(LĐ online) - In the first days of 2024, when the two peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia were joyfully and excitedly celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Victory Day of the War to Protect the Southwestern Border of Vietnam, together with the Cambodian army and people, in defeating the genocidal regime (January 7, 1979 - January 7, 2024), on the internet and social networks there were still lost voices distorting the war, thereby distorting the good traditional relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
There are many distortions of hostile forces; however, we need to identify and fight against the following two main distortions:
Firstly, they distorted the War to protect the Southwestern border of Vietnam (1975-1979) to generalize with the old arguments that "The attack of the Vietnamese army (to liberate Cambodia) was a war of aggression"; Vietnam "encroached on Cambodia both on land and at sea and on islands".
History is clear and undeniable. Immediately after taking power in April 1975, the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary group took advantage of the revolutionary achievements and betrayed the Cambodian people. They established the so-called “Democratic Kampuchea”, implemented a regime of genocide and internal purges, and nearly 3 million Cambodians were killed in just 3 years. They wiped out the entire culture and civilization of a nation with a history of thousands of years, pushing the entire Cambodian nation into a disaster of extinction. As for Vietnam, the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary group distorted history, provoked and incited ethnic hatred; committed bloody crimes against our people (the climax was their attack on Phu Quoc Island; attack on Tho Chu Island, capturing and brutally killing more than 500 civilians). In April 1977, they mobilized 5 divisions and hundreds of artillery pieces and tanks close to the Vietnamese border, carrying out a large-scale war of aggression into the territory of the southwestern border region of Vietnam, seriously violating the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam, trampling on the good values in the friendly relationship between the two countries and two peoples.
To protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland, to protect the lives and property of the people, our Party and State; to respond to the call of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, from December 23, 1978, the Vietnamese Volunteer Army and the Armed Forces of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation launched a general counter-offensive and offensive, successively breaking down the entire defense system of the Pol Pot army. On January 7, 1979, the Vietnamese Volunteer Army and the Armed Forces of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation liberated Phnom Penh, marking the complete collapse of the Pol Pot reactionary group and the genocidal regime in Cambodia.
The victory of the war to protect the southwestern border of the Fatherland was a legitimate and necessary act of self-defense by the Vietnamese people against the war of aggression caused by the Pol Pot - Ieng Sari group. The victory affirmed the will for independence, self-reliance and the spirit of great national unity and pure international solidarity of the Vietnamese people, which is a great source of strength, crushing any plots and acts of sabotage by reactionary forces, firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. Vietnam helped the Cambodian people overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime, saving the Cambodian people from extinction. That was an act in accordance with law and morality, demonstrating the noble, pure, righteous and devoted international spirit, ready to sacrifice blood and bones for the traditional relationship of loyalty and long-standing ties between the Party, State and people of the two countries; it was a continuation of the tradition of solidarity in fighting against the common enemy of the two peoples. The victory over the Pol Pot genocidal regime also contributed to maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the world ; fighting to expose the nature of racial and ethnic discrimination and dictatorship and warning humanity to be vigilant against the dangers of narrow-minded nationalism and neo-fascism.
After many years of trial with hundreds of thousands of documents and evidence collected, on November 16, 2018, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court system of Cambodia under the auspices of the United Nations officially issued a verdict that the former leaders of the Pol Pot Genocide Group committed genocide against humanity. This verdict has restored justice to the innocent victims massacred by the Pol Pot Genocide gang and once again affirmed the righteousness, selfless and pure assistance of Vietnam to Cambodia.
Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed: “We can ask that in this world, is there any country that has helped the Cambodian people, especially liberating them from the Pol Pot genocidal regime and preventing their return? The answer is the people and the People's Army of Vietnam. The Cambodian people believe that only fairies and Buddha can save people when they are in dire straits. Right when the Cambodian people were about to die, and could only clasp their hands and pray for fairies and Buddha to come to their rescue, the Vietnamese volunteer army appeared. The Vietnamese army is the army of Buddha” and “If it weren't for January 7, 1979, we Cambodian people would not have what we have today. This is a historical truth that no reactionary force can deny”.
Second, hostile forces have spread rumors and created “conspiracy theories” that Vietnam and Cambodia are in a “sleeping together but dreaming different dreams” relationship, playing a “political game”, only “on the surface” but not “in the heart”… The arguments spread by these subjects are extremely toxic. Their purpose is to incite opposition, national hatred, sabotage the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship, and ignite conflicts between the two countries.
It must be clearly affirmed that the Party, State and People of Vietnam always cherish the relationship with our friendly country Cambodia. During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “The establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries is a brilliant symbol of friendship, closeness and solidarity in fighting. It is an important historical event between Vietnam and Cambodia. A positive factor in maintaining peace in Indochina and Southeast Asia. Today as well as tomorrow, our two countries will forever be close friends”.
Over the past years, the Vietnam - Cambodia relationship has been continuously strengthened and developed in all fields, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries, actively contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world. The political relationship between the two countries continues to develop well, with high-ranking leaders of the two countries maintaining visits and exchanges in various forms, even when the COVID-19 pandemic is complicated. Cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and investment between the two countries in general and between border provinces in particular has achieved positive results. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade turnover between the two countries still grew strongly, reaching 10.57 billion USD in 2022, an increase of nearly 11% over the same period in 2021. In 2023, the trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia reached nearly 9 billion USD. The two sides agreed to strive to reach a bilateral trade turnover of 20 billion USD in the coming time. Vietnam is currently Cambodia's third largest trading partner (after China and the US) and Cambodia's largest trading partner in ASEAN. To date, Vietnam has 205 valid investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of 2.94 billion USD, ranking first in ASEAN and one of the five countries with the largest direct investment in Cambodia. Notably, Cambodia ranks second among 79 countries and territories in which Vietnam has invested abroad.
Cooperation in the fields of defense and security has been continuously strengthened, becoming increasingly substantive and effective, and is one of the important pillars in the relationship between the two countries. The two sides always affirm that they will not allow any hostile forces to use their territory to harm the security of the other country. On the basis of treaties, agreements and agreements of the two countries' senior leaders, the authorities and people of the border areas of the two sides are actively coordinating to implement the work of demarcation and marker planting on land. The two sides have signed two legal documents recognizing the achievements of demarcation and marker planting of about 84% of the Vietnam - Cambodia land border and are currently working hard to negotiate and resolve the remaining 16% to continue building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development.
Other areas of cooperation in education, training, transportation, culture, health, telecommunications, etc. are being promoted. The governments of the two countries always create favorable conditions for the two countries' citizens to live in each other's territories, in accordance with the laws of each country. Every year, Vietnam grants hundreds of long-term scholarships to Cambodian students studying in Vietnam. Along with that, the number of Vietnamese students studying in Cambodia is increasing. The two countries also regularly organize cultural and artistic exchange activities, especially in border localities. Vietnam regularly organizes volunteer medical delegations to examine, treat and provide free medicine to the Cambodian people. Cambodian patients when coming to Vietnam for examination and treatment are entitled to the same medical examination and treatment fees as Vietnamese people.
From the above analysis, the People, cadres and Party members need to raise their vigilance and stay alert against distorted arguments; fight against narrow nationalism, against defamation, slander, incitement and division to continuously strengthen the relationship of “good neighbors, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability” for the benefit of the people of Vietnam and Cambodia; for peace, stability and development in the region and around the world.
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