July 13, 2019 | 18:27 (GMT+7)
Vietnamese advisers in Cambodia honored with noble order
PANO – A ceremony was held in Hanoi on July 12 to present the Golden Star Order, one of the noblest orders of Vietnam’s Party and State, to the group of Vietnamese advisers who assisted Cambodia’s revolution in the period 1979-1989.
Present at the event were Mr. Tran Quoc Vuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee's Secretariat; General Luong Cuong, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA); Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of the VPA’s General Department of Politics; Vu Oanh, Head of the Liaison Board of Vietnamese experts who worked in Cambodia from 1979-1989; and Mr. Op Sophy, Chargé d'affaires at the Cambodian Embassy in Vietnam; among others.
In his remarks, Vuong underlined that 40 years ago the Khmer Rouge regime committed heinous and barbarian crimes against Vietnamese and Cambodian people. Responding to the pressing request of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS), Vietnam sent volunteer soldiers to Cambodia to help the country escape from genocide. On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese volunteer troops, along with Cambodian armed forces and soldiers, overthrew the Pol Pot regime and reactionary forces.
Vuong added that between 1979 and 1989, there were about 35,000 Vietnamese advisers assigned to Cambodia. They braved all hardship and sacrifice to wholeheartedly assist Cambodian people to firmly protect the revolutionary achievements and prevent the genocidal regime from returning.
The official also stressed that the Golden Star Order is an award of the Party, State, and people in recognition of the great efforts and contributions of Vietnamese experts while performing the international service in Cambodia. He hoped they would continue to contribute to the bilateral friendship and solidarity in the time to come.
At the ceremony, on behalf of the group of former Vietnamese advisors in Cambodia, Oanh said that all former Vietnamese advisors in Cambodia should be so proud to receive the noble order and affirmed that the veterans will surely uphold their good traditions and join the Vietnamese Party, State and people in developing sound neighborliness, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia in all aspects.
Translated by Van Hieu