40 years ago, on January 7, 1979, the Vietnamese People’s Army in co-ordination with the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, deposed Pol Pot, putting an end to the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, liberating Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh.
Vietnam News Agency speaks to General and former defence minister Phạm Văn Trà, who served in the battle at the time, on how it was a war where “justice triumphed over brutality”.
For one, it wasn’t until 1977 that Pol Pot started being aggressive against Việt Nam. In April of 1975 when Pol Pot ascended to the highest leadership position of Cambodia, his military frequently launched raids along the southwest border, even along the maritime border we shared with Cambodia.
