D.K. Press Agency Interview about Vietnam’s invasion – Pol-Pot, 1978

Q. We would like you to describe the situation when the Vietnamese were invading
Democratic Kampuchea. What was the purpose of this invasion? What was the res-
olution of the government about this attack? We ask this question for the purpose of
spreading the news to the Kampuchean people and the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea.

A. I am sure that the people and the forces obviously know about this situation, for they were all victimized by
the Vietnamese invasions. In addition, our party, our government, and our media have been broadcasting this
violation since it first began. Thus, I will answer some aspects of your question. To start with, I would like to
express my gratitude to the heroic Kampuchean citizens and the elite Kampuchean Revolutionary Army who
have been cooperating into “one string” under the leadership of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and sub
-sequently succeeding in defeating all evil acts of provocation, violence, sabotage, interference, espionage,
and coup by the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese have never given up their Indo-China Federation plan. System
-atically, they have been planning and practicing missions since 1930. At first they wanted a single state of
Indo-China with one party, one army, and one country. They tried to achieve this goal through peace and
friendship, which are the result of accords or treaties on cooperation, especially in the areas of politics, arm
-ed forces, economics, and culture. After liberation day in 1975, the Vietnamese still pursued their purpose
using the same techniques. This is their image of the Indo-China Federation. Their goal is the elimination
of borders to make Kampuchea part of their country. The Vietnamese exercised control over the party, armed
forces, economics, and domestic and foreign policies, in a way that would make Kampuchea a part of
Vietnam. Thus, we would become a minority group in the federation. They carried out espionage and
sabotage, made their spies burrow within, and caused the destruction of [our] internal solidarity. They
have been doing this over a long period of time. Significantly, in the years between 1965 and 1975,
when they asked for refuge on Kampuchean land, they used friendship to create an autonomous party
in Kampuchea, which was controlled by Revolutionary Kampuchea, and the Kampuchean people were
kind enough to let them stay.

But they used this force to stage constant violations against Kampuchean sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Additionally, they attempted to break up CPK’s Central Committee and installed their favoured elements who
were debauched, corrupt, knew nothing, and did whatever they were told to. Fortunately, they were heavily
defeated. This was the result of strong cooperation between the Kampuchean people and the Revolutionary
Army under the perfect leadership of the CPK with continuous commitment to adhere to the stance of in-
dependence, self-reliance, and control over their future destinies. After liberation in 1975, the Yuon continued
to conquer and violate Kampuchean islands. From 1975 to 1977, they interfered in our internal affairs and
attempted to create coups again and again, with help from their internal and external attacks and the CIA,
with attempts to dissolve Revolutionary Kampuchea and split Democratic Kampuchea into pieces easy to
control. Once again their success was halted. After September 1977, the Yuon took a risk to make an un-
declared, large-scale war with DK, with the help of huge military forces, divisions, and technical council for
the purpose of occupying the eastern part of the Mekong River and the Southwest Zone. They would designate
their puppets, from village chiefs to provincial governors, in their future conquered territories. Moreover,
they would use their own Vietnamese armies to control the areas. The Yuon hoped that they could take
over the whole country after this initial invasion. Fortunately, they were shamefully defeated on 6 January
1978 by the Revolutionary Armies and the Kampuchean people. In the face of the failure, the Yuon still
continued their invasion in accordance with the so-called Indo-Chinese Federation plan. Apparently, from
February to 30 March 1978 they raided the areas along the border, especially the Eastern and Southwest
Zones, by using military forces from 11 divisions. They once tried to hide their real plan under a pretext of
so-called negotiation declaration.

It is well known that the Yuon were cheating the people and the world for the purpose of aggression and
annexation against Kampuchea. Our people and revolutionary armies are always on the alert and deliv-
ered a counterattack successfully against the Vietnamese at this second stage. A question has been raised,
“Right now, have the Vietnamese abandoned their ambitious land encroaching plan?” The answer is:
No. Their military divisions, heavy artillery and tanks are carrying out their invasions and shelling of our
DK. For instance, on 7 April 1978, while yelling that they had abandoned the Indo-Chinese Federation
plan and wanted to resolve the border quarrel, the Yuon’s divisional forces attacked the border at Lork
Toanhan and Cheav Bdei Mountain in Kampot Province. At the same time, in Kampong Trabek District,
Prey Veng Province, two regiments opened an attack on Kampuchea. Also, a Vietnamese division
attacked Kampuchea’s eastern part of Kampong Cham Province, and districts along the border, such
as Ponnea Krek, Me Mut, [and] Tramoung. Furthermore on national road 13, from Loc Ninh to Snuol
close to the border, two Vietnamese regiments undertook an invasion. Still we exclude many other
smaller attacks carried out by battalions and companies at Mondul Kiri and Rattanak Kiri. Is this a
coincidence or a systematic plan? Negotiation was just a pretext to fool the world that they really
wanted a non-violent resolution. This did not happen only on 7 April, but on many more days. What
-ever methods they use, we understand all. Today we can see much more clearly the unwise acts
and dangerous plans of the Vietnamese, and we defeated them on 7, 8, 9, and 10 April 1978 as soon
as their huge attack was initiated.

Once again our people and the revolutionary armies achieved victory. Our Kampuchean people and
brave military forces have identified the Vietnamese aggression, territorial expansion and tactics for
dozens of years. Clearly, at Kampot battlefront at 6 a.m. on April 7 the Yuon began attacking; at 12
am our armies managed to put them in panic-stricken circumstances. Corpses were scattered every
-where. At Kompong Trabek battlefield they also lost. At Snuol they also lost. Whenever they appeared,
we began raiding them. These acts show that what the Vietnamese government said about making f
riendship, international coalitions, and resolving border quarrels was just a new lie to conceal their
invasion, which was used to convince the Vietnamese people and the world.

Q. What is the stance of the DK government’s resolution?

I solemnly declared on 17 January 1978 and I also held a press conference with Yugoslavian journalists on
17 March 1978 about this, but with more recent information I would like to express the stance again, as follows: The Yuon must respect our independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and rights to deal with the aff-
airs of our DK government. The Yuon must not interfere in our internal affairs, commit sabotage, spy, violate,
or shell our territory. 2. Respect independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the land and sea boundaries
agreed upon in 1966-1967 by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam
and the Hanoi Government. I honestly say that DK and its people are willing to live peacefully inside our
borders and want friendship with our neighboring countries. That’s why we did not re-open any old cases.
We have the right to re-open the border issues, and relocate both our sea and land borders, since we
have adequate evidence and reasons to support it. For example, recall the case of Kampuchea Krom, the
lost islands that the French colonialists gave to Co Chin China, but the Ngor Dim Deam and former Prey
Nokor regimes had occupied. In particular, DK has both legal reasons and reasons based on land bound
-aries, which state that our sea stretches to the south of the Brévié line. However, since it wants to have
friendship, Kampuchea doesn’t revise any case concerning such issues. Therefore, do not misunderstand
that Kampuchea knows nothing about the loss. The Yuon must be aware that expanding their own territory
is injustice, enmity, and defeat. The ambition to occupy any country’s territory is an atrocious crime against
international laws. DK suggests that for there to be peace between the two countries, Vietnam must care-
fully respect the above-mentioned stances and abandon forever the idea and plans to have an Indo-
China Federation within a framework of a single party, single country, single nationality, or single army,
occupying and dissolving Kampuchean nationality. This abandonment is not to be done through words,
but through actions. Otherwise, no one would believe that this is a true peace.

Coping with this situation, the Kampuchean people and Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea have to be highly
vigilant in defending their independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the nation’s reputation and little
by little eradicate the invading Yuon from the face of the globe. The Yuon should choose to make peace and
accept the good will of Kampuchea rather than continue their greedy annexation. I declare the Vietnamese
government to be at peace for the sake of both countries, for our friendship so that Kampuchean and Viet-
namese citizens can live in harmony, and have peace in the whole region.