From: Peter H. Duong  <phduong@cbda8.apgea.army.mil>
Subject:  Khmer Rouge
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: phduong@cbda8.apgea.army.mil
Organization: SCV Relay
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 21:09:32 GMT


>From: edwind@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (THANH NGUYEN)

>
>After reading the enclosed article, my gut feeling is that Vietnam has 
>every right to send troups back to Cambodia and wipe out the Khmer Rouge 
>one for all.  It was justifiable for the U.S. to invade Granada and Panama
>to protect a handful of U.S. citizens living there.  It is even more 
>justifiable for Vietnam to go back to Cambodia to protect more than a 
>million Vietnamese civilians there.  



From: myt@bali.amd.com (My Tran)

Unfortunately, I don't think Vietnam is in the position of the U.S.
U.S. is big, powerful, and a free country; while Vietnam is small,
poor, and is not free.

>But, before we go back to Cambodia, we 
>must get the support of U.N. and neigboring countries in the region - just 
>like the U.S. did in Panama and Iraq.  

How?  Vietnam does not have credits to rally any nations.  They have 
no money, no power, no respect for human rights.  Do I trust the 
Vietnamese government since I am a Vietnamese? No, I don't think so.  
But I don't think this is the issue, the issue is "Does Vietnamese 
government care enough for the Vietnameses in Cambodia to protect 
them?"; I don't think so either.


>Last time Vietnam could not get rid 
>of them because the U.S., China, and Thailand provided them safe heaven and 
>support.  But, now the international condition has changed dramatically and 
>NO ONE wants to be associated with the murderous Khmer Rouge, therefore, I 
>hope we can get the international support to wipe them out one for all.

You may forget that last time Vietnam got supports from the U.S.S.R.
Now they are on their own.  Yes, the international condition has 
changed.

>
>Those are my opinions.  I welcome yours.  What do you think Vietnam should 
>do to protect our people in Cambodia???   

Make peace with Cambodia.  Really.  Just my 2 cents opinion.


Regards,


My






I agreed with the statement above of the U.S. has more influence than Vietnam
but the United States has more reason to invade Panama and Iraq than Vietnam.  
The influence of the U.S. as superpower is one of the reason but other 
reason(s) should be included.  

In Panama, the first reason was the U.S. owns and operates the Panama Canal 
which the U.S. could use as a reason to protect its citizen and its Canal and 
the other reason was Mr. Noriega violated the drug traffic law.

In Iraq, the United Nations granted the use of forces and also the U.S. only
tried to rescue Kuwait.

These situations are very much different between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Vietnam invaded Cambodia was a mistake, the Khmer Rouge only killed their 
own people.  Vietnam might use the reason of protecting the Vietnamese in 
Cambodia but the Khmer Rouge didn't kill Vietnamese prior to Vietnam's 
invasion.

I think the Khmer Rouge tries to play Politics and labels themselves as
Nationalists by killing Vietnamese.  It is a shame that they uses this 
tactic to get more follower and sympathy from Cambodian.


Peter.
(My opinion is only mine.  No offence to anyone.)