On this date in 1979, Vietnamese forces ousted Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, ending the Cambodian leader’s three-year grip on power. From 1975 to 1979 between 1.5 and 3 million people died in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge reign of terror. The Khmer Rouge government of Pol Pot enjoyed considerable economic, military, and political assistance from the PRC, and the Vietnamese action against Pol Pot was one of several events which precipitated the Chinese invasion of Vietnam in February, 1979.
On happier note, January 7 is the “Festival of Seven Herbs” (七草の節句 nanakusa no sekku) in Japan. The Japanese eat a porridge made of seven herbs called 七草粥 nanakusa-gayu for longevity, luck, and health.
Today is also the birthday of Sammo Hung 洪金宝. The stocky (but smooth) Hong Kong action star turns 57.
“the Vietnamese action against Pol Pot was one of several events which precipitated the Chinese invasion of Vietnam in February, 1979.”
Something I’m inclined to remind my students when they’re in ‘China good; America bad’ mode. That’s when I’m informed that it wasn’t an invasion but a necessary lesson in humility meted out to naughty neighbours.
The Vietnamese skirmish is, of course, another 30th anniversary that lies just around the corner; one of a number of important anniversaies for China in 2009.
In my dreams they’ll give as much contemplation and airtime to the important 20th anniversay as they will to the 60th birthday bash.
Welcome back, btw.
I thought everybody agreed that the primary goal of the Sino-Vietnamese War was to send a signal to the Soviets. The timing of the thing was way too calculated to be incidental.
Cambodia, border incursions, treatment of ethnic Chinese — these were just excuses.
another thing to remind your students is that both america and china objected to vietnam’s action against the khmer rouge. geopolitics makes for bizarre bedfellows.
another irony was that the sino-vietnamese war was indeed a needed lesson in humility, just for the chinese.
Tom,
The whole thing is tied together. Beijing’s support for Pol Pot was based on the latter’s anti-Soviet tendencies. I’m going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War, but short form: Yes, smacking Vietnam was deemed easier than poking the Soviet bear, though things didn’t work out quite the way bellicose PLA commanders planned.
“I’m going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War”
I thought as much. Look forward to it.