This is the victory of justice that freed the Cambodian people from the horrific genocidal regime of Pol Pot, a beautiful symbol of the solidarity in combat between Vietnam and Cambodia.
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Vietnamese volunteers and a Cambodian mother (File photo) |
Vietnam and Cambodia are close neighbors and have a long-standing traditional friendship. After years of struggling together in the arduous resistance wars against colonialists and imperialists, the people of the two countries were eager to build a happy life in peace. However, the Pol Pot regime did not want that to happen. It implemented a brutal genocide policy in Cambodia and waged a bloody war along the southwestern border of Vietnam.
Responding to the urgent call of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation and the Cambodian people, while exercising its legitimate right to self-defense, Vietnam stood alongside with the Cambodian people and fought and crushed down on the Pol Pot regime.
In the spirit of “Helping our friend is helping ourselves,” Vietnam sent volunteer soldiers to Cambodia and freed the nation from the genocidal regime. On January 7, 1979, the capital of Phnom Penh was finally liberated. This historic victory brought the common joy to the people of the two countries.
For Vietnam, the victory once again reaffirmed its strong will to crush down on any aggressive actions that infringe the integrity of national sovereignty and territory and the people’s lives. It also showed to the world its noble responsibility towards the Cambodian people in the time of hardships.
For the Cambodian people, with the help of the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, they left behind a dark and painful chapter in the Cambodian history, carried out the national revival and ushered in an era of national independence, peace, freedom, and development.
After the victory on January 7, 1979, as requested by the Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Council, the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers stayed on in Cambodia to trace and destroy remaining Pol Pot troops. Vietnam also sent advisors to Cambodia to help the country reconstruct the government at the grassroots level and restore economic activities from the ruins left by the Pol Pot regime.
After 10 years of supporting Cambodia, Vietnam withdrew its volunteer troops and advisors in 1989, successfully fulfilling the noble international mission in the neighboring country.
Under the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party, the people of Cambodia are now enjoying great achievements in socio-economic development. They are sure to never forget the wholehearted support of Vietnam in lifting the country from being bogged down in the quick sand of genocide and helping them thrive at present.
Paying tribute to the sacrifice of Vietnam in saving the nation from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has more than once affirmed that without Vietnam’s help, Cambodia would not have been able to survive and thrive as nowadays.
“We can ask the question ‘Which country in this world would help the Cambodian people free themselves from the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and prevent them from returning?’ The answer is the Vietnamese people and soldiers. The Cambodian people believe that only deities and Buddha can save the Cambodian people during hard times. And it was right at the time when the Cambodian people were about to die and could only pray for deities and Buddha to save them, the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers came. They are soldiers from the Buddha military,” said Prime Minister Hun Sen when attending the inauguration ceremony of the historical memorial site of Mission 125 in January, 2012 in Dong Nai, Vietnam.
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Cambodian people in Phnom Penh bidding farewell to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers after they accomplished international service in Cambodia (Photo: VNA) |
Nowadays, amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral relations have seen a new momentum for development in all aspects as the two countries have provided timely mutual support in the fight against the pandemic.
Looking back upon the past, we are now happy to see that, despite difficulties and challenges, the bilateral relations have constantly developed and been consolidated, bringing practical benefits to the two peoples, making great contribution to peace, stability, development, and cooperation in the region and the world.
Translated by Huu Duong