Open Response of Ms. Theary C. Seng to Mr. At Keo's Open Letter

Dear lauk At Keo:

Thank you for your Open Letter (posted on KI Media on Jan. 2) with the kind sentiments and the request to elaborate on what I mean by “it was liberation through invasion (not ‘volunteer humanitarianism’)” in my countering the revisionist history of January 7.

Liberation through Invasion

No one could reasonably contest that the Vietnamese soldiers (accompanied by the Khmer Rouge defectors, e.g. Hun Sen, Heng Samrin, Chea Sim etc.) ended the Khmer Rouge genocide on 7 January 1979. In this regard, it was “liberation”. The presence of Vietnamese soldiers and KR defectors put an end to the KR regime on January 7. This is fact; it is not disputable. And we should all learn genuinely to say “Thank you”.

It is also not disputable that Vietnam invaded Cambodia on Christmas day in 1978 culminating in its full control of Cambodia on 7 January 1979. It was Vietnam’s third and successful incursion during the KR reign. This is fact; it is not disputable. Hence, Vietnam’s invasion led to our liberation from the Khmer Rouge.

Occupation and Vietnamization

However, to our dismay, Vietnam stayed, fulfilling its historical design of the Vietnamization of Cambodia. This short-lived liberation from the Khmer Rouge was immediately followed by Vietnamese occupation. And by definition, occupation is living under the control of a foreign power, thus the antithesis of freedom.

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