcome one of their own to a life of freedom. When he arrived in Memphis, TN, he brought along a prison blanket. When asked by reporters as to the significance of the blanket, Rasasack, stated it had been his blanket for over 16 years.