A meeting was held in Hanoi on January 5 to mark the 35thanniversary of the victory in the southwest border defence war and thejoint victory of Vietnam and Cambodia over the genocidal regime(January 7, 1979-2014).
The event, host by theVietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, saw the attendance ofPresident Truong Tan Sang, VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan and leadersof the Party, State, ministries and organisations, as well asinternational friends and former Vietnamese experts and voluntarysoldiers.
The Cambodian delegation at the eventincluded Chairman of National Assembly Heng Samrin who is also thePresident of the National Council of the Solidarity Front for theDevelopment of the Cambodian Motherland, and Deputy Prime Minister andPresident of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Men Sam An.
The participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Vietnameseheroic voluntary martyrs and Cambodian people and soldiers who fell downfor the victory.
Speaking at the meeting, PresidentTruong Tan Sang stated that the historical triumph was a joint victoryand joy of people in both countries, firmly preserving independence,sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Vietnam and Cambodia .
The victory closed the darkest chapter of theCambodian history, saved the Cambodian people from the genocidaldisaster and opened up a new era of independence, freedom, peace,neutrality and development for Cambodia, he said.
For his part, Cambodian NA Chairman Heng Samrin said the people ofCambodia always bear in heart and keep in mind the great sacrificemade by Vietnamese soldiers and will remember in its history toremind younger generations of the assistance.
TheCambodian legislative leader affirmed that since the victory in 1979,Cambodia has seen various changes in many fields, adding that Vietnamand Cambodia have always made great efforts to develop the finebilateral relations and comprehensive cooperation and supported eachother at international arena.
Cambodian people in Phnom Penh bid farewell to Vietnamese voluntary soldiers returning Vietnam. (Source: VNA)
The Khmer Rougegenocidal regime in Cambodia led by Pol Pot lasted from 1975-1979.In only 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, the genocidal regime killednearly 3 million Cambodian civilians, destroyed all social facilitiesand pushed the Cambodian nation to the brink of perdition.
The regime also distorted the history of Vietnam and mobilised mostof its military strengths, including dozens of divisions and many localregiments, to launch an invasion in the southwestern border of Vietnam.
They ravaged villages, brutally killed localpeople, including the elderly, children and women, and seriouslyviolated the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity ofVietnam.
Together with the armed forces andpeople of Cambodia as well as the support of international friends,the Vietnamese army overthrew the genocidal regime on January 7, 1979.
Following the victory, thousands of Vietnameseexperts and voluntary soldiers continued standing side by side with theCambodian people in the country’s revival and reconstruction.
Since 1979, the Cambodian Government and people under the leadershipof the Cambodian People’s Party has achieved great progresses, making ita country of peace with an increasing role in the region and the world.-VNA
