CELEBRATING THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORY OF THE WAR TO DEFEND THE SOUTHWEST BORDER OF THE COUNTRY AND THE VICTORY WITH THE CAMBODIA MILITARY AND PEOPLE AGAINST THE GENOCIDE REGIME (January 7, 1979 - January 7, 2024)
Forty-five years ago, the Vietnamese Volunteer Army (VVA) and the Cambodian United Front for National Salvation waged a lightning-fast self-defense war, leading to a historic victory on January 7, 1979, helping the Cambodian people escape the most horrifying genocide in human history. This was a victory for a just cause, a beautiful symbol of the pure, loyal solidarity between the Vietnamese and Cambodian peoples.
HELPING YOU IS HELPING MYSELF
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| Cambodian mother pours water for Vietnamese QTN soldiers. Photo: document |
As two close neighboring countries, drinking the same water from the Mekong River, Vietnam and Cambodia have a long-standing traditional friendship. This relationship is a priceless asset of the two peoples. After years of standing side by side, sharing hardships together in the long and arduous resistance war against colonialism and imperialism, the people of the two countries long to live in peace to build a prosperous and happy life.
However, the Pol Pot - leng Sary group carried out a brutal policy of genocide in Cambodia, while also waging a bloody war, violating the sovereignty and territory of the Southwest of Vietnam.
Responding to the urgent call of the Kampuchean National United Front for National Salvation and the fraternal Cambodian people; and also to exercise the legitimate right of self-defense to protect the sacred Fatherland, with the spirit of "Helping friends is helping ourselves", the Vietnamese leaders and people were determined to fight side by side with the Cambodian people.
| In just a short period of time (from December 23, 1978 to January 17, 1979), the Vietnamese National Liberation Front, together with the Cambodian revolutionary armed forces, destroyed and disintegrated 18 Pol Pot army divisions, killed 12,000 soldiers, captured 8,800 soldiers, called on 3,200 soldiers to surrender and disintegrated 44,000 soldiers on the spot; liberated over 4 million Cambodian people, recovered all the material facilities and military technical means of the Pol Pot army; and smashed the ruling apparatus of the Pol Pot reactionary group from the central to the grassroots level. |
After crushing the war of invasion of the Southwestern border of Vietnam by the Pol Pot - leng Sary group, at the request of the Cambodian revolution, Vietnam sent QTN to help Cambodia liberate the nation from genocide.
On January 7, 1979, the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, was liberated. This historic victory was a common victory, a shared joy for the people of the two countries. For Vietnam, the victory over the Pol Pot genocidal regime was not only an affirmation of the will to crush acts of aggression, protect the integrity of national sovereignty and territory, and protect the lives of its compatriots, but also a demonstration of its noble international responsibility and duty with a pure spirit.
Wholehearted, Wholehearted
With the help of the Vietnamese National Defense Forces, the Cambodian people have closed a dark, painful history filled with blood and tears of their nation, carried out the national revival and opened an era of independence, peace, freedom and development for the country.
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| People of the capital Phnom Penh bid farewell to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who have completed their international duty and are returning to their homeland. Photo: VNA |
On January 8, 1979, the Cambodian People's Revolutionary Council was established and requested that the Vietnamese People's Army continue to coordinate with the Cambodian armed forces to hunt down Pol Pot's remnants and consolidate the revolutionary government.
Along with military operations, Vietnam has sent many experts to help Cambodia build a grassroots government and provide material support to help restore the economy from the ruins left by the genocidal regime.
During the 10 years of staying to help the friendly country, the Vietnamese QTN soldiers made tireless efforts, overcoming countless difficulties and hardships. According to the agreement between the two Parties and the two States, in 1989, Vietnam withdrew all QTN soldiers back to the country, fulfilling its glorious international obligations. In the capital Phnom Penh and many other places, the State and people of Cambodia held solemn farewell ceremonies for the Vietnamese QTN soldiers, showing the solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Today, under the leadership of the Cambodian People's Party, Cambodia is developing strongly and achieving many important socio-economic achievements. The people of the land of pagodas live in a peaceful spring, never forgetting the wholehearted and meaningful help of Vietnam.
Acknowledging Vietnam's blood sacrifice to save a nation in turmoil due to the genocidal policy, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly affirmed that without Vietnam's help, Cambodia would not exist today. "We can ask, in this world, which country has helped the Cambodian people, especially liberating them from the Pol Pot genocidal regime and preventing their return? The answer is the Vietnamese people and army.
The Cambodian people believe that only fairies and Buddhas can save people in dire straits. Just when the Cambodian people were about to die, and could only clasp their hands and pray to fairies and Buddhas to come to their rescue, Vietnamese volunteer soldiers appeared. The Vietnamese soldiers are the army of Buddha" - Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed this when attending the inauguration ceremony of the historical site of the establishment of Group 125 in Dong Nai, January 2012.
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship continues to maintain positive development momentum in all areas, from politics, defense, security to economics - trade - investment, culture - education, and multilateral cooperation. In particular, Vietnam and Cambodia have coordinated and supported each other promptly and effectively in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a vivid demonstration of the spirit of solidarity and the tradition of mutual support in difficult times between the two nations.
Looking back over the past history, through many difficulties and challenges, the relationship of “good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability” between Vietnam and Cambodia has been constantly consolidated and developed, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries, actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
LIKE JADE (synthesis)
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