Voice of Khmer Youth
19 Jan 06 pp 1, 2
[Report by Li Koy: "Why Are There So Many Vietnamese Bones in Cambodia?"]
The digging for remains by a group of plainclothes Vietnamese troops all over Cambodia has triggered the suspicion of local and international opinion. During the 1998 elections, armed uniformed Vietnamese troops were seen sailing from Vietnam through the Koh Thom pass into Koh Thom and Sa'ang districts of Kandal province and from there, they traveled through streams and lakes all over Cambodia, provoking much alarm and anxiety among Cambodians.
However, after this became public news, the Cambodian authorities explained that the Vietnamese uniformed and armed troops came to Cambodia to search for the remains of Vietnamese soldiers killed during the war in the 1970s and 1980s.
The people of Koh Thom and Sa'ang districts were puzzled. They wondered that since 1979 there had been no fighting in these two districts, then why there were bone-digging activities in these districts. However, the Vietnamese immediately explained that these Vietnamese died in the two districts in the war against the US imperialists during the 1970s.
An Interior Ministry official said that after the people were alarmed by the presence of armed uniformed Vietnamese troops, the Vietnamese immediately changed their tactics by ordering their troops to wear civilian clothes and to leave the army uniforms behind.
Security observers said that even if the Hanoi authorities needed to seek the remains of their soldiers, they should never let their troops wear military uniforms and carry arms into Cambodia, for Cambodia is a sovereign country, not a colony of Vietnam.
However, if Hanoi was worried about security and safety of the bone-diggers, it should ask for cooperation from the Cambodian government to provide security for these diggers. Maybe Hanoi thought that the ruling Cambodian People's Party was its puppet. Maybe that was the reason why Hanoi violated such an elementary international law.
The most alarming thing now is that the Vietnamese troops have gone to Kampong Thom to dig for the remains of their comrades, but those who go to Kampong Thom are garbed in civilian clothes. So far, Vietnam has repatriated 347 sets of remains. Hanoi claimed that these bones belonged to Vietnamese soldiers killed during the 1970s and 1980s. Now Hanoi has unearthed another 146 sets of its soldiers' remains in Kampong Thom. Although it has found another 146 sets of remains, Vietnam has still claimed that many more Vietnamese troops had died in Cambodia.
At the same time, Chey Saphon, head of the commission for the search of the Vietnamese soldiers' remains, said that he did not know exactly how many Vietnamese had died in Cambodia.
Diplomats and observers said that this was beyond doubt that Vietnam had committed aggression against Cambodia. Just the search for the Vietnamese soldiers' remains in Cambodia already shows that it was because the Vietnamese had invaded Cambodia that so many Vietnamese soldiers had died in this country.
However, after this became public news, the Cambodian authorities explained that the Vietnamese uniformed and armed troops came to Cambodia to search for the remains of Vietnamese soldiers killed during the war in the 1970s and 1980s.
The people of Koh Thom and Sa'ang districts were puzzled. They wondered that since 1979 there had been no fighting in these two districts, then why there were bone-digging activities in these districts. However, the Vietnamese immediately explained that these Vietnamese died in the two districts in the war against the US imperialists during the 1970s.
An Interior Ministry official said that after the people were alarmed by the presence of armed uniformed Vietnamese troops, the Vietnamese immediately changed their tactics by ordering their troops to wear civilian clothes and to leave the army uniforms behind.
Security observers said that even if the Hanoi authorities needed to seek the remains of their soldiers, they should never let their troops wear military uniforms and carry arms into Cambodia, for Cambodia is a sovereign country, not a colony of Vietnam.
However, if Hanoi was worried about security and safety of the bone-diggers, it should ask for cooperation from the Cambodian government to provide security for these diggers. Maybe Hanoi thought that the ruling Cambodian People's Party was its puppet. Maybe that was the reason why Hanoi violated such an elementary international law.
The most alarming thing now is that the Vietnamese troops have gone to Kampong Thom to dig for the remains of their comrades, but those who go to Kampong Thom are garbed in civilian clothes. So far, Vietnam has repatriated 347 sets of remains. Hanoi claimed that these bones belonged to Vietnamese soldiers killed during the 1970s and 1980s. Now Hanoi has unearthed another 146 sets of its soldiers' remains in Kampong Thom. Although it has found another 146 sets of remains, Vietnam has still claimed that many more Vietnamese troops had died in Cambodia.
At the same time, Chey Saphon, head of the commission for the search of the Vietnamese soldiers' remains, said that he did not know exactly how many Vietnamese had died in Cambodia.
Diplomats and observers said that this was beyond doubt that Vietnam had committed aggression against Cambodia. Just the search for the Vietnamese soldiers' remains in Cambodia already shows that it was because the Vietnamese had invaded Cambodia that so many Vietnamese soldiers had died in this country.
1 comment:
We should keep close eyes with the presence of those Vietnames troop in Cambodia. Historically, Vietnames have used many different tactics to Vietnamize Cambodia. Now their troops with both civilian and uniformed clothes, can intimidate its puppet government, terrorized the peace of Cambodians and spying throughout the country.
Government has provided senseless admission to Honoi government to perform such remains digging operation.
As recent change of Hun Sen's attitude cannot quarranty that Cambodia led by him is absolutely free from Vietnam's imperialism and illegal border treaty concerns.
Post a Comment