to France for a year where he received extensive training in flying MiG-21 jets. He returned in 1967 and was later commissioned as a lieutenant. When Lon Nol launched a coup against Sihanouk in March 1970, Chakrapong was arrested and kept under house arrest until November 1973. After his release, Chakrapong went to Beijing, China, where he joined his father and served as his father's Chief of Protocol between 1973 and 1975. In 1975, Chakrapong travelled to Yugoslavia at the invitation of Josip Broz Tito. He spent a year at the Yugoslav Air Force Staff College, before he moved to France with his family as political refugees in 1976. Chakrapong settled in Créteil until 1981. During this time, Chakrapong ran a small enterprise to provide a source of income for his family. Political career First time in Funcinpec Chakrapong joined Sihanouk in helping to form the Funcinpec in March 1981. He was appointed a commander of the Armee Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS, informally known as the Funcinpec army). The following year, Chakrapong was made GCKD Minister of Health and Social Affairs for the party, a position that he held until 1984. In March 1985, Chakrapong became the deputy Chief of Staff of ANS. During this time, Chakrapong defended ANS military bases against Vietnamese incursions. In 1989, Ranariddh made Chakrapong to represent Funcinpec in negotiations leading to the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. Chakrapong was against the decision to co-opt the Khmer Rouge into playing any role in future Cambodian governments, a stand that came into conflict with Ranariddh and other senior Funcinpec leaders. Chakrapong was a leading figure of the guerilla war against the Vietnamese occupation, spending most of the time in the jungle at the Cambodia-Thailand border. Cambodia People's Party, secession and coup attempt In late 1991, Chakrapong quit Funcinpec to join the CPP at Hun Sen's invitation. He was given a seat in the party's politburo, and in January 1992 Chakrapong was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of civil aviation, tourism, industry, culture, education, and social welfare affairs. Shortly after he was appointed to the post, Chakrapong was appointed director of Kampuchea Airlines. He also encouraged foreign investment in Cambodia and provided support to investors that established financial institutions and enterprises in the country. When the 1993 general elections were held, Chakrapong campaigned for a Presidential system of government for Cambodia with Sihanouk as president. On 10 June, Chakrapong