Chea Sim (l) laughing with Hun Xen (r) (Photo: Reuters)Geschichte, Wissenschaft
5. September 2010
By Markus Karbaum
In most communist countries, effective intelligence capacities have been crucial for their internal stability. Especially, the Ministry of State Security (in short MfS or Stasi) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was famous for its ability to control its own people – even in Southeast Asia. Although the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) has had an elaborate network of informers since the early 1980s, the political leaders sought assistance to strengthen its security apparatus. Due to ideological similarities – both states were pro Soviet – rumours have persisted for a long time that Cambodian intelligence officials had been trained by the Stasi in the 1980s. However, after examining and evaluating the relevant dossiers in Berlin, this assumption has not been proved.
In August 1980, the first attempt was started to build up cooperation between both socialist countries. In a letter dated on August 25th, East Germany’s Foreign Minister Oskar Fischer reported a Cambodian request to Colonel General Friedrich Dickel, GDR’s Minister of Interior, and Erich Mielke, Minister of State Security: “[…] The comrades from Kampuchea are interested in studying the design and functionality of the intelligence institutions, issues of combating espionage and the activities of counterrevolutionary powers, the functions of police forces, issues of investigating crimes as well as issues of criminal proceedings and the penal system.” (Unofficial translation by the author, see dossier MfS Abt. X No. 384 in Stasi archive BStU, Berlin.) The answer was formulated on September 4th: This request required long-term consideration, as stated in the memo (probably written by a civil servant in the Stasi headquarters). In a conversation with the Minister of Interior Dickel during an official visit in East Germany on April 15th, 1981 again former PRK’s Minister of Interior Chea Sim, by now president of the Senate and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, expressed insistently the request to get support from the Stasi in education and training of cadres as well as in building up and training of the security institutions.
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In August 1980, the first attempt was started to build up cooperation between both socialist countries. In a letter dated on August 25th, East Germany’s Foreign Minister Oskar Fischer reported a Cambodian request to Colonel General Friedrich Dickel, GDR’s Minister of Interior, and Erich Mielke, Minister of State Security: “[…] The comrades from Kampuchea are interested in studying the design and functionality of the intelligence institutions, issues of combating espionage and the activities of counterrevolutionary powers, the functions of police forces, issues of investigating crimes as well as issues of criminal proceedings and the penal system.” (Unofficial translation by the author, see dossier MfS Abt. X No. 384 in Stasi archive BStU, Berlin.) The answer was formulated on September 4th: This request required long-term consideration, as stated in the memo (probably written by a civil servant in the Stasi headquarters). In a conversation with the Minister of Interior Dickel during an official visit in East Germany on April 15th, 1981 again former PRK’s Minister of Interior Chea Sim, by now president of the Senate and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, expressed insistently the request to get support from the Stasi in education and training of cadres as well as in building up and training of the security institutions.
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