Vietnam - Cambodian War
The Vietnam War began in December 1956 and ended with the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was fought between North Vietnam, supported by China and USSR, and South Vietnam backed by the US. The US involvement in the war was part of the wider strategy of containment to stop the spread of communism. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam under communist rule.
Vietnam launched a full-scale invasion of Democratic Kampuchea on 25 December, 1978 after clashes along land and maritime boundaries in the years 1975-1977. The Vietnam government installed the People’s Republic of Kampuchea in place of the Khmer Rouge.
The Soviet Union, the socialist countries of Eastern Europe and India recognised the People’s Republic of Kampuchea and USSR praised the PRK's "remarkable victory" and expressed its full support for the regime's advance towards socialism. Furthermore, the Soviets harshly criticised the Khmer Rouge regime's record of terror, which they implied had been imposed by China.
The Khmer Rouge’s genocide had been stopped by Vietnam’s invasion but Vietnam had also violated Cambodia’s sovereignty and further destabilised the region. Thailand was suspicious of Vietnam’s intentions to create an IndoChina hegemony. Western powers and ASEAN (then consisting of Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore) condemned Vietnam's use of force to remove the Khmer Rouge from power and called on Vietnam to withdraw its troops so that the people of Cambodia could elect its own government. In 1979, China invaded Vietnam to retaliate the latter’s invasion of Cambodia.
With the region in chaos just after the end of the Vietnam War, the council must decide what to do to restore peace to Southeast Asia. As such, the council needs to discuss the current situation and what is to be done now and in the future to protect the sovereignty of the countries and the peace of the region.
Vietnam launched a full-scale invasion of Democratic Kampuchea on 25 December, 1978 after clashes along land and maritime boundaries in the years 1975-1977. The Vietnam government installed the People’s Republic of Kampuchea in place of the Khmer Rouge.
The Soviet Union, the socialist countries of Eastern Europe and India recognised the People’s Republic of Kampuchea and USSR praised the PRK's "remarkable victory" and expressed its full support for the regime's advance towards socialism. Furthermore, the Soviets harshly criticised the Khmer Rouge regime's record of terror, which they implied had been imposed by China.
The Khmer Rouge’s genocide had been stopped by Vietnam’s invasion but Vietnam had also violated Cambodia’s sovereignty and further destabilised the region. Thailand was suspicious of Vietnam’s intentions to create an IndoChina hegemony. Western powers and ASEAN (then consisting of Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore) condemned Vietnam's use of force to remove the Khmer Rouge from power and called on Vietnam to withdraw its troops so that the people of Cambodia could elect its own government. In 1979, China invaded Vietnam to retaliate the latter’s invasion of Cambodia.
With the region in chaos just after the end of the Vietnam War, the council must decide what to do to restore peace to Southeast Asia. As such, the council needs to discuss the current situation and what is to be done now and in the future to protect the sovereignty of the countries and the peace of the region.