Victory over genocidal regime marked in HCM City

Cambodian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Im Hen, highlighted the event as a chance for the Cambodian people to express their deep gratitude to Vietnam’s volunteer soldiers for helping them to defeat the brutal regime. 

He thanked the Vietnamese Party and Government and Ho Chi Minh City for supporting Cambodia in its difficult times and in the current period of national development.

The get-together was a curtain raiser to 20 events to be held by the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese-Cambodian diplomatic relations.

Chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City Truong Minh Nhut said January 7, 1979 marks a historic milestone in the pure, faithful and special friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia and the victory over the Khmer Rouge regime saved Cambodia from the genocidal catastrophe, taking it into a new era of independence, freedom and revival. 

He affirmed that the association's willingness to further ties with Cambodian fellows as a contribution to enhancing Vietnam-Cambodia traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation. 

Reigning from 1975-1979, the genocidal regime killed nearly 3 million Cambodian civilians in only 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, destroyed all social facilities and pushed the Cambodian nation to the brink of perdition.

The regime also distorted the history of Vietnam and mobilized most of its military strengths, including dozens of divisions and many local regiments, to launch an invasion into the southwestern border of Vietnam.

They ravaged villages, brutally killed local people, including the elderly, children and women, and seriously violated the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam