Saumura was born in 1950 as one of the seven daughters of former prime minister Nhiek Tioulong and Lok Chumteav Measketh Samphotre.

She and her six sisters passed much of their childhood outside of Cambodia, primarily in France, but also in Moscow, and Tokyo.

While in France, she received a postgraduate degree in economics from the University of Paris in 1974.

She subsequently attended the European Institute of Administration and earned a further degree in financial analysis.

[4] On 16 November 2017, she was one of 118 senior CNRP party members banned from politics for five years.