00:00

00:00

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.23.21_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.29.22_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.29.08_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.29.15_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.29.00_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.28.47_optimized

ScreenShot2019-12-20at09.28.40_optimized

Purpose .

Vietnam used to invade Cambodia is commonly known among modern Vietnamese people in the South. In our team, even those from the North and Central of Vietnam have rarely heard about the genocide of Pol Pot regime. In this project, we wish to reevaluate the intervention of Vietnam into the genocide of the Red Khmer Rouge regime back in Vietnam-Cambodia War 1979 in order to understand the postulated causes leading to two opposite viewpoints of both the Vietnamese and Cambodian government and citizens.

Historical background .

Indochinese Communist Party Establishment

1930

During World War II, Cambodia and Vietnam were against the French colonization and burst out of the national revolution. The communist movement in Cambodia was strongly developed

Geneva Conference

1954

Vietnamese communists withdrew from Cambodia

Cambodian Coup

March 1970

Sihanouk was expelled by the pro-American ally - Lon Nol. Lon Nol's government attacked Khmer Rouge and the National Liberation Front at Cambodia's southeast border

The Conquer for ancient land

1973-1978

The Khmer Rouge attacked the territory in the southeast Vietnam to take back the ancient land. However, Vietnam did not have immediate actions toward invasion

Cold War

1947

The conflict between capitalism (led by the U.S) and communism (led by the Soviet Union) "affected on international isolation and economic hardship"

Vietnam War

1955

North Vietnam forces and the National Liberation Front were fighting against the American and the Republic of Vietnam. Because of this event, DRV could not fully control the political situation of Cambodia

The Khmer Republic Establishment

October 1970

Lon Nol established the pro-American government to fight against the Communist

Clashes broke out between Cambodia and Vietnam

December 1977

The end of political and diplomatic relations between Khmer Rouge and Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party Establishment

1951

KPRP was established by the guided of Vietnam Communist Party. Prince Norodom Sihanouk was supported to be the representative of the Party

KPRP under the lead of Pol Pot

1963

Pol Pot became the new leader and general secretary of KPRP, overthown the existing the regime which did not follow the direction of Democrative Republic of Vietnam. KPRP was changed into Communist Party of Kampuchea

Khmer Rouge counter-attack

1973

The Khmer Rouge took back the major territory and authoriity. In 1975, Lon Nol's goverment was completely defeated

Cambodian–Vietnamese War

1978

Khmer Rouge attacked Ba Chuc. Vietnamese troops fought their way into Cambodia.

The Engagement of Pol Pot

1953

Pol Pot and his Cambodian radical intellectuals studying abroad in Paris engaged in the Party and were influenced by the Chauvinism and Maoism

Operation Menu of the U.S

1969

The U.S and the Republic of Vietnam boomed Khmer Rouge and Democratic Republic of Vietnam's territories

Democratic Kampuchea

1976

Pol Pot reformed the country with new policies including the collectivization of all private property, the genocide and the allies with China and the U.S

Vietnamese troops captured Phnom Penh

1979

Pol Pot Regime became the exilled government in Thailand's border. The new government called the People of Kampuchea Party was established under the intervention of Vietnam

Complex "brotherhood" .

WHAT VIETNAM THOUGHT

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

Vietnam’s thoughts in keeping the relation with Cambodia

INDOCHINE FRANCAIS - Poster designed by Lucien Boucher (French, 18891971) for AIR FRANCE in the 40s Poster qu?ng cáo c?a Hãng hàng không AIR FRANCE Artist: Lucien Boucher (French, 18891971) Size: 99 x 65 cm. (39 x 25.6 in.) ----------------------- COLLECTION NAME: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection Record Author: Boucher, Lucien (1889-1971) Date: 1945 Short Title: Indochine Francaise Publisher: Perceval Publisher Location: Paris Publisher: LAssociation Nationale de LIndochine Francaise Publisher Location: Paris Type: Separate Map Obj Height cm: 90 Obj Width cm: 59 Note: Date estimated. Country: Vietnam Country: Laos Country: Cambodia Region: Indochina Subject: Pictorial map Full Title: Indochine Francaise List No: 10232.000 Publication Author: Boucher, Lucien (1889-1971) Pub Date: 1945 Pub Title: Indochine Francaise Pub Note: "This striking & highly decorative poster map of French Indochina was designed by the renowned French affichiste and illustrator, Lucien Boucher [1889-1971]. Printed by the firm of Perceval, Paris, it was originally commissioned by the Association Nationale de L'Indochine Francaise. The original publication date of the poster is hard to determine precisely. Many authorities have dated it to circa 1938-40, but available evidence suggests this is highly unlikely. The Association Nationale de L'Indochine Francaise appears to have been founded under the auspices of the Free French administration in Algiers in August 1943. Its stated objectives were to try and maintain an enduring & unbreakable bond between France and her South East Asian territories throughout the duration of war and during its inevitably problematic aftermath. Most of France's South East Asia colonial administrations had remained nominally loyal to the pro-Nazi Vichy regime during the early years of the war, enduring an often uneasy relationship with local Japanese occupation forces who had moved into French Indochina in December 1941. With D-Day in June 1944 and t

Social Culture

Military Strategy

Political Movement

Vietnamese society had long been embedded with the ideology of Social-Darwinism. Cambodia was a neighboring country that had the same yellow race and the same culture as Vietnam.

Cambodia’s situation was quite similar to what Vietnam overcame, which was colonized by the French and needed liberation

Vietnam recognized the necessity for Cambodia's border defense: solidifying the border security of the nation and serving as war supports.

Vietnam was in the duty of an “older brother” who should help the “younger brother” to “strengthen the revolutionary base in Cambodia and guide this country along the path of socialism.”

A look into .

1979 Assembly

ECCC Case 002

1979 Assembly

Reason

1978

Ieng Sary requested an emergency meeting from the UN Security Council to condemn Vietnam

1979

Prince Sihanouk requestede aid of the U.S and the U.N . He said: “I hope the United States and the great American people will help us to expel the Vietnamese from Cambodia"

1979

5 ASEAN Countries - Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore - requested the intervention of Vietnam into Cambodia and apprehended the regional security

Nov 14th 1979

The 1979 United Nations Security Council election was held from 26 October 1979 to 7 January 1980 during the Thirty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, including the Kampuchea Situation

Norodorm Sihanouk

Representative of Communist Party of Kampuchea at the U.N Securiity Council 1979

Pol Pot

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea

Nuon Chea

Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea.

Ieng Sary

Deputy Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea.

Khieu Samphan

Chairman of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea

Le Duan

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Ton Duc Thang

The first president of the reunified Vietnam

Truong Chinh

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Ha Van Lau

Representative of Vietnam at the U.N Security Council 1979

Hun Sen

Deputy Prime Minister of People's Republic of Kampuchea/State of Cambodia

Jimmy Carter

The 39th president of the United States

Deng Xiaoping

The paramount leader of the People's Republic of China

Result

The vote of 140 countries about the ousted Pol Pot Regime

Keeping the official chair in the U.N 50.7%

Vancant chair of Cambodia 25%

Abstention 24.3%

The call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops of 15 security council members

Accept 86.7%

Veto 14.3%

Response in the U.N Security Council 1979

Hitlerian Vietnamese aggressors

Khmer Regime Response

Sihanouk expressed his admiration for the United States’s reactions towards Vietnam’s invasion, which was “justice,” and sought their support to abolish Vietnam out of Cambodian territory

Hitlerian Vietnamese aggressors

Foreign force

The U.N. Response

Strongly appeals to all States and national and international humanitarian organizations to render, on an urgent and non-discriminatory basis, humanitarian relief to the civilian population of Kampuchea, including those who have sought refuge in neighboring countries

Foreign force

Self-defender

Vietnam Response

The Vietnamese army just only defended the territory in the border area between these two countries during the Vietnamese-Cambodian War. Vietnam did not intervene into the ‘brother’ region. The internal uprising of Kampuchean was not relevant to Vietnam.

Self-defender

This is a victory for you, Prince Sihanouk ... That is why the member countries kept quiet, so as not to hinder you in the Security Council and the international scene. If you were not here as the representative of Democratic Kampuchea, we would come out and say that the government [of Pol Pot] only got what was coming to it.

The choice for us was between moral principles and international law. The scale weighed in favour of law, because that also served our security interests.

The diplomat avocation of Vietnam in the U.N Security Council

"In two weeks, the world will have forgotten the Kampuchea problem" - Ha Van Lau -

The different reactions

The U.N Security Council did not ignore this problem in "two weeks" but alarmed it, which led to the continous ten-year meetings. It was attracted by the media and the International community. In the research, some analysts argued that Vietnam forgot including the humanitarian reasons for their intervention, which prevented Vietnam from persuading the right of their intervention.

Vietnam actions
Historian suggestions

Vietnam’s omission of humanitarian reasons

The suggestion of historians

They think that humanitarian reasons should be used because:

‘Why does the UN recognise Pol Pot? The UN should help us capture Pol Pot – why are they protecting him?’ Many correspondents found themselves facing the same despairing questions: ‘How can it be?’ ‘Don’t they know Pol Pot killed my husband and my two brothers?’ ‘They killed my whole family and yet why does the UN support them?’

Irish Time - Tom Fawthrop - the interview of insiders

ECCC Case 002

What is ECCC?

ECCC

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia is a court established to try the most senior responsible members of the Khmer Rouge for alleged violations of international law and serious crimes perpetrated during the Cambodian genocide

ECCC Case 002

Case 002 tried two former Khmer Rouge leaders: Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan who were charged with crimes against humanity and genocide against the Vietnamese group inside and outside Cambodia territory.

Motivations behind its establishment

Hun Sen insisted on the court’s establishment “for the sake of the nation we had to do it.” in order to rescue the nation from embedded mental trauma.
The coalition between Cambodia and United Nations for this second court lies in the motivation of peacebuilding and gaining justice, “in bringing to justice those persons responsible for the genocide and crimes against humanity during the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979”
The establishment of ECCC re-strengthens Hun Sen’s political image
The efforts of the founded court were from the intrinsic motives to gain justice back for Cambodians

Historical backgrounds leading to the establishment of ECCC

The born of People's Republic of Kampuchea Party (PRK) in accordance with the support of Vietnam

The PRK tried to overthrow the Pol Pot regime and later on made attempts to accuse the Pol Pot regime of the genocide crime

First attempt of PRK party failed

The People’s Revolutionary Tribunal first raised the genocide crime “of Pol Pot and Ieng Sary”. Later on, it was believed to have been biased because “the 1979 trial was not conducted impartially and independently with regard to due process requirements)”

The official establishment of ECCC

to 2019, evidence and documents were collected in the purpose of serving for the court.

Second attempt of PRK failed

The letter that Cambodian Secretary-General sent to the United Nations (hereby known as UN) got rejection. However, this second attempt placed as a founding stone for The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (hereby known as ECCC).

Third attempt successful

Despite the rejection, they kept on negotiating with the UN.

The official establishment of ECCC

This is a special Cambodian court which receives international assistance through the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT)

Evidence collection

Evidence and documents were collected in the purpose of serving for the court.

Allegations

The allegations presented in Closing Orders need to be proven through adversarial hearings. That’s why all references here are not facts no until they have been announced in a final judgement

The Theory:

Pol Pot Regime wanted to eliminate the alien due to purifying the race and serving political purposes

The implement:

Killings of Vietnamese Civilians in Prey Veng and Svay Rieng: waves of killings of Vietnamese civilians occurred in 1977, 1978 and 1979
Killings of Vietnamese Civilians outside of Prey Veng and Svay Rieng: A mass execution of Vietnamese people occurred in mid-to-late 1978 at Wat Khsach, in Yeang Village, Russei-Lok Subdistrict, Siem Reap Province
Treatment of Cambodian People with Vietnamese Spouses and Children with one Vietnamese Parent: “if the mother was Vietnamese, they would take the mother and all the children and kill them because the children suck the milk of the mother”.
Anti-Vietnamese War and Purge Propaganda: The national duty of all of us is to struggle to fight to eliminate our aggressive, expansionist, territory-swallowing and genocidal Yuon enemy

Allegation and evidence of Khmer Rough toward Vietnamese on its land

The Theory:

Sweeping Vietnamese out of Kampuchea territory
Entering Vietnamese territories to eliminate its race “out of the face of the earth.”

The Implement:

Cambodia did not make a focused attack before the Vietnamese army discovered the Communist brothers were the current enemy they to face

Allegation and evidence of Khmer Rough toward Vietnamese on Vietnam territory

“The Youn want to swallow Kampuchea and the Kampuchean people via the label of the Indochina Federation This plan this stance is the strategic line of the Indochinese Communist Party led by the Yuon. This strategic line of the Indochinese Communist Party has been and is now being actively and successively implemented by the present Vietnamese Communist Party and the Vietnamese government .”

(Revolutionary Youth magazine in January – February 1978)

Final Judgement

Vietnamese Genocide

According to witness and evidence, in the Final Judgment, the Chamber is therefore satisfied that the Noun Chea and Khieu Samphan was criminated in killing the Vietnamese group.

Vietnamese Invasion

Seeking the assistance of the Soviet Union in order to dissuade China from interfering
Broadcasting calls for Cambodians to rise up against Pol Pot
Accusing the CPK of atrocities and acts of aggression

“As to Vietnam’s invasion and occupation of Cambodia starting in 1979, the Chamber notes that these events relate to events outside the temporal jurisdiction of the ECCC”

Common Reactions .

Governments' Reactions in 2019

His statement (Lee Hsien Loong's speech) reflects Singapore's position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia, and is an insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped to liberate Cambodia. Singapore "had indeed contributed to the massacre of the Cambodian people."

On November 16, 2018, the ECCC issued a judgment on genocide against humanity of the Khmer Rouge. The judgement objectively reflected historical facts, enforced justice, and returned justice to the victims, and was welcomed by the United Nations and the international community. As an active and responsible member of ASEAN, Vietnam has been and will be continuing to work with all other members to do its best for the purpose of building a strong, united ASEAN Community, solidarity and a central role in the region.

His (former Thai premier and Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda) time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam's Invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge

The repetition of these prejudices deeply hurt Vietnam and Cambodia, especially the relatives of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who sacrificed their blood and bones to bring peace and help liberate the Cambodian people from brutal Khmer Rouge regime and the process of building the country difficult and arduous later.

“He said this in the context of 1979. Cambodian views like mine, Mr. Hun Many’s, or the Cambodian government’s are also tied to the context of 1979. At the time, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong was not facing a genocidal experience like us. So his version of that moment is his own matter.”

Goscha, Christopher. 2006. Vietnam, the Third Indochina War and the meltdown of Asian internationalism . UQAM – Université du Québec à Montréal.
Kiernan, Ben. 1999. Cambodia’s Twisted Path to Justice . Yale University Press—. 1996. The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power, and Genocide in Cambodia Under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79 . Yale University Press.
Morris, Stephen J. 1999. Why Vietnam Invaded Cambodia: Political Culture and the Causes of War . Stanford University Press.
Mosyakov, Dmitry. 2004. “The Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese Communists: A History of Their Relations as Told in the Soviet Archives.” GSP Working Paper (Yale Center for International and Area Studies).
Path, Kosal. 2018. Việt Nam và Campuchia 1975-78: Đánh giá sai về nhau? December 12. Accessed November 25, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum-46554653.
Wheeler, Nicholas J. 2002. Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society. Oxford Scholarship Online
Noun Chea’s closing brief in case 002/02
“Treatment of the Vietnamese | Drupal.” Accessed December 16, 2019. https://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/node/33820?fbclid=IwAR2Y1ui9utD_Gg7NeXe9nDYYw6rk1IS7OQKrWVVRQCjjyclPGvpqMZwJvIM.
Andrew Nachemson. “Expert Says Vietnam Tried, Failed to Control Khmer Rouge | Phnom Penh Post.” Accessed December 16, 2019. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/expert-says-vietnam-tried-failed-control-khmer-rouge.
Julia Brower, Ryan Liss, Tina Thomas, & Jacob Victor, Historical Examples of Unauthorized Humanitarian Intervention, (2003)
Mahbubani Kishore, The Kampuchean Problem: A Southeast Asian Perception (January, 2009) , https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1983-12-01/kampuchean-problem-southeast-asian-perception.
United Nations, Letter dated 12 October 1979 from the Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, (1979)
Kishore Mahbubani, The Kampuchean Problem: A Southeast Asian Perception, (Winter 1983/84), https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1983-12-01/kampuchean-problem-southeast-asian-perception
Nicholas J.Wheeler, Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society
Gary Klintworth, Vietnam’s Intervention in Cambodia in International Law
Doyle, Kevin. “Vietnam’s Forgotten Cambodian War”. BBC News, 14 Tháng Chín 2014, sec Asia. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29106034.
Franck, Thomas M. Recourse to force: state action against threats and armed attacks. Hersch Lauterpacht memorial lectures. Cambridge ; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Sullivan , Meg . “UCLA Demographer Produces Best Estimate yet of Cambodia’s Death Toll under Pol Pot”. UCLA, 16 Tháng Tư 2015. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-demographer-produces-best-estimate-yet-of-cambodias-death-toll-under-pol-pot.

Read

Our Team .

Nguyễn Minh Hà

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Lam

Dư Quỳnh Thục Nhiên

Lê Đăng Quang

Nguyễn Lê Thuỳ Đan

Nguyễn Ngọc Trâm

Vũ Đức Huy

Special thanks to: .

Prof. Nguyen Nam

Vietnamese Studies Instructor

Fulbright University Vietnam

Prof. Andrew H. Bellisari

Vietnamese Studies Instructor

Fulbright University Vietnam

Ms. Tram Luong

Vietnamese Studies Teaching Assistant

Fulbright University Vietnam

Mr. Hoang M Vu

Ph.D in History

Cornell University

Purpose .

Historical background .

Indochinese Communist Party Establishment

Geneva Conference

Cambodian Coup

The Conquer for ancient land

Cold War

Vietnam War

The Khmer Republic Establishment

Clashes broke out between Cambodia and Vietnam

Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party Establishment

KPRP under the lead of Pol Pot

Khmer Rouge counter-attack

Cambodian–Vietnamese War

The Engagement of Pol Pot

Operation Menu of the U.S

Democratic Kampuchea

Vietnamese troops captured Phnom Penh

Complex "brotherhood" .

WHAT VIETNAM THOUGHT

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

Vietnam’s thoughts in keeping the relation with Cambodia

Social Culture

Military Strategy

Political Movement

Vietnam was in the duty of an “older brother” who should help the “younger brother” to “strengthen the revolutionary base in Cambodia and guide this country along the path of socialism.”

The reason for the deviation of Vietnam

Policies

Ideologies

Conflict of Civilizations

Cambodia did not follow to the direction of Vietnam government due to these conflicts

A look into .

1979 Assembly

ECCC Case 002

1979 Assembly

Reason

Involvement

Result

Response

Analysis

Reason

Involvement

Norodorm Sihanouk

Pol Pot

Nuon Chea

Ieng Sary

Khieu Samphan

Le Duan

Ton Duc Thang

Truong Chinh

Ha Van Lau

Hun Sen

Jimmy Carter

Deng Xiaoping

Result

Response in the U.N Security Council 1979

Khmer Regime Response

The U.N. Response

Vietnam Response

Analysis

The diplomat avocation of Vietnam in the U.N Security Council

The different reactions

Vietnam’s omission of humanitarian reasons

Vietnam’s omission of humanitarian reasons

The suggestion of historians

ECCC Case 002

What is ECCC?

Historical backgrounds

Allegations

Final Judgement

What is ECCC?

Historical backgrounds leading to the establishment of ECCC

The born of People's Republic of Kampuchea Party (PRK) in accordance with the support of Vietnam

First attempt of PRK party failed

The official establishment of ECCC

Second attempt of PRK failed

Third attempt successful

The official establishment of ECCC

Evidence collection

Allegations