HCM CITY — A ceremony was held in HCM City yesterday to mark the 40th anniversary of the southwest border defence war victory and the valuable support given by the Vietnamese people and army to liberate Cambodia from the genocidal Pol Pot regime on Jan 7, 1979.

Huỳnh Cách Mạng, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee, said: “In response to the urgent call of the Cambodian people and the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, Vietnamese volunteers together with Cambodian armed forces and Cambodian people defeated the Pol Pot reactionary group, liberated Phnom Penh, abolished the genocidal regime, and rebuilt a new society for the Cambodian people.” 

“January 7, 1979 has become a historical milestone for loyal solidarity and special friendship between Việt Nam and Cambodia, helping Cambodia escape genocide and enter a new era of independence, freedom and revival.”

“The victory demonstrated a noble international spirit and the altruistic support of the Party, State and military of Việt Nam for the Cambodian people,” he said. 

With the victory, Việt Nam-Cambodia ties entered a new period of solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation on the foundation of respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added.

Bilateral import and export turnover between the two countries reached US$4.5 billion in 2018. They will strive to reach $5 billion by 2020.

During the past 40 years, HCM City has received hundreds of leaders of Phnom Penh to exchange, promote trade and investment in Cambodia.

Im Hen, Cambodia’s Consul General in HCM City, expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, Government, former experts and volunteer Vietnamese soldiers who have overcome many hardships to help Cambodia and its people escape from the Pol Pot genocide.

He said Cambodia’s development in many areas during the past 40 years was greatly due to the close cooperation between the Party, the State and the people of the two countries, especially the support of Việt Nam for the Cambodian people in the difficult period of the 80s and 90s as well as the period of Cambodia’s construction and development. 

“The Cambodian people will also be thankful to Vietnamese volunteers who have sacrificed their blood and bodies to liberate Cambodia and its people from genocide,” he said. 

“The Cambodian people will always remember January 7 as their second birthday. If there was no January 7, there would be nothing like today.” 

“This ceremony commemorates an historic event for Việt Nam and Cambodia. It was our joint victory. What the Cambodian people have gained is thanks to the precious assistance of the Vietnamese government, army, and people. Those achievements mean that nobody can distort history, especially the long friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese and Cambodians,” he said. 

The meeting was organised by the HCM City People’s Committee, HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and HCM City Việt Nam – Cambodia Friendship Association.

Attendees were Trương Mỹ Hoa, former vice president of Việt Nam and former Secretary of the Party Central Committee; Lê Hồng Liêm, vice chairman of the Việt Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association; Major General Nguyễn Minh Hoàng, deputy commissar of Military Zone 7; and Huỳnh Cách Mạng, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee.

Forty years ago, on January 7, 1979, the Vietnamese People’s Army in co-ordination with the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, deposed Pol Pot, putting an end to the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, liberating Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh. — VNS