End of the Khmer Rouge Genocide
In 1977, Cambodia viewed Vietnam signed a treaty of cooperation with Laos as threatening. At that moment, Pol Pot officially acknowledges the new government. In September of 1977 he spoke publicly on Cambodian radio declaring internationally that Khmer Rouge forces were taking control of the nation.
Relations between Cambodia and Vietnam have always been guarded. Although the Khmer Rouge once received aid from North Vietnam in their first rebellion, the Khmer Rouge did not acknowledging ties between their party and the Vietnamese. Vietnam was an enemy to them. Pol Pot demonstrated this point when he claimed that the Democratic Party of Kampuchea did not start until 1960. In essence, Pol Pot believed once being helped by North Vietnam was the weakness within the party. Eventually, the tensions between Vietnam and Cambodia led to conflict between the two parties. According to his announcement, Pol Pot visited China to seek the aid of Hua Guofeng, the leader of the People's Republic of China. In December of the same year, Vietnamese troops started to cross the border, and they captured villagers and took captors. The troops retreated in the next year, but they brought numerous captured soldiers with them. It has been reported that the Vietnamese wished most of these soldiers would be useful in establishing a new government in Cambodia. In 1978, Vietnamese troops crossed the border once again. This time the Khmer Rouge was too weak to fight back the Vietnamese army. This was probably because of the fact that the Vietnamese had begun receiving support from the Soviet Union. As the forces marched closer to the capital, Pol Pot fled. On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese troops went into the Cambodian capital. Shortly after the Vietnamese army established the People's Republic of Kampuchea and placed Hun Sen as prime minister. Even though the war was over and the reign of the Khmer Rouge had ended, some horrendous reminders of the atrocities remained. 10 millions landmines were left in the ground. Mass graves scattered the country. Cambodia had lost roughly 30% of its' population. |