Hun Sen accuses Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong of ‘supporting genocide’ as war of words over Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge-era escalates
- Vietnam’s actions to remove the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s are still a source of division among Asean member states
- Singapore was among those that saw Hanoi’s actions as an act of foreign aggression; Cambodia and Vietnam to this day say this is ‘not true’
Hun Sen’s comments marked an escalation in an ill-tempered exchange between Southeast Asian nations, stirring animosity and renewed debate about the legacy of war in the region and, in particular, the ousting of the Khmer Rouge regime and subsequent installation of a new government.
“General Prem was resolute in not accepting this fait accompli, and worked with Asean partners to oppose the Vietnamese occupation in international forums,” Lee said in comments posted on his Facebook page.“This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised. It protected the security of other Southeast Asia countries, and decisively shaped the course of the region.”
In a strongly worded Facebook post late on Thursday, Hun Sen said he deeply regretted Lee’s remarks and accused him of supporting the Khmer Rouge genocide.
“His statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia,” Hun Sen said. Singapore “had indeed contributed to the massacre of the Cambodian people”, he said.
Hun Sen was a junior member of the Khmer Rouge but fled to Vietnam when the group split. He returned with the Vietnamese army that intervened in late 1978 to oust Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge and rose to power in a government set up by Vietnam. Hun Sen said Lee’s comments were an “insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped to liberate Cambodia”.
