Cambodia-ASEAN Relations 1979-1991 From Conflict To Cooperation

The end of the Khmer Rouge brutal regime at the earlier 1979 resurrected the hope of the Cambodian people to live in peace and prosperity, however, this dream has quickly disappeared for more than a decade because of the civil war that has emerged along the Cambodian-Thai border. After Pol Pot regime were overthrown and expelled to the Cambodian-Thai border, Cambodia at that time had two governments, one was the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) then renamed to the State of Cambodia backed by Vietnam, the Soviet Union and its allies; and another government, was the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) backed by ASEAN, the United States of America, P.R. of China and its allies.Due to the influence of Cold War, not only Europe but also South-East Asia region was ideologically divided into the two blocs. The Communist bloc included Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (Indochina), and the Western bloc included the five founder states of ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand).The division has provoked the Third Indochina War or Cambodian Conflict when Vietnam has refused ASEAN requisition to withdraw their forces from Cambodia immediately after their victory over Khmer Rouge in late 1979. Despite pulling out their forces from Cambodia, Vietnam has continued stationing their forces until the existing of pressures from the Soviet Union. It means since Mikhail S. Gorbatchev went to power in 1985. During the wartime, Vietnam not only stationed their forces in the city and other provinces but their forces also have been seen along the Cambodian-Thai border. The scattering of their forces along the border and their dry-season military offensives in 1984-85, has provoked civil war between PRK and CGDK; and frequently has let to military clashes between Vietnamese forces and Thai military armed forces when the CGDK's forces retreated to Thai's territory.Concerning to the presence of Vietnamese forces in Cambodia from 1979 to late 1989 were contrary interpreted by both sides (Vietnam-PRK and ASEAN). For Vietnam, their presences in Cambodia was the request of Heng Samrin government to keep the genocidal Pol Pot regime from returning back to power; to self defense toward the Khmer Rouge's invasion (Khmer Rouge forces invaded some Vietnamese provinces since 1977); and to constrain the Chinese expansionism.However, for ASEAN, the stationing of Vietnamese forces in Cambodia really has threatened the regional security. Furthermore, ASEAN has viewed and regarded the Vietnamese action as the westward expansionism. Thus, in order to resist the Soviet Union and Vietnam, ASEAN and their allies has released two-pronged strategy—mobilization of diplomatic support and backing for and armed Cambodian resistance movement. ASEAN has urged Cambodian resistance movements that were stationing along the Cambodian-Thai border to establish a united government so-called the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea. By this incipient government, ASEAN would be able to oppose legally to the presence of Vietnamese forces in Cambodia. Successfully, ASEAN has isolated Vietnam and PRK politically and economically. For PRK that time, although has been isolated both politically and economically by ASEAN and international community, but it was not so serious because this government has received annually grand aids from the Soviet Union, Vietnam and their allies as well as has received humanitarian aids from the International Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations. But when the Soviet Union has hit by economic deficit, they started to reform. Because of this reform, the whole world dramatically has changed and let to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Concerning to the presence of Vietnamese forces in Cambodia, without financial supports from the Soviet Union, Vietnam has declared to withdraw their forces from Cambodia by the end of 1989. This positive activities has let ASEAN to soften their hard-line stand toward PRK and begin to negotiate with Vietnam as well was the Phnom Penh City government in order to seek a comprehensive political settlement for the Cambodian conflict. As result, the gridlock was breakthrough and the Paris Peace Accord was signed by both Cambodian factions in 1991.