The Khmer Rouge & Vietnam: Who Started The War? អ្នកណាជាអ្នកបង្ករសង្រ្គាម?

Public opinion, Khmers and foreigners alike, have always viewed the Khmer Rouge as the belligerent party to the 1979 war between Vietnam and Cambodia. Khmer Rouge documents dated as far back as 1976 painted a reverse picture. One document dated 20th February 1976, which was written by a Khmer Rouge field commander stationed a long the Cambodian-Vietnam border, has reported about numerous Vietnamese encroachments into Cambodian territory. These encroachments, which were vigorously defended by the Khmer Rouge force on the ground, have triggered the war. based on the KR's report which dated back 3 years before the Vietnamese invasion, we can conclude that Vietnam was the party who started the war. Below is my unofficiall translation of the KR document:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Eastern Zone ភូមិភាគបូព៌ាទិស

Zone 23 ដំបន់​២៣



The Report របាយការណ៍

Zone 23's A.R.T Committee គណះ អរត ដំបន់២៣



Dear A.R.T Committe,



Subject: The Issue of Vietnam Moving Demarcation Post Inside Cambodian Territory



I have received the report from Chantrea District Committee that on 16th of February 1976 Vietnam has secretly moved the demarcation post deep inside Chatrea District in two areas:

1. At (ដួនទៃខាងកើត)​ Don Tey Village East, Subdistrict Samrong (សំរោង), District Chatrea (ច័ន្រ្ទា).

2. At (តាឡុកចុងខាងជើង) Talok Chong North, Subdistrict Bavet (បាវិត), district Chantrea which they have moved 500 metres deep inside our territory.



According to the above report, please be informed.



I wish you good health and success.



Dated: 20th February 1976



For Zone 23's A.R.T Committee



Signed:................



Comrade Keo An សមមិត្ត កែវ អាន



----------------------------------------------------------------------------



As the above document has shown Vietnam was the provocateur. In 1979, after the Vietnamese invasion, one of the young Khmer Rouge soldiers who stationed a long the Cambodian-Vietnamese border told me that his unit has clashed with the Vietnamese units on many occasions due to the encroachments like the ones reported above. So people should be clear now as to who, the Khmer Rouge or Vietnam, who started the 1979 war?