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Vietnam's Military and Political Challenges in Cambodia and the Early Rise of Cambodia's Strongman, Hun Sen, 1977–79
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 July 2021
Abstract
Much has been written about Cambodia's strongman, Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985. Yet, the history of Hun Sen's early rise to a position of power in the Vietnam-initiated Cambodian revolution after June 1977 remains murky. Relying on Vietnamese and Cambodian archival documents, memoirs and interviews with former veterans of Unit 125 as well as Hun Sen's speeches and personal recollection of his historic journey to Vietnam on 20 June 1977, we make a two-fold argument. First, Hanoi's decision to establish an anti-Pol Pot Cambodian revolution in southern Vietnam to take over Cambodia—after toppling Democratic Kampuchea—was part of Hanoi's strategic plan to handle a double challenge: (1) to avoid being branded as an invader and (2) to establish a capable and friendly regime in Cambodia after the war. This provided an opportunity for a young Khmer Rouge defector, Hun Sen, to change his fortune by quickly earning the Vietnamese military leadership's trust and confidence based on his competence to organize and command the first army unit of the new Cambodian revolution, i.e. Unit 125. Second, as lucky as he was to flee across the heavily militarized border into Vietnam unharmed, Hun Sen's early rise to power is attributed to his survivalist instinct combined with shrewd strategic thinking.
- Type
- Original Article
- Information
- TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , November 2022 , pp. 127 - 144
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Institute for East Asian Studies, Sogang University
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Ministry of National Defense, undated. “Excerpts from speeches of, answers to the press of, and interviews with Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Sadech Pichey Sena Tia Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, and Nem Sowath, Special Advisor to Sadech Pichey Sena Tia Banh and the director-general of the General Department of Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense on the Commemoration Day of Sam Dech Techo Hun Sen's Historical 20-June-1977 Journey Leading to the Overthrow of Pol Pot's Genocide Regime.”Google Scholar
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15971 – Nguyen Van Ngoc, Pho Truong Ban Bien Gioi Cua HDCP [Vice-Chairman of the Border Committee of the Government Council] kinh gui Anh To [sent to Pham Van Dong]. 1977. 6–18. The Border Committee, an organ of the Party Centre, was established at the end of 1975.Google Scholar
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15971 – “Bao cao dac biet tiep theo bao cao dac biet so 02/VM ngay 14-1-1977 ve viec luc luong Campuchia tap kich don CANDVT bien phong so 7 va so 8 tinh Dak Lak [Special report following the special report No. 02/VM on 14 January 1977 about the Cambodian forces attacking our border defense police units No. 7 and 8 at Dak Lak province.” 3–5.Google Scholar
15971 – Nguyen Van Ngoc, Pho Truong Ban Bien Gioi Cua HDCP [Vice-Chairman of the Border Committee of the Government Council] kinh gui Anh To [sent to Pham Van Dong]. 1977. 6–18. The Border Committee, an organ of the Party Centre, was established at the end of 1975.Google Scholar
15971 – Thuong Ta Tang Lieu [Lieutenant-colonel Tang Lieu], Pho Cuc Truong Cuc Tham Muu [Vice Chief of the Department of Staff], Bo Tu Lenh CANDVT, Bo Noi Vu [Command of the Vietnamese People's Police, the Ministry of Interior]. Undated. “Bao cao tin tong hop trong Tuan (tu 15-7 den 21-7-1977) [Weekly summary report (from 15 to 21 July 1977)], 32–38.Google Scholar
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