By Heng Reaksmey and Kong Sothanarith
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2010
January 7 has become a contentious date in Cambodia. On the one hand, it marks the beginning of the end of the Khmer Rouge, who were ousted on the date in 1979 by Vietnamese forces and Cambodian defectors of the regime.
The ruling party marks the day as the beginning of victory over the regime and of peace that was formalized in accords in 1991. Opposition members and others say the day should be remembered as the beginning of a decade-long Vietnamese occupation, and not of liberation.
Cambodian People’s Party officials gathered at their headquarters Thursday morning to mark what they term “Victory Over Genocide Day.”
Chea Sim, who is the president of the CPP and of the Senate, told those assembled that the 31st anniversary marked a day that “saved our nation and people from the genocide disaster” of the Khmer Rouge.
Since the defeat of the Khmer Rogue, “our nation has ceased a time in history that is full of internal conflicts, wars, tragedy and the state of being underrated,” he said. “We have got out of this darkness, which actually gave us valuable lessons and experiences.”
The ruling party supports the Khmer Rouge tribunal, he said, “in trying crimes committed by senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.” However, he said the party opposed “attempts for using [the court] for ill intention with impact on peace, national reconciliation and development, which have been our hard-won achievements.”
Thach Setha, a top official of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 simply “marks the invasion of Vietnamese troops.”
Historically, he said, the Khmer Rogue would not have succeeded without the Vietnamese communists, which initially supported the dissidents that would form the regime.
“If the Vietnamese communist party did not create the Cambodian communist party, there would not have been mass killing in Cambodia,” he said. “They played a double role. That means they killed and they saved after.”
The day that brought real development to Cambodia, he said, was Oct. 23, 1991, the date of the Paris Peace Accords.
Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho, said Jan. 7, 1979, the liberation of Cambodia, was “a fact,” and the peace accords that came much later also brought development. “Leave it to the Cambodian people to judge the events,” she said.
The ruling party marks the day as the beginning of victory over the regime and of peace that was formalized in accords in 1991. Opposition members and others say the day should be remembered as the beginning of a decade-long Vietnamese occupation, and not of liberation.
Cambodian People’s Party officials gathered at their headquarters Thursday morning to mark what they term “Victory Over Genocide Day.”
Chea Sim, who is the president of the CPP and of the Senate, told those assembled that the 31st anniversary marked a day that “saved our nation and people from the genocide disaster” of the Khmer Rouge.
Since the defeat of the Khmer Rogue, “our nation has ceased a time in history that is full of internal conflicts, wars, tragedy and the state of being underrated,” he said. “We have got out of this darkness, which actually gave us valuable lessons and experiences.”
The ruling party supports the Khmer Rouge tribunal, he said, “in trying crimes committed by senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.” However, he said the party opposed “attempts for using [the court] for ill intention with impact on peace, national reconciliation and development, which have been our hard-won achievements.”
Thach Setha, a top official of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 simply “marks the invasion of Vietnamese troops.”
Historically, he said, the Khmer Rogue would not have succeeded without the Vietnamese communists, which initially supported the dissidents that would form the regime.
“If the Vietnamese communist party did not create the Cambodian communist party, there would not have been mass killing in Cambodia,” he said. “They played a double role. That means they killed and they saved after.”
The day that brought real development to Cambodia, he said, was Oct. 23, 1991, the date of the Paris Peace Accords.
Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho, said Jan. 7, 1979, the liberation of Cambodia, was “a fact,” and the peace accords that came much later also brought development. “Leave it to the Cambodian people to judge the events,” she said.
26 comments:
A slogan said NO 01/07/1979 means NO TODAY. This slogan is just only half true. Don't forget the sequential events below:
NO 03/18/1970 MEANS NO 4/17/1975 AND NO 01/07/1979.
CPP should thankful to Lon Nol to make CPP existed
I am not politician but at least I have survived after 7 January 1979 as Angkar planed to kill all in my youth camp. I have to thanks whoever rescued my life.
If Vietnam came to liberate our country and let us free until today it would be good to celeberate January 7, But they came to conquor and set up their puppet regime to serve their interest until today. How can accept this day as a liberation day? we just got off the yoke of killing field and got the other yoke of Vietnamization.
Why those pessimist guys are so headache with 7 January, 1979? if they don't want to celebrate or thank to that day, why don't they thank other day that they think they grateful to?...Let CPP do whatever they want..they do this in favor of the most of Cambodian people who were surviving from Pol Pot regime...
Do they are jealous with CPP?
Khmer
Here is my Dad Said before he died in 2005:
I am originally from China and come to Combodia in 1926. I really hate "communism", and that the reason why I left China and come to Cambodia when I was only 16 years old. I worked my ass off and I become a very wealthy business man. Nothing politically with me, but January 7, 1979 saves my life and my family. I arrived here in the US to join my son in 1980. Here what my advice to all of my kids in the US:
Even you have to pay 50% taxes of your income to fight against communist, it is worth it, because you still have the other 50%. Look at me, when Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, I lost every fucking penny I have.
For me and to the credit of CPP and their Vietnamese advisers, I think they have a full control of Cambodia. Like it or not, that's tha fact!
Jan. 7th, 1979 was the end of the darkest era in Cambodia history. Millions of Khmer lives were saved from Pol Pot regime. For Khmers inside of the country at that time they were thankful the the Vietnamese Army came to rescue them. I was not inside of Cambodia at that time but ; I was quite happy that Pol Pot regime was wiped out so all our people can go back to normal life. My disappointment is that Vietnam did not help Cambodia as a friend but they came to colonize our country. It's not a surprise that the CPP continue to kiss VN ass until the present because VN put them in power. The CPP is quite happy to abide by everything their boss wants, including border area land concession as well as free VN immigration into Cambodia. When will the CPP wakes up and, for the sake of our beloved Cambodia, say enough is enough. Please think about the future of our country, you guys robbed cambodia enough already.
7 January: is the "Between the Croc in the river and the Tiger on the Land". That's all.
No thank to the Viets.
"I have to thank whoever liberated me". If a tiger killed a hyena who was going to killed you for his food, would you thank the tiger knowing he only saved you so you can be his food!
That is a Khmer gratitude mentality. Thankfulness, gratitude, and honor! But they do not know right from left who is truthful or evil.
They would sell their soul even to the demons if they thought the demons liberated them.
The truth is everything is planned. We all know without Communist Vietnam there is no Communist Kampuchea.
Today, are we really free of Communist in Cambodia? We simplify replaced one sect of communist for another one - one loyal to the originator of the Indochine Communist - Vietnam.
Do not forget that Hanoi is Communist and its children, Chea Sim, Heng Sam Rin, and Hun Xen are are progeny of Hanoi as was the original batch of Khmer Rough.
In Vietnamese re-education camped we are told that Sihanouk was the only person that "kept our country from taking Cambodia at this time - But do not worry, in 30 years time we will have Cambodia."
But now, more and more clearly, Sihanouk has become the person who is helping legitimize the control of Vietnam over Cambodia with his constant endorsement and praises of the three Puppets.
Cambodia is a Lao now. The last stage before becoming a Kampuchea Krom status.
Khmer wake up from your stupidity and forget who saved you on Jan. 7th 1979. If you are buddhist you know your lives are predestine and fate decided, so if you lived, you were destined to live. No human being saved you but your own karma.
Now its time to build up the national karma and help everyone realize that and that only Khmer themselves can help Khmer.
William Shawcross' work The Quality of Mercy: Cambodia, Holocaust& the Modern Conscience (1984) looks at the contradictions inherent in the massive international famine-relief operation mounted in 1979 and 1980.
Read this book you'll learn how food was kept away from the starving mass by the Vietnamese control government.
When I first read this book 2 yrs ago, I wept for those who suffered and perished for a period of 6 months. You will also learn how Thailand dealt with those refugees at their boarder. I literally wailed out loud how the refugees were mistreated by the Thai government. For the first time I was made to see just what really did take place back then. I was humbled!
Those who are grateful to 7 January 1979 should not have fleed to the third and developed countries...they should have stayed in cambodia and worship their savior...
In Khao I dang or Bataan refugee camp, they told immigration officers from US, Australia, or France that they escaped persecution of their 7 Jan 1979 communist invaders/occupiers, but now, they changed their stories that 7 Jan was actually a great liberation for their pathetic lives - let's round up these hypocrit liers and deport them for lying...
Don't forget Yuons long having tactic of grabing or swallowing some body's country, in this case Cambodia. They patiently wait for a good opportunity to do so. Pol Pot time is a good chance that Yuons need to show the world that they take Cambodia just trying to save Khmers from the killing field. BUT BEHIND THAT, THEY WANT TO TAKE CAMBODIA. THAT IS THE IDEAOLOGY BY HO CHI MING that every Yuon citizens remember for life to own Cambodia. That time they used bullets to take our country. Under Hun Sen, they don't need to waste a single bullet. They take Cambodia from the inside out much easier. How? Hun Sen have them millions of hecta of land concessions. They will transport their people to work on those land. When their population explode and Hun Sen's law runs along side with them, thats how they take our country. Then they don't need Hun Sen any more. They kill him and declare that Cambodia is theirs.
To understand this clearly we should ask the followings:
What is 7 January? - Vietnamese Army led to liberate from Communist Pol Pot.
Who is Communist Pol Pot? A Communist Khmer born out of Vietname. Later they become foe due to different phylosophy.
So is it worth to thank your own foe?
To me khmer people are the victims and we owe nothing to any Communist.
10:27 AM
You were wrong! All Khmers owed everything to our Moha Vireak Khsat Norodom Sihanouk. He is the only "ONE".
Anybody dare to bet with me that " Life Is Not Important? ".. I am sure you guy who are giving their comments in this blog will raise their hand and react unconsciously that " Life Absolutely Is Very Important " ..Right?...Please imagine that if you are in deadly trouble, the first thing coming into your bullshit brain is " How To Be Survival " regardless Whoever our saver is ( whether tiger, crocodile or snake)..Right!!, Therefore, for Khmers who are living in Cambodia country and who are liberated by 7 Jan, 1979..They are happily and faithfully grateful and thank to 7 January, 1997... Excepting for the beasts or spoiled person who are in somewhere outside Cambodia and some who are not Buddhism and pro-fucken opposition party they have logically never done so..This is human nature!!! No doubt!!
All those guys, please answer my question if you really disagree with 7 january, 1979: If no Vietname and Samdan Hun Sen come to save our life from Pol Pot on time, then Who will do ...or you guy want all khmer people being killed by Pol Pot, even some people were aware that they are ready to be killed tomorrow or a day after tomorrow??....You guy will expect USA will come or SRP or other fucken UN will take action instead?? Answer please anyone of you!!!!
Khmer
They did not come to save your worthless life, man. You can go ask Pham Van Dong.
It was a coincidence that the invasion spared your pathetic life...
11:10 AM
We are still a live, is not it?
What other stuffs you need more beside that..See! we have internet, home, car, families, education, right to voice ( even u and other SRP guys have right freely to criticize and insult Gov't)...So what is the worthless life u mention?
Khmer
alive because of the coincidence, not because of any fucking liberation. got it? was the explanation "slow" enough for you?
what is the Coincidence? give us more clarification/justification please!!..You just sau Coincidence..so what is it that contain in your Coincidence meaning?
Khmer
My dear 11:04AM or 11:19AM, VN came into Cambodia to get rid of Pol Pot not because they only wanted to save Khmer lives but they rather wanted to rid of a hostile government inside of Cambodia. I don't know if you're old enough to remember that there are armed fights between Pol Pot forces and those of VN along VN-Cambodian borders? Well, it was a perfect pretext for the VN Army to move into Cambodia to chase that hostile government away and as a consequence they saved our people from Pol Pot. We should be grateful to the VN that sacrificed their lives; however they should be here as our friends not as our conquerors. Don't you see what the future will hold for Cambodia? Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and his CPP firends should have the courage to stand up for our nation after all these years. They don't have to be VN slaves forever like this. How many illegal VN immigrants in Cambodia? Why most of them can vote while some Khmers cannot? How much more land concessions do the CPP is willing to give to VN?
Dear Sirs,
Please do not curse Cambodia leaders and people for being Vietnam ally but really not so.
Please compare the situation in Irak, in Afganistan. Who could say that the US invasions of the two countries?
The situation of Cambodia in 1979 is similar to the one in Afganistan and the one in Irak.
Vietnam helped to defend Cambodia from Pol Pot return (1979-1989). It was more than 10-year time. And why there are so many words about Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia. They need to stay and strenghten the Cambodian Army to a level of self-defense against the return of the Khmer Rouge. There were many thousand Vietnameses died during that time but no one care of the real matter.
The same situation occurs in Afganistan and Irak. You know how long it take to build a strong army against the enemies of those countries. This is a US invasion or a savior of those Afgans and Iraki people.
I say and pay respect to the Vietnamese Army Volonteers who save my life in 1979 in Cambodia and I feel that the same situation takes place in the two countries.
And feel so sorry about the volonteers who died in the Cambodia cause as well as the US army who also died for the same matter in the two countries.
Because the US is a great country you cannot talk about US invasions in Afganistan and in Irak.
Vietnam is a smaller country compares to the USA so some Americanized people talk loudly about Vietnam invasion of Cambodia (1979-89). During these 31 years, they are still saying about the invasion. But most of Cambodians inside the country think that it was a real liberation that we must pay respect because we saw that the Vietnamese Army return in September 1989.
There are Vietnamese settlers but surely not 4-5 millions. Cambodia is an independent country not ally of other. We are building the country from zero after the Khmer Rouge Pol Pot genocidal regime which caused more than 4 millions innocent Cambodians died of instant killings, starvation, disease, work exhaustion...
We are very proud of Cambodia development at this level that we can see in our own eyes. This is the real situation that some Americanized Khmers still deny and blindly cursing their land of birth.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
Ly
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Nothing developed in cambodia. I went there recently, only sad faces, hopeless face, emotionless face. faces full of worries. Onl the rich, powerful ride high and happy.
Ly, you are do damned stupid. Other than Phnom Penh, Siem Reap nothing going on. Dead quiet.
Where did u visit 2:51 PM in Cambodia? how did you come to Cambodia? How did you access to your relative home or hotel- did u swim or travel on road? How did you make contact with your relative here by letter or phone or any means?..just few question to wake u up and the more you answer my question the more justification on how develop or non-develop in Cambodia..
Khmer
Where did u visit 2:51 PM in Cambodia? how did you come to Cambodia? How did you access to your relative home or hotel- did u swim or travel on road? How did you make contact with your relative here by letter or phone or any means?..just few question to wake u up and the more you answer my question the more justification on how develop or non-develop in Cambodia..
Khmer
Hi Ly,
The US got involved with Afghanistan as a direct result of 9-11. We have to get rid of the extremists whose main purpose is to hurt the free world. The similarity between the US and VN ends tight here. We have no intention of anexing this very poor country at all but; VN has their eyes on Cambodia for a long, long time. They're not happy until they can replace France in Indochina. We lost a big chunk of our territory already. Remember Kampuchea Krom?
As for Iraq, President Bush made a big mistake due to bad intelligence and also due the stupidity of Sadam Hussein. We also have a stupid, errogant big mouth in Cambodia by the name of Hun Sen who recently realizes that his family abuses the country too. He warned his family of not doing bad deeds any more because after he lose his power they might be in trouble.
As for Khmers oversea, we do not criticize the CPP goverment for the sake of criticizing. Hun Sen fools many Cambodians. You think that all development in Cambodia is the great result of Hun Sen achievement because you see his name and also his wife's name on everything including my old high school. All of new bridges and roads are gifts from developped countries such as Japan, or direct result from foreign loans that ended up mostly in the pocket of the CPP honchos. Your children and grand children will have to heavily pay for what you call progress. A big chunk of foreign aids goes into the pockets of the CPP and you praise the little thing that the thieves have done for Cambodia. Can you imagine that if there is no rampant corruption you would see a lot more development in Cambodia.
Well, enough said, I wish Cambodia the best.
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