LHL welcome PM of Singapore
India protests against PM Lee's comments on lawmakers
India issued a diplomatic protest with Singapore over Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's remarks about the number of Indian lawmakers facing criminal charges.
New Delhi raised the issue with the city state's high commissioner on Thursday (Feb 17), a senior government official said, seeking anonymity, citing rules for speaking to the media. The official said PM Lee's remarks were uncalled for. Addressing Singapore's Parliament earlier this week about a lying scandal involving a former lawmaker, PM Lee said: "Nehru's India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder."
India's Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi was not immediately available for a comment. In Singapore, the Prime Minister's Office declined to comment.
Vietnam PM tells Singapore’s Lee Cambodia invasion statement incorrect, offensive
Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong talk on the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, June 22, 2019. Photo by Vietnam News Agency
Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has criticized Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong’s recent comments about Vietnam's role in the Khmer Rouge fight. He said his claim was incorrect and offended both Vietnam and Cambodia.
In a Facebook post on May 31 Lee had expressed condolences on the passing of former Thai PM and president of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda, who he said served at the time five ASEAN members came together "to oppose Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge."
Phuc expressed his unhappiness at talks he held with Lee on the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. He said history has proved that the statement on Vietnam’s position in the Khmer Rouge fight was inaccurate. A prejudice like this negatively affects Vietnam and Cambodia, especially the families of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who sacrificed themselves to help the Cambodian people end the genocide by the Khmer Rouge to rebuild their country, he said.
Vietnam Prime Minister criticises PM Lee’s comments on Vietnam’s “invasion” of Cambodia at 34th ASEAN Summit
Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc criticised Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his comments on Vietnam’s march into Phnom Penh, Cambodia in January 1979 which uprooted the ruthless Khmer Rouge regime.
Mr Phuc was reported to have said that PM Lee’s claim was incorrect and had offended both Vietnam and Cambodia. He also was quoted saying that history has proven that the statement made on Vietnam’s position in the Khmer Rouge fight to be inaccurate.
This was said on the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.
PM Lee meets Asean leaders on sidelines of summit
PM Lee Hsien Loong had bilateral meetings with the leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam on the sidelines of the 34th Asean Summit.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met his Vietnam and Cambodia counterparts over the weekend, their first meetings in the wake of furore over his remarks on the 1978 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia.
PM Lee told reporters on Sunday (June 23) that he had asked to meet Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 34th Asean Summit in Bangkok on Saturday, given “some issues in our bilateral relationship recently”.
In expressing his condolences for the death of Thai statesman Prem Tinsulanonda last month, PM Lee had written about how Asean – then comprising Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines – came together “to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge”.
Hun Sen, Lee agree not to open ‘old wounds’
Prime Minister Hun Sen meets with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in Bangkok. Yuta Kun
Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong yesterday agreed “not to scratch old wounds” following a diplomatic spat over comments made by the latter last month. Both prime ministers, along with Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, held talks on the sidelines of the 34th Asean Summit in Bangkok.
Mr Sokhonn said in a statement that both leaders agreed not to revisit old issues to hurt ties between the two countries, following the spat which was sparked by Mr Lee’s comments that Vietnamese troops had invaded Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime. “During the meeting, both Prime Minister Hun Sen and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong viewed the spat as a nightmare in bilateral relationship,” he said. “Both countries since the beginning have had a good relationship.”
Mr Sokhonn said Cambodia was the first nation to recognise Singapore’s independence after it split from Malaysia and both countries have strengthened the relationship. “Both leaders recognised there are differing views on events that happened in the past and none can correct things that happened in the past,” he said. “However, it is very important that we consider the past as an ‘old wound’ and do not scratch it and make it painful.”
Cambodia, Singapore mend relations
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Reuters
Singapore Cambodian and Singaporean officials yesterday held a long scheduled closed-door meeting in order to strengthen ties and enhance relations.
The meeting came about a month after a spat between both countries as a result of comments made by Premier Mr Lee Hsien Loong at a security summit in Singapore last month.
In a statement yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said a Singaporean delegation led by Peter Tan, deputy secretary-general for Asia and Asean affairs at the Singaporean Foreign Affairs Ministry, met with Tuot Panha, an undersecretary of state with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, at the ministry’s office in Phnom Penh.
related:
Cambodia PM slams Singapore leader’s statement on Vietnam, Khmer Rouge
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen. Photo by Reuters/Damir Sagolj
Cambodian PM Hun Sen has called out Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong for what appears to be tacit backing of the genocidal Khmer Rouge.
"I deeply regret to learn of the Facebook post of H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, on May 31 expressing his condolences on the passing of General Prem Tinsulanonda in which he said ‘His time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge..’," Hun Sen wrote in his own Facebook post on Thursday. Tinsulanonda was PM and President of Thailand’s Privy Council.
In his Facebook post on May 31, PM Lee wrote: "Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its border with Cambodia. General Prem was resolute in not accepting this fait accompli, and worked with ASEAN partners to oppose the Vietnamese occupation in international forums. This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised." His statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia, Hun Sen said.
MFA Spokesperson's comments in response to media queries on PM's condolence letter on the passing of former Thailand PM and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda and 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue Speech
In response to media queries on PM Lee Hsien Loong’s condolence letter on the passing of former Thailand Prime Minister and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda and 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue speech, the MFA Spokesperson said:
- “Singapore highly values its relations with Cambodia and Vietnam. Notwithstanding our differences in the past, we have always treated each other with respect and friendship. Bilateral relations have grown in many areas, and we worked together with other Southeast Asian countries to build a cohesive and united ASEAN.
- This is the context of Prime Minister Lee’s condolence letter and Shangri-La Dialogue speech. His references to this painful chapter of Indochina’s history are not new. They reflect Singapore’s longstanding viewpoint, which has been stated publicly before. Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, wrote about this in his memoirs. ASEAN (then comprising five members) also stated its position on Cambodia clearly in a joint statement that was circulated to the UN Security Council in 1979, that ‘affirmed the right of the Kampuchean people to determine their future by themselves, free from interference or influence from outside powers in the exercise of their right of self-determination’.
- Singapore had no sympathy for the Khmer Rouge, and did not want to see the Khmer Rouge return to Cambodia. In 1988, ASEAN sponsored UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the Khmer Rouge to ensure it would not be part of any eventual government in Cambodia. Singapore and ASEAN were keen to provide humanitarian assistance to the Cambodian people. ASEAN spearheaded the 1980 International Meeting of Humanitarian Assistance and Relief to the Kampuchean People, which took place under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council.
- Prime Minister Lee had made reference to this history to explain how statesmanship and foresight helped to end the tragic wars that caused great suffering to the people of Indochina, and to bring about the peace and cooperation that the region enjoys today. He also wanted to emphasise that regional stability and prosperity, as well as ASEAN unity, cannot be taken for granted. The current geopolitical uncertainties make it all the more important that ASEAN countries maintain our unity and cohesion, and strengthen our cooperation.
- While Singapore and Vietnam were on opposing sides in the past and have different views of that history, our Leaders chose to set aside differences to forge a close partnership both bilaterally and in ASEAN. Likewise, Singapore has worked hard to forge a good relationship with Cambodia following internationally supervised elections that elected a new Cambodian government, and to bring it into the ASEAN fold once it was ready. An understanding of the past enables us to fully appreciate and value the good relations that we now enjoy.
- Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan made separate phone calls to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn on 7 June 2019. Minister Balakrishnan explained these points to his counterparts. They agreed that notwithstanding the serious differences in the past, we have taken the path of cooperation, dialogue and friendship.
- Singapore is committed to building on our good relations with Vietnam and Cambodia, and hope that they can continue to grow from strength to strength, based on candour and trust.”
SINGAPORE
7 JUNE 2019
PM Lee Hsien Loong on leave until Jun 16
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be on leave for a week starting Monday (Jun 10), according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday night.
During his absence, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance will be Acting Prime Minister.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Lee said that he was looking forward to spending time with his family.
Brad Bowyer 7 hrs
The Prime Minister makes a statement that many think was undiplomatic and is rightly questioned for it but what has the reaction been?
Instead of any critical discussion on whether the twice repeated statement was called for and a clear action being taken we now have:
- Debates going on about historical interpretation and justifications for past actions and other distractors.
- Shouting matches between polarised segments of our population with claims of disloyalty and traitor being bandied around and even egged on by the supposedly neutral speaker of the house.
- Our Foreign Minister and MFA in damage control mode with the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments.
- Anger and upset amongst the Vietnamese and Cambodian people who vented their frustrations not just locally but in Singapore via the internet and social media.
- Parts of the international press and community reporting on this and reflecting the situation and rightly asking what the hell is going on.
- The situation appearing to be getting worse and not better the longer it drags on and is leaving a very bad feeling behind it with no closure.
Stayed silent and now gone on holiday for a week!
Where is the leadership?
So, I must ask… silence and then going on holiday while others deal with a worsening situation… what kind of leadership is that?
The world is changing, geopolitically it is changing, financially and in the nature of the economy it is changing and socially it is changing. In times of change there is uncertainty and of course, mistakes can happen as it is a learning environment and not a stable one.
In this environment of change and uncertainty, one thing you can find stability in is good leadership.
PM Lee’s condolence letter to Thai Gen Prem shows lack of diplomacy on S’pore part
Two weeks ago (31 May), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent a condolence letter to Thailand on the passing of former Thai PM General Prem Tinsulanonda. In his condolence message, PM Lee mentioned about Vietnam’s invasion into Cambodia in the late 70s, triggering unhappiness among Asean members Cambodia and Vietnam.
Though technically correct, many Vietnamese and Cambodians saw the “invasion” as liberation of Cambodia from its own former murderous government, the Khmer Rouge, which wiped out an estimated 25% of its population. Many thought that PM Lee should not have dug up past differences given that Singapore is now friends with Cambodia and Vietnam. In the same vein, that is why Singapore did not and should not mention some of the negative things General Prem did when officially communicating with Thailand, as Singapore also values Thailand as a good friend of Asean.
Whatever is the case, if one wants to make friends with someone, one shouldn’t bring up the person’s unpleasant past. In international relationship, it’s called diplomacy.
Singapore moves to soothe row over PM Lee Hsien Loong’s Vietnam-Cambodia comments, denies sympathy for Khmer Rouge
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a 2010 file picture. Photo: Reuters
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday called the deputy prime ministers of Vietnam and Cambodia to soothe their grievances over Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s description of the former’s 1978 invasion of the latter to end Pol Pot’s “killing fields” regime.
A statement from the island nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lee’s comments last week reflected Singapore’s long-held position, and this did not mean it had sympathy for the Khmer Rouge or had wanted to see it return to Cambodia.
Tensions rose earlier this week after Cambodia’s defence minister and Vietnam’s foreign affairs ministry disputed Lee’s use of “invasion” and “occupation” to refer to Vietnam’s action to oust the Khmer Rouge and install a new government.
Singapore ‘highly values’ relations with Cambodia and Vietnam: MFA after PM Lee's remarks on 1978 invasion
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2019
Singapore “highly values” its relations with Cambodia and Vietnam, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Friday (June 7) after a recent Facebook post by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioning Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in 1978 drew the ire of both Indochinese nations.
Responding to media queries, an MFA spokesperson said: “Notwithstanding our differences in the past, we have always treated each other with respect and friendship.
“Bilateral relations have grown in many areas, and we worked together with other Southeast Asian countries to build a cohesive and united ASEAN (Association of South-east Asian Nations).”
Brad Bowyer 10 hrs
Given this background, I think it is very fair that we question why was the statement made and, especially where we have personal experience and connections in the affected countries, that we reach out to those friends and acquaintances who are impacted by it and apologize or mend fences where we feel it is necessary. Again, basic decency and humanity.
The birth and growth of ASEAN has had many contentious moments and to preserve its current level of development and cooperation some cans of worms really should not be opened. If they are, by accident or otherwise, they should be cleaned up as quickly as possible and not opened wider and made worse by taking rigid or confrontational stances instead of diplomatic ones recognising individual sensibilities.
We recently had the Prevention from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation (POFMA) bill passed and we have ongoing bills on hate speech and online bullying in the process all at a time where the government and its supporters are now seemingly engaged in the very acts these pieces of legislation are designed to address.
The politics of wild accusations, polarization, fear-mongering and hate should be rejected by all in any society
As most of us now know a highly contentious statement was recently made by the Prime Minister surrounding Vietnam’s actions regarding Cambodia in the ’70s and ’80s, not just once but multiple times on multiple platforms, and it has triggered a diplomatic incident and generated much-heated conversation and friction between our respective countries and within Singapore itself.
So far, rather than acknowledging a miscalculation or mistake may have been made, what we have witnessed is first silence and then a string of justifications to try and validate the contentious statement.
Beyond that, and even worse, we have seen an extreme polarization of positions accompanied by what I can only describe as hate being thrown at fellow Singaporeans, originating primarily from the side of the People’s Action Party, and now apparently endorsed by the Speaker of the Parliament and the national media.
Vietnam's objections to PM Lee Hsien Loong's post don't detract from Singapore being a 'good friend': Tan Chuan-Jin
Vietnam may have objections to a recent Facebook post by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that touched on its invasion of Cambodia in 1978, but this does not change the past as many view it or detract from Singapore being good friends with its Asean neighbour, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin has said.
In a Facebook post on Friday (June 7), Mr Tan said: "Vietnam may not like some of the comments made by PM and I guess they can choose to define the past as they see fit.
"This doesn't change the past as many view it. Nor does it detract from us being good friends or neighbours today. We are committed to that."
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Tan Chuan-Jin 3 hrs
Do help share and circulate these write-ups. Worth a read and consideration.
Vietnam may not like some of the comments made by PM and I guess they can choose to define the past as they see fit. This doesn’t change the past as many view it. Nor does it detract from us being good friends or neighbours today. We are committed to that.
The strange thing is to see some Singaporeans (I assume they are and not created entities from other countries) who happily jump on the bandwagon and take issue with our Government and having no regard for history. Perhaps they have not read nor have any idea about what happened? Or worse. They know but still choose to snipe because it’s politically expedient.
The events in Indochina took place in the not too distant past, and the dire situation then preoccupied our security agencies very significantly. Those involved will know that the threat of communism and its spread southwards were grave concerns.
Do spend sometime reading and having a view about what happened and how it shaped us. It was a significant series of events for a young nation and it’d be unfortunate to forget it just because some choose politicking over a sense of nationhood.
The issue is anything but new or fake:
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LKY’s account shows Singapore supported Khmer Rouge initially before dumping them
In his memoir, ‘From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000, Volume 2’, Mr Lee Kuan Yew confirmed that Singapore had been aiding the Khmer Rouge extensively prior to 1988.
In 1982, Singapore gave the first few hundreds of several batches of AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, ammunition and communication equipment to the resistance forces “spearheaded by the Khmer Rouge”, Mr Lee recounted. Singapore also provided a base for the resistance group to broadcast short-wave radio from. With the help of Singapore and others, the Khmer Rouge forces were able to even mount offensive operations in 1983-84, recalled Mr Lee.
Award winning investigative journalist John Pilger in his book, ‘Tell Me No Lies‘, also confirmed that Singapore, as middle man, became the main ‘conduit’ for Western arms to Cambodia. He wrote that weapons were passed on directly by Singapore or made under licence by Chartered Industries; the “same weapons have been captured from the Khmer Rouge”.
Vietnam asks Singapore to make amends over Cambodia ‘invasion’ remark
Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in a phone call with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan Friday. Photo by Vietnam's Foreign Ministry
The foreign ministers of Vietnam and Singapore Friday discussed the fallout of the Singaporean PM's statement on Vietnam ‘invading’ Cambodia.
Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh stressed that Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong's statement has caused a negative reaction and requested that it be adjusted appropriately.
The Singaporean PM's statement, in which he claimed Vietnam had invaded Cambodia, was the key issue discussed in a phone call between Minh and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan Friday.
Vietnamese foreign minister talks with Singaporean counterpart over controversial statements
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh had a telephone conversation with his Singapoean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan over the recent remarks made by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong which called Việt Nam's efforts to stop the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia an "invasion" and "occupation." — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh yesterday held a telephone conversation with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan over controversial remarks made by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong regarding Việt Nam’s war with Cambodia in the 1970s-80s. During the talks, held at the request of the Singaporean side, the minister affirmed his country attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with Việt Nam and explained the context of the remarks, saying they are not meant to hurt Việt Nam and Cambodia.
Deputy PM, Minister Minh stressed that the remarks had caused a negative response, especially in the context that the Cambodian people recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their liberation from the genocidal Pol Pot regime and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) issued a verdict on the crime against humanity committed by the Khmer Rouge, making fair restitution to the victims and their families, a ruling that was welcomed by the international community and the United Nations.
The Vietnamese deputy PM affirmed that the justice and the huge contributions and sacrifices by the volunteer Vietnamese troops, who were described by the Cambodians as “Buddha’s army”, saved Cambodia from a bloody genocide and contributed to peace, stability and development of the region. Minh also asked Singapore to make proper adjustment to the statement.
Explainer: What the reaction over PM Lee’s comments on the Vietnam-Cambodia war is all about
Performers, dressed in Cambodian traditional costume and Vietnamese soldier uniform, take part at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the Jan 7 victory over the Khmer Rouge regime, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Jan 4, 2019
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook post on Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in the 1970s has triggered strong overseas reactions, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressing “regret” over Mr Lee’s post.
Mr Lee’s post last Friday (May 31) was intended to express his condolences on the death of former Thai premier, General Prem Tinsulanonda, on May 26.
Mr Lee had said the former Thai leader's premiership coincided with the then-five Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) members — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand — coming together to oppose "Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge".
Lee getting a lesson in history and seen as insensitive to genocide by Khmer Rouge
The Asean region has specific rules of engagement and a policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but this is eroding in the face of the disruptive era with the power of social media. This is a useless spat over the overly destructive Khmer Rouge.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has a taste of this formidable force after his Facebook post referring to the Khmer Rouge regime became a regional affair with Cambodia and Vietnam reacting strongly to his comments.
With comments that seem to indicate Singapore’s rejection of the removal of the Khmer Rouge regime, in Cambodia and Vietnam the feeling is the neighbouring republic’s leader is insensitive to the genocide of 1.7 million Cambodians.
S’pore’s MFA clarifies PM Lee’s FB post that sparked fury in Cambodia & Vietnam
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has provided explanations to the contents of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s May 31 Facebook post which has incited anger in both Cambodia and Vietnam.
In response to media queries, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) released a statement on Friday night, June 7.
Steering clear of the sensitive words “invasion” and “occupation”, the MFA spokesperson referred to the events from 1978 to 1989 as a “painful chapter of Indochina’s history”, and said PM Lee’s statement reflects Singapore’s “longstanding viewpoint” which was articulated publicly numerous times before.
Vietnam and Cambodia are upset with Singapore's PM Lee. Here's why
Cambodia and Vietnam are pretty cheesed off at Singapore Prime Minister Lee Lee Hsien Loong's recent Facebook post
The leader of the Lion City had posted on May 31 that he had sent his condolences to Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on the demise of former Thai premier and Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda. According to Lee, Prem was instrumental in opposing Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge.
However, Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Banh has rubbished Lee's Facebook post as "unacceptable" and "not true". "He (Mr Lee) did not say the truth and his statement does not reflect history. It is not true because he said Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia. We wish for him to make corrections. It is not true," Tea Banh was reported as saying. He has also alerted Singapore's Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen to remind Lee to make changes to his Facebook post.
Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the other hand described Lee's Facebook post to not "objectively reflect the historical truth" and causing "negative impacts" on public perception. Many Cambodians and Vietnamese took to the comments section to express their dissatisfaction.
Cambodia, Vietnam rap Lee's remarks on 1979 invasion
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivers a keynote address at the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on May 31 this year. (Reuters photo)
Cambodia has joined Vietnam in rapping Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent remarks on the 1979 Vietnamese invasion that ousted the genocidal Khmer Rouge, alleging that Singapore bears some responsibility for the massacre of Cambodians in the late 1970s.
Posting on Facebook late Thursday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Mr Lee's remarks that Vietnam invaded and occupied Cambodia, rather than saving it from further Khmer Rouge atrocities, "show that Singapore supported the genocidal regime and wanted the genocidal regime to return to Cambodia".
Mr Hun Sen, a former low-level Khmer Rouge commander who defected to the resistance and was later installed into power by Vietnam, called that view an "insult" to sacrifices made by the Vietnamese soldiers who helped to "liberate" Cambodia. He alleged that Singapore's actions at the time prolonged the civil war in Cambodia and the sufferings of its people.
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Cambodia’s Hun Sen says Singapore supported genocide
In a strongly worded Facebook post late on Thursday, Hun Sen said he deeply regretted Lee’s remarks and accused him of supporting the Khmer Rouge genocide.
“His statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia,” Hun Sen said. Singapore “had indeed contributed to the massacre of the Cambodian people”, he said.
The Vietnamese invasion and 10-year occupation of Cambodia ended Pol Pot’s regime, which devastated the Southeast Asian country for more than three years, from 1975 to early 1979, and led to the deaths of almost a quarter of the population.
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Cambodia's Hun Sen says Singapore supported genocide
Hun Sen said Lee's comments were an "insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped to liberate Cambodia".
Lee made similar comments at a security forum in Singapore on the weekend, noting how Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia had posed a serious threat to non-communist countries in the region.
On Tuesday, Vietnam's foreign ministry said it had raised the issue of Lee's comments with Singapore. "Vietnam finds it regrettable that certain elements of the speech did not view history under an objective lens, causing negative impact on the public opinion," spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement.
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Cambodia has joined Vietnam in rapping Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent remarks on the 1979 Vietnamese invasion that ousted the genocidal Khmer Rouge, alleging that Singapore bears some responsibility for the massacre of Cambodians in the late 1970s.
Posting on Facebook late Thursday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Mr Lee's remarks that Vietnam invaded and occupied Cambodia, rather than saving it from further Khmer Rouge atrocities, "show that Singapore supported the genocidal regime and wanted the genocidal regime to return to Cambodia".
Mr Hun Sen, a former low-level Khmer Rouge commander who defected to the resistance and was later installed into power by Vietnam, called that view an "insult" to sacrifices made by the Vietnamese soldiers who helped to "liberate" Cambodia. He alleged that Singapore's actions at the time prolonged the civil war in Cambodia and the sufferings of its people.
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In a strongly worded Facebook post late on Thursday, Hun Sen said he deeply regretted Lee’s remarks and accused him of supporting the Khmer Rouge genocide.
“His statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia,” Hun Sen said. Singapore “had indeed contributed to the massacre of the Cambodian people”, he said.
The Vietnamese invasion and 10-year occupation of Cambodia ended Pol Pot’s regime, which devastated the Southeast Asian country for more than three years, from 1975 to early 1979, and led to the deaths of almost a quarter of the population.
read more
Cambodia's Hun Sen says Singapore supported genocide
Hun Sen said Lee's comments were an "insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped to liberate Cambodia".
Lee made similar comments at a security forum in Singapore on the weekend, noting how Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia had posed a serious threat to non-communist countries in the region.
On Tuesday, Vietnam's foreign ministry said it had raised the issue of Lee's comments with Singapore. "Vietnam finds it regrettable that certain elements of the speech did not view history under an objective lens, causing negative impact on the public opinion," spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement.
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Cambodia PM Hun Sen: PM Lee's comments 'an insult' to sacrifice of Vietnam's military volunteers
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen (left) and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (PHOTOS: Getty Image)
Cambodia Prime Minister (PM) Hun Sen has criticised recent comments by Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, who had described the 1978-1989 Indochina conflict as an “invasion”.
In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday (6 June), the 66-year-old said that Lee’s comments are “an insult” to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped liberate Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot, which ruled the nation from 1975 to 1979.
Lee wrote a Facebook post on 31 May to pay tribute to the late former Thai PM General Prem Tinsulanonda, who passed away on 26 May. He said, among other things, that General Prem was PM in 1978 when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) opposed “Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge”.
ST finally reports on Cambodia’s and Vietnam’s anger over PM Lee’s remarks after 5 days of silence
After 5 days of silence, state-linked media Straits Times finally reported on PM Lee’s controversial Facebook post causing unhappiness among our Asean neighbours Cambodia and Vietnam (‘PM Lee’s Facebook post on Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia draws ire‘, 7 Jun).
Last Friday (31 May) at the Shangri-la Summit, PM Lee publicly told the audience, “After the Cold War ended, the US became the sole superpower. Southeast Asia entered a new phase. The Indochinese wars finally ended, and the communist countries opened up.”
“Earlier, Vietnam had invaded Cambodia, thus posing a serious threat to its non-communist neighbours,” he added. He later continued to make the insensitive remark online while sending condolences to Thailand on the death of former Thai PM General Prem Tinsulanonda. PM Lee wrote on his Facebook page, “Thailand was on the front line, facing Vietnamese forces across its borders with Cambodia. [Then] General Prem was resolute in not accepting this.”
Singapore committed to good ties with Vietnam and Cambodia, says MFA after furore over PM Lee Hsien Loong's comments
Vietnamese soldiers waiting to leave Cambodia on Sept 20, 1989, following the withdrawal of troops from Cambodia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that while Singapore and Vietnam were on opposing sides in the past and have different views of that history, their leaders have chosen to set aside differences to forge a close partnership. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
It responds to furore in the two countries over PM Lee's remarks on 1978 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia Singapore is committed to building on its good relations with Vietnam and Cambodia, and hopes that they can continue to grow based on candour and trust, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said last night.
Its statement was in response to unhappiness in Vietnam and Cambodia over Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent comments on the 1978 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia.
"Singapore highly values its relations with Cambodia and Vietnam. Notwithstanding our differences in the past, we have always treated each other with respect and friendship," the ministry said.
Singapore PM Stirs Flap in Cambodia by Bringing up Vietnam’s 1979 Invasion
AFP
Cambodian officials are bristling this week after a recent remark by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recalling Vietnam’s January 1979 invasion and decade-long occupation of Cambodia.
Lee used his official Facebook page on May 31 to send Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha condolences on the death of former Thai Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda, who led Thailand during the period of Vietnam’s control of Cambodia and joined a coalition of nations who fought to end Hanoi’s occupation. “His time as PM coincided with the Asean members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge,” Lee wrote. The five original members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The newspaper said Banh asked Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen to relay to Lee a Cambodian demand to change the statement. “We cannot accept what he said. Vietnamese volunteer troops came to liberate our people,” Banh said. “We still consider them as saviors – this means a lot for us.”
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Did Vietnam ‘invade’ Cambodia, or save it? Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong stirs a Khmer Rouge-era controversy
Vietnam and Cambodia have rebutted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent remarks describing the former’s “invasion” of the latter and how it was roundly opposed by five Asean countries, which refused to support the government that replaced the Khmer Rouge.
Cambodia’s defence minister General Tea Banh this week told local media Lee’s comments were “not true” while Vietnam’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said they “did not objectively reflect the historical truth”. Lee had described the events in a Facebook post on May 31, after the death of Thailand’s ex-prime minister and top royal adviser, General Prem Tinsulanonda.
Cambodian minister Banh, who attended the summit, said he had complained about Lee’s comments to his counterpart, Singapore defence minister Ng Eng Hen. “He [Mr Lee] did not say the truth and his statement does not reflect history. It is not true because he said Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia,” he said on Monday, as reported by the Khmer Times. “We wish for him to make corrections,” he added.
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PM Lee Hsien Loong gave the keynote address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue Opening Dinner on 31 May 2019 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
During the Cold War, Southeast Asia was again on the frontline. The region was split between communist and non-communist states. Vietnam became the battlefield for a proxy war between the two camps. Meanwhile, China supported communist insurgencies and promoted armed revolution in the non-communist countries, including Malaysia and Singapore.
This was the backdrop when the five non-communist countries in Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – came together to form ASEAN in 1967. It was a remarkable act of statesmanship. Several of the partners had a recent history of conflict with one another, and the wounds had yet to heal fully. But with ASEAN, the five countries eschewed conflict, and took the path of dialogue, cooperation and friendship. We integrated into the world economy, linked up with advanced countries, and thrived. Meanwhile, the communist countries in Indochina were held back for decades by successive wars and the rigidity of their command economies.
After the Cold War ended, the US became the sole superpower. Southeast Asia entered a new phase. The Indochinese wars finally ended, and the communist countries opened up. Earlier, Vietnam had invaded Cambodia, thus posing a serious threat to its non-communist neighbours. But now Vietnam joined ASEAN, together with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. It was a case of beating swords into ploughshares.
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PM Lee Hsien Loong’s speech at the 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue
After the Cold War ended, the US became the sole superpower. Southeast Asia entered a new phase. The Indochinese wars finally ended, and the communist countries opened up. Earlier, Vietnam had invaded Cambodia, thus posing a serious threat to its non-communist neighbours. But now Vietnam joined ASEAN, together with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. It was a case of beating swords into ploughshares.
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Condolence Letter on the Passing of Former Thai PM and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda
PM Lee Hsien Loong wrote to Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-Cha to express condolences on the passing of former PM and President of the Privy Council of the Kingdom of Thailand General Prem Tinsulanonda.
- Dear Prime Minister Prayut,
- On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore, I extend my deepest condolences on the passing of H.E. General Prem Tinsulanonda.
- General Prem served Thailand with great distinction. As Prime Minister from 1980 to 1988, he guided the country with a steady hand, bringing it much needed stability after a decade of political uncertainty and numerous changes of government. A capable and immensely respected leader, General Prem stewarded a period of economic growth in the 1980s, working with his colleagues and officials to reform the economy by devaluing the baht, building up manufacturing, and fostering export-led growth.
- During General Prem’s premiership, he steered Thailand through a period of democratic development, holding three elections during his watch and progressively including more elected ministers in each of his five Cabinets.
- As the President of the Privy Council from 1998 to 2019, General Prem continued to be a loyal and trusted source of advice and counsel to the King. He also provided wise counsel to successive military and civilian governments. Thailand has greatly benefited from his wise guidance.
- General Prem’s leadership has also benefited the region. His time as Prime Minister coincided with the five countries of ASEAN coming together decisively to resolutely oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge. Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its border with Cambodia. General Prem was resolute in not accepting this fait accompli. Supported by his able Foreign Minister, Air Chief Marshal Siddhi Savetsila, General Prem worked with ASEAN partners to support the resistance forces of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea from Thai territory, and to oppose the Vietnamese occupation in international forums. This effective collective resistance prevented a military invasion and regime change from being legitimised, and protected the security of other Southeast Asian countries. Eventually the invasion forces withdrew, a peace settlement was signed, and internationally supervised elections were held to elect a new Cambodian government. This decisively shaped the subsequent course of Southeast Asia. It paved the way for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to join ASEAN, as partners in promoting the region’s peace and development.
- General Prem was also a good friend of Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew worked closely with him and had deep respect for him as a statesman. He strengthened relations between our two countries, including between our militaries, and Singapore and Thailand forged a strong and enduring partnership. I had the opportunity to meet General Prem several times, and called on him during my two visits to Bangkok in 1999 and 2000. He was gracious with his hospitability and counsel. General Prem will be greatly missed by the people of Thailand and all who knew him.
- My thoughts are with the people of Thailand in this moment of loss.
- With my deepest sympathies,
- LEE HSIEN LOONG
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Lee Hsien Loong 30 May at 19:49
Wrote to Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-Cha to express my condolences on the passing of former Thai PM and President of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda.
A capable and immensely respected leader, General Prem served Thailand with great distinction. As PM, he steered Thailand through a period of democratic development. Later he was appointed to the Privy Council, and was a trusted source of advice and counsel to the late King Bhumibol, and successive military and civilian governments.
His leadership also benefited the region. His time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge. Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its border with Cambodia. General Prem was resolute in not accepting this fait accompli, and worked with ASEAN partners to oppose the Vietnamese occupation in international forums. This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised. It protected the security of other Southeast Asia countries, and decisively shaped the course of the region.
General Prem was a good friend of Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew worked closely with him and had deep respect for him as a statesman. He strengthened relations between Singapore and Thailand, forming a strong and enduring partnership.
I met General Prem several times. When I called on him in Bangkok in 1999 and 2000, he was gracious with his hospitality and counsel.
General Prem will be greatly missed by the people of Thailand and all who knew him. – LHL
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PM Lee sends condolence letter on ex-Thai premier's death
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to express his condolences on the death of former Thai premier and Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda.
Gen Prem, who was Thailand's prime minister for more than eight years in the 1980s, died of heart failure on May 26 at age 98.
Describing Gen Prem as a "capable and immensely respected leader", Mr Lee said that as premier, the general had led Thailand through a period of democratic development, holding three elections under his watch and progressively including more elected ministers in each of his five Cabinets.
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Politicians need human rights awareness and training
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent comments have touched on a raw nerve and awoken sleeping dragons.
His denouncement of the regime change that toppled the Khmer Rouge in 1979, and his denial of the legitimacy of the Cambodian government under Heng Samrin that saved the lives of over four million Cambodians with support from the Vietnamese forces, has been all over the media. His comments suggest an insolence to the more than 1.6 million Khmer Rouge victims and to those who sacrificed their lives in ousting the genocidal regime under the leadership of Pol Pot and his ultra-Maoist policies. His comments have come across as supporting an autocratic and repressive rule by a dictatorial figure.
Until now, Singaporean politicians have never condemned the auto-genocide conducted by the Pol Pot administration.
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Cambodia PM slams Singapore leader’s statement on Vietnam, Khmer Rouge
"I deeply regret to learn of the Facebook post of H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, on May 31 expressing his condolences on the passing of General Prem Tinsulanonda in which he said ‘His time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge..’," Hun Sen wrote in his own Facebook post on Thursday.
His statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia, Hun Sen said.
"Singapore was the host of the tripartite meeting that led to the formation of the coalition government of the Democratic Kampuchea, which had prolonged the war and the suffering of Cambodian people for another 10 years. It was an act against the survival of the Cambodian people."His statement is also an insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped liberate Cambodia from the genocidal regime, and it also reveals to the Singaporean people and the world that the leader of Singapore had indeed contributed to the massacre of Cambodian people, he wrote. "Finally, I shall ask whether H.E. Lee Hsien Loong considers the trial of Khmer Rouge leaders legitimate."
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Singaporean leader disrespects Cambodian massacre: Hun Sen
Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered a speech during a graduation ceremony yesterday. KT/ Khem Sovannara
“I deeply regret to learn of the Facebook post of H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, on 31 May expressing his condolences on the passing of General Prem Tinsulanonda in which he said “His [General Prem] time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge…” Hun Sen said in Facebook page yesterday night.
He said his [Lee Hsien Loong] statement reflects Singapore’s position then in support of the genocidal regime and the wish for its return to Cambodia. Singapore was the host of the tripartite meeting that led to the formation of the coalition government of the Democratic Kampuchea, which had prolonged the war and the suffering of Cambodian people for another 10 years.
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Hun Many ‘surprised’ by Singapore leader’s remarks
HUN Many, a National Assembly member for Kampong Speu province, said he was “beyond surprised” at recent remarks by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong regarding the Vietnamese presence in Cambodia following the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
Many was responding to comments Lee made on Facebook on Friday while expressing condolences on the passing of former Thai prime minister and general Prem Tinsulanonda.
Many, the fifth child of Prime Minister Hun Sen, said Lee’s comments regarding the period represented only one angle of a complex situation, in particular, the political stance some Southeast Asian nations held at the time.
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Cambodia’s Defence Minister, CPP lawmaker rebut PM Lee’s Vietnamese “invasion” remark
Cambodia’s Defence Minister Tea Banh and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) legislator Hun Many have both openly rebutted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks regarding the “invasion” of Cambodia by the Vietnamese military in its bid to oust the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.
Khmer Times reported General Banh as saying to the media upon arriving at the Phnom Penh International Airport on Mon (3 Jun) that he has made a request to his Singaporean counterpart, Ng Eng Hen, to notify Mr Lee to amend his statement earlier, as the prime minister’s remark “was not true and not reflective of the history [of the event]”:
- “We cannot accept what he said. We have already clarified that Vietnamese volunteer troops came to liberate our people.
- “We still consider that they came to save our people’s lives. It has been enormously meaningful for us,” Gen Banh was reported by Khmer Times as saying.
- “It is not true at all because he said that Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia. We want him to make a correction.”
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Lee Hsien Loong Disrespectful of Khmer Rouge victims
On 31 May 2019, on his Facebook page, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described about his letter to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to express condolences on the passing of former Thai PM and President of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda. He wrote:
“ His leadership also benefited the region. His time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge. Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its border with Cambodia…This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised. It protected the security of other Southeast Asia countries, and decisively shaped the course of the region.”What is striking is his view in denouncing the regime change that toppled the Khmer Rouge and denying legitimacy of the new Cambodian government that saved lives of the remaining four million Cambodians with support from the Vietnamese forces. This is nothing but being disrespectful to the Khmer Rouge victims and those who sacrificed their lives in deposing the genocidal regime of Khmer Rouge.
His view inherited from his father former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who was resolutely against the Vietnamese intervention. Singapore regarded Vietnam as mini hegemon who was the proxy of the Soviet Union in their endeavour to impose communism to the region.
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Tea Banh dismisses Singapore PM’s statement as ‘untruthful’
Defence Minister General Tea Banh. KT/Siv Channa
Defence Minister General Tea Banh and a CPP lawmaker have lashed out at Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for accusing Vietnamese troops of invading Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.
In a letter posted on his official Facebook page on May 31 and sent to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Mr Lee expressed his condolences on the passing of former Thai Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda. He wrote:
“His time as PM coincided with the Asean members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge. Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its borders with Cambodia. [Then] General Prem was resolute in not accepting this […]. This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised. It protected the security of other Southeast Asia countries, and decisively shape the course of the region.”Mr Lee noted his predecessor and Gen Prem opposed the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and denied legitimacy to Heng Samrin’s government in the 1980s.
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“Cambodia should file a diplomatic complaint against Singapore Govt” – Criticism over PM Lee’s remarks mount
More academics have publicly criticised Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent remarks referring to the Khmer Rouge regime, which murdered hundreds of thousands of their perceived political opponents. Ultimately, the Cambodian genocide led to the deaths of 1.5 to 3 million people, around 25 per cent of Cambodia’s population.
Earlier, Cambodian political analyst Leap Chanthavy accused PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer Rouge victims”. In an op-ed published in major regional publication, Khmer Times. He asserted that PM Lee’s view is “nothing but being disrespectful to the Khmer Rouge victims and those who sacrificed their lives in deposing the genocidal regime of Khmer Rouge.”
Another political analyst, Lao Mong Hay, went so far as to say that the Cambodian government should file a diplomatic complaint against the Singapore government. He called on the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister to “summon the Singaporean ambassador to Cambodia to lodge our government’s protest about [Mr Lee’s] inappropriate and offensive remark.”
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Minister, lawmaker lash out at Singaporean Prime Minister over Vietnamese invasion
Defence Minister General Tea Banh and a CPP lawmaker have lashed out at Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for accusing the Vietnamese troops of invading Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.
In his letter posted on his official Facebook page on May 31 and sent to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Mr Lee expressed his condolences on the passing of former Thai prime minister and President of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda. In the letter, Mr Lee said that he and Gen Prem opposed Vietnamese invasion and denied legitimacy to Heng Samrin’s government in the 1980s. Mr Lee said:
“His leadership also benefited the region. His time as PM coincided with the ASEAN members (then five of us) coming together to oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge.”In respond, Gen Banh brought up the issue with his counterpart, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen while attending the 18th Asia Security Summit’s IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2019 in Singapore last weekend. Speaking to reporters upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport on Monday night, Gen Banh said that he has asked Mr Ng Eng Hen to inform Mr Lee to make correction on his remark.
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Việt Nam issues statement on Singapore PM’s speech at Shangri-La Dialogue
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo
Việt Nam regretted that some contents of the remarks made by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue and on his Facebook page did not objectively reflect the historical truth, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng has said.
She made the statement in response to reporters’ queries on Tuesday about the Singaporean Prime Minister’s speech at the dialogue and the information posted on his personal website on May 31 saying Việt Nam had “invaded” and “occupied” Cambodia.
Việt Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had discussed the issue with its Singaporean counterpart, she said.
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Vietnam comments on Singapore PM’s speech at Shangri-La Dialogue
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang
Vietnam regretted that some contents in the remarks of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue and on his Facebook page did not objectively reflect the historical truth, causing negative impacts on public opinions, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has said.
She made the statement in response to reporters’ queries on June 4 about Vietnam’s comments on the speech of the Singaporean Prime Minister at the dialogue and the information posted on his personal website on May 31 saying Vietnam had “invaded” and “occupied” Cambodia.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had discussed this issue with Singapore’s counterpart, she said. The contribution and sacrifice of Vietnam in the joint efforts with Cambodian people to end the Khmer Rouge genocide regime have been widely recognised, Hang said.
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Vietnam’s envoy to Cambodia on PM Lee’s online remark: We have not forsaken lessons of history
Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported yesterday (‘Singapore PM Stirs Flap in Cambodia by Bringing up Vietnam’s 1979 Invasion‘, 5 Jun) that the Cambodian officials are unhappy with a recent online remark by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, recalling Vietnam’s January 1979 invasion and decade-long occupation of Cambodia.
Last Friday (31 May), while sending condolences to Thailand on the death of former Thai PM General Prem Tinsulanonda, PM Lee wrote on his Facebook page, “Thailand was on the front line, facing Vietnamese forces across its borders with Cambodia. [Then] General Prem was resolute in not accepting this.” And added, “This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimized. It protected the security of other Southeast Asia(n) countries, and decisively shape(d) the course of the region.”
While political analysts said PM Lee’s remarks may be factually correct, Phnom Penh officials made it clear they felt his account was not politically correct. The analysts said PM Lee’s post would be offensive to PM Hun Sen, who was installed in 1985, during the era of the Vietnamese-controlled People’s Republic of Kampuchea.
related: Cambodian Govt to call up Singapore Ambassador over PM Lee’s controversial remarks
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Cambodian politicians lash out at PM Lee over recent remarks on Khmer Rouge
Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Banh said that he discussed PM Lee’s comments with his Singaporean counterpart, Dr Ng Eng Hen. General Bahn told the press: “He [PM Lee] did not say the truth and his statement does not reflect history. It is not true because he said Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia. We wish for him to make corrections. It is not true.”
Calling PM Lee’s statement “unacceptable,” General Bahn asked why PM Lee did not consider the United States’ bombing campaign of Cambodia as an invasion. He asked:
- “If we talk about history, one thing he did not talk about was the Indochina war and how US troops dropped millions of bombs, invaded and occupied the region – why don’t you say something about that?
- “We cannot accept what he said. Vietnamese volunteer troops came to liberate our people. We still consider them as saviours – this means a lot for us. January 7, 1979 was a second birthday; it is highly regarded by us. We are grateful for what they did to help us.”
Lim Tean accuses “state media” of fake news, and PM Lee of “uncalled for remarks about Vietnam’s “invasion” of Cambodia”
Lim Tean got another opportunity to deride the PM, this time over Hun Sen
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Lim Tean shared a post. 22 hrs
Fake News From State Media!
A diplomatic row of the most severe order is brewing between Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore over Lee Hsien Loong’s uncalled for remarks about Vietnam’s “invasion” of Cambodia in the 70s.
Social media is rife with chatter about this incident which threatens to ostracise Singapore even further from its ASEAN neighbours. And isn’t it amazing that the State Media chooses to remain mum over this incident. You will agree that any reputable news media would have reported the incident in detail by now.
But not our 151st ranked State Media, whose avowed Mission is to be a megaphone for PAP propaganda. Any unwelcome news is swept under the carpet and a cloak of secrecy descends on our whole Nation covering up the embarrassing situation.
This is tantamount to Fake News! A media that conscientiously does not report and cover relevant news is as guilty of creating fake news as a person who deliberately spreads falsehoods!
The hypocrisy of the Fake News legislation is clear for all to see!
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Lim Tean got another opportunity to deride the PM, this time over Hun Sen
Chief of People’s Voice Party Lim Tean took to social media once again to rant about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his “insensitive and totally uncalled for remarks about Vietnam’s military incursion into Cambodia in 1978”.
In multiple Facebook posts on Thursday 6th of June, Lim Tean commented on how the “State Media” was forced to comment on the matter because of the “sneering and goading from Singaporeans”.
He also expressed that PM Lee “has a penchant of upsetting Asian countries. In recent years, he has upset China and now Cambodia and Vietnam”.
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Cambodia: Paying the high price of regional neglect?
The comments sounded like yet another grand big picture look back at the tough growing up years. Not to the Cambodians, at least not to its leaders, and to a certain degree, the Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese made some noises but were calmer. Its foreign ministry reportedly said it had raised the issue with Singapore through diplomatic channels. Vietnam’s contribution and sacrifice in helping the Cambodians end the Khmer Rouge genocide was true and widely recognised, it added.
The Cambodians were not so calm. Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote on his Facebook page that he deeply regretted learning of Lee’s comments.
PM Lee's Facebook post on 1978 Vietnam-Cambodia issue upsets both countries
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
A recent Facebook post by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that touched on Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1978 has sparked anger in both countries.
Last Friday (May 31), Mr Lee wrote on his Facebook that he has written to Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to express his condolences on the death of former Thai premier and Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda on May 26.
In praising Gen Prem's capabilities as a leader, Mr Lee said the former leader's premiership coincided with the then-five Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore - coming together to oppose "Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge".
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PM Lee’s FB post on Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia sparks anger in both countries
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has sparked a flurry of anger in the neighbouring countries of Vietnam and Cambodia with a Facebook post that touched on the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978. Both Vietnam and Cambodia have rebutted PM Lee’s statement though.
Vietnam expressed regret that the statement does not objectively reflect the historical truth, Vietnam Net Global reported. Responding to media queries on June 4, Le Thi The Hang, the spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the contribution and sacrifice of Vietnam in the joint efforts with Cambodian people to end the Khmer Rouge genocide regime have been “widely recognised”. She added that Vietnam’s MFA had discussed the issue with its Singaporean counterpart.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh raised his objections to the statement too. According to Cambodian English-language paper Khmer Times, Banh remarked on Monday night (June 3) that the statement does not reflect history”. “It is not true because he said Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia. We wish for him to make corrections,” he said. Banh further remarked that Cambodians would not have survived if Heng Samrin’s forces had not allied with the Vietnamese.
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Vietnam Officials Claim PM Lee Hsien Loong “Mistook” Facts About Cambodian-Vietnamese War
The post, while made with good intentions, wasn’t particularly well-received by Vietnamese officials.
According to Vietnamese publication VN Express International, a spokeswoman for the Vietnamese Foreign Affairs Ministry claims that PM Lee misrepresented what actually happened during the Cambodian-Vietnamese War.
PM Lee had written that Vietnam had “invaded” Cambodia. But Vietnamese officials claim that it wasn’t so much an invasion, but more of a “liberation”.
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Astounding insensitivity and troubling response of the Singapore govt on comment regarding Vietnam invasion of Cambodia
In his Shangri La Dialogue Speech on 31st May, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned that Vietnam invaded Cambodia, thus posing a serious threat to its non-communist neighbors during what he termed the Indochina wars as part of the wider Cold War going on in the late 70s. He brought it up again in his condolence letter and Facebook page post regarding the death of former Thai Premier General Prem Tinsulanonda when he talked of the then five countries of ASEAN coming together decisively to resolutely oppose Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia.
The Cambodian response has been quick and clear. In the Khmer Times journalist Leap Chanthavy had the following to say when referring to PM Lee’s statements
Yesterday, it was reported that Cambodia’s Defence Minister Tea Banh has reached out to our Defense Minister Mr Ng Eng Hen asking PM Lee to change his remarks.
He said “We cannot accept what he said. We have already clarified that Vietnamese volunteer troops came to liberate our people,” Gen Banh said. “We still consider that they came to save our people’s lives. It has been enormously meaningful for us.”
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Minh Quang Vu is in Phnom Penh 21 hrs
Cảm ơn ông Lý Hiển Long!
Xâm lược hay giải phóng. Chiếm đóng hay bảo vệ. Mèo đen hay trắng không quan trọng (chưa kể Tenet cả đen cả trắng).
Many thanks, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong!
Invade or liberate. Occupy or protect. It does not matter the cat is black or white (not saying about my Tenet who is black-and-white).
Không có gì bị lãng quên. Không một ai bị lãng quên. Năm nay 2019 kỷ niệm 40 năm Campuchia được giải phóng khỏi chế độ diệt chủng Khmer Đỏ.
Nothing forgotten. Nobody forgotten. This year 2019 we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge Genocide Regime.
We put the past if full of pain and hatred behind, to look forward to the future, but it does not mean we have forsaken lessons of history.
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Diplomatic rift mounting between Cambodia and SG over PM Lee’s remark on FB
It has been reported that the Cambodia’s Defence Minister General Tea Banh and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) legislator Hun Many have both openly rebutted PM Lee Hsien Loong for his remarks regarding the “invasion” of Cambodia by the Vietnamese military in its bid to oust the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.
Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia was ruled under the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot, which carried out the Cambodian genocide leading to the deaths of 1.5 to 3 million people or around 25% of Cambodia’s population.
General Banh said that he has made a request to his Singaporean counterpart, Ng Eng Hen, to notify PM Lee to amend his statement earlier, as the pm’s remark “was not true and not reflective of the history [of the event]”.
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Political analyst accuses PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer Rouge victims”
Singapore's Head of Government, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Photo: YT screencapture)
Cambodian political analyst Leap Chanthavy has accused Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of being disrespectful to the victims of the Khmer Rouge, in an op-ed published yesterday (3 June).
The Khmer Rouge refers to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and the regime through which the CPK ruled in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The Khmer Rouge army was slowly built up in the jungles of Eastern Cambodia during the late 1960s, supported by the North Vietnamese army, the Viet Cong and the Pathet Lao.
Despite a massive American bombing campaign against them, the Khmer Rouge won the Cambodian Civil War when in 1975 they captured the Cambodian capital and overthrew the government of the Khmer Republic.
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Vietnam joins backlash against Singaporean PM
Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson. twitter/@PressDept_MoFA
Vietnam yesterday joined the chorus of criticism against comments made by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who recently accused Vietnamese troops of invading Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.
Tensions between Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam flared earlier this week after Mr Lee on Friday posted a condolence message on Facebook regarding the passing of former Thai Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda.
In the message, Mr Lee said Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge government in 1979. Mr Lee repeated the comments again on Friday during his speech at a security summit in Singapore.
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Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Long's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion'
A Vietnamese spokesperson said Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong's statement over Vietnam's position in the Khmer Rouge fight did not recall history right.
In a Facebook post on May 31, Prime Minister Lee expressed condolences on the passing of former Thai PM and President of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda, who he said served at the time five ASEAN members came together "to oppose Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodian government that replaced the Khmer Rouge."
"Thailand was on the frontline, facing Vietnamese forces across its border with Cambodia. General Prem was resolute in not accepting this fait accompli, and worked with ASEAN partners to oppose the Vietnamese occupation in international forums. This prevented the military invasion and regime change from being legitimised," the post said.
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Vietnam Rebukes Singapore PM’s ‘Invasion’ Remarks
Le Thi Thu Hang, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam “regrets” that the statement did not reflect history objectively, causing negative public opinions.
Hang said the ministry has discussed with Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the matter. She said Vietnam’s contribution and sacrifice in helping Cambodian people end Khmer Rouge’ genocide is true and widely recognized.
Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Banh and Cambodian People’s Party legislator Hun Many have both rebutted PM Lee’s remarks, media reports said. Minister Banh told The Khmer Times that he has requested Singapore to amend the Lee’s statement as it “was not true and not reflective of the history.” “We cannot accept what he said. We have already clarified that Vietnamese volunteer troops came to liberate our people,” he said.
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Vietnam joins in to condemn PM Lee’s online remark
The VN Express reported today (5 Jun) that Ms Le Thi Thu Hang, spokeswoman for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam “regrets” that PM Lee’s recent online statement did not reflect history objectively, causing negative public opinions. Ms Hang said her ministry has discussed with Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the matter.
VN Express is the first Vietnamese online newspaper launched since 2001. It is widely read and attains the highest ranking among other e-newspapers in Vietnam on Alexa.com, after Yahoo!, Google, and Google Vietnam.
Ms Hang said Vietnam’s contribution and sacrifice in helping Cambodian people end Khmer Rouge’ genocide is true and widely recognized.
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The Facts Around the Statement PM Lee Made Regarding Vietnam’s Invasion of Cambodia
Recently, former Thai prime minster and influential royal adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda passed away. Normally, this would not really concern Singapore much. But, somehow, it became an incident that is affecting Singapore.
How come? When a prominent foreign dignitary passes away, our prime minister would usually post something on his Facebook page.
Similarly, PM Lee posted something on his Facebook page about the passing of General Prem. In the post, PM Lee mentioned that when he was prime minister of Thailand, General Prem’s leadership benefited the region.
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Khmer-Vietnamese Association gets nod
Chau Van Chi speaking to KVA members. VNA
The Interior Ministry has authorised the Khmer-Vietnamese Association to register on its list of organisations, Vietnamese media have reported.
The association was established to bring together Khmer people of Vietnamese origin and other Vietnamese in Cambodia for humanitarian work and to spread information about the law.
According to the news website Vietnamplus.vn, the Khmer-Vietnamese Association will operate in accordance with Cambodia’s Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations.
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Vietnam remembers over 3,000 killed in Cambodia’s Pol Pot war
Only three people from an An Giang’s commune survived the killings 40 years ago, according to historical records. The southern Vietnamese province An Giang commemorated the death of thousands of people during the Khmer Rouge war on Monday, 40 years after the massacre.
Khmer Rouge soldiers attacked Ba Chuc Commune across the Cambodian border on April 18, 1978, which was the 12th day of the third lunar month, and killed 3,157 civilians during 12-day occupation, chasing after those who tried to flee into pagodas and up mountains.
Vietnamese commemorate deaths by the lunar calendar, and the Ba Chuc victims have been remembered every 16th day of the third lunar month, which falls on May 1 this year.
related:
Cambodia offers ethnic Vietnamese short-term residency
Vietnamese PM pledges loyalty to Cambodia during nostalgic visit
Confronting darkness in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge stronghold
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In Cambodia, past horrors take center stage
Cambodia recently marked “National Anger Day” with a live re-enactment of the savage atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, which the country’s current leader, Hun Sen, served before fleeing to Vietnam, reportedly in 1977.
With international media coverage, including Euro News and the BBC, focused on the “re-enactment” of past atrocities, the present leadership has successfully deflected attention from its own crimes. The re-enactment was provocative and carried a political message that is destructive to Cambodian culture and values.
Having transitioned from communism to its current dictatorship, Cambodia likes to put on a re-enactment show by marking a Remembrance Day for victims to perpetuate “anger” against the past generation. “Anger” and “hatred” have become the norm as people are being labeled as “dogs,” and ordinary citizens are being terrorized for exercising basic human rights, including freedom of association and speech.
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Cambodia celebrates 40th anniversary of Khmer Rouge ouster
Tens of thousands of Cambodians packed a stadium in Phnom Penh Monday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the expulsion of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime -- a day strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen called the country's "second birthday".
The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, installed a reign of terror in 1975 that left two million Cambodians dead from starvation, hard labour, torture and mass executions.
It ended on January 7, 1979, when Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge cadre, led Vietnamese forces into the capital to expel the murderous regime.
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Pictorial flashback: When Vietnam freed Cambodia from a genocidal regime
40 years ago, Vietnam launched a retaliatory attack on Khmer Rouge and succeeded, freeing Cambodia from their grasp. The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, general secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, Cambodia's former ruling party, invaded Vietnam and killed tens of thousands of Vietnamese from 1975 to 1979 as part of their genocidal agenda. Upon request by Cambodian revolutionaries, Vietnamese soldiers marched into Phnom Penh in January 1979 during the counter-offensive on the southwestern border to free the capital from Khmer Rouge's regime.
Vietnamese soldiers played a vital role in building, training and supporting Cambodian revolutionary forces to rid the country of Khmer Rouge and their genocidal agenda. The Khmer Rouge's social engineering policies led to the Cambodian genocide that killed around 1.8 million people from 1975 to 1979, which is about 25 percent of the Cambodian population in 1975.
Vietnam started to withdraw its forces from Cambodia in 1986 and finished withdrawal in 1989.
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Cambodians re-enact genocidal horrors to remember those killed in Khmer Rouge regime
Cambodian performers on Monday (May 20) re-enacted scenes of civilians being killed by Khmer Rouge soldiers to remember the millions who died during the murderous Maoist regime that came to an end 40 years ago.
Hundreds gathered at the notorious Choeung Ek 'Killing Field' to mark the annual Day of Remembrance with prayers and performances in the hopes that the younger generation would learn from this dark piece of history.
Between 1.7 million and 2.2 million people were said to have died during the regime led by Pol Pot from 1975-1979. Most of them died of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labour camps or were bludgeoned to death during mass executions.
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Cambodia re-enacts Khmer Rouge killings - in pictures
Cambodian actors have re-enacted atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge on the country's National Day of Remembrance - known informally as the "Day of Anger".
The brutal regime of Maoist leader Pol Pot controlled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. Up to two million people are thought to have died under his rule. Civilians were forced from the cities to live on communal farms in the countryside as part of a revolution aiming to radically restructure Cambodian society.
The performance took place at the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, located at the infamous "killing fields" outside the capital Phnom Penh.
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Cambodian genocide
Skulls of victims of the Cambodian genocide
The Cambodian genocide (Khmer: ហាយនភាពខ្មែរ or ការប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍ខ្មែរ, French: Génocide cambodgien) was carried out by the Khmer Rouge regime under the leadership of Pol Pot, and it resulted in the deaths of between 1.671 and 1.871 million people from 1975 to 1979, or 21 to 24 percent of Cambodia’s 1975 population. The Khmer Rouge wanted to turn the country into a socialist agrarian republic, founded on the policies of ultra-Maoism.
In 1976, the Khmer Rouge changed the name of the country to Democratic Kampuchea. In order to fulfill their goals, the Khmer Rouge emptied the cities and forced Cambodians to relocate to labor camps in the countryside, where mass executions, forced labor, physical abuse, malnutrition, and disease were prevalent. This resulted in the death of approximately 25 percent of Cambodia's total population. Approximately 20,000 people passed through the Tuol Sleng Centre (also known as Security Prison S-21), one of the 196 prisons operated by the Khmer Rouge, and only 7 adults survived. The prisoners were taken to the Killing Fields, where they were executed (often with pickaxes in order to save bullets) and buried in mass graves. The abduction and indoctrination of children was widespread, and many were persuaded or forced to commit atrocities. The genocide triggered a second outflow of refugees, many of whom escaped to neighboring Vietnam and, to a lesser extent, Thailand. The Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia ended the genocide by defeating the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
On 2 January 2001, the Cambodian government established the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, to try the members of the Khmer Rouge leadership responsible for the Cambodian genocide. Trials began on 17 February 2009. On 7 August 2014, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were convicted and received life sentences for crimes against humanity during the genocide. As of 2009, the Cambodian NGO Documentation Center of Cambodia has mapped some 23,745 mass graves containing approximately 1.3 million suspected victims of execution. Direct execution is believed to account for roughly 60% of the full death toll during the genocide, with other victims succumbing to starvation or disease.
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PM Lee's speech at White House state dinner angers China
PM Lee, during a toast at the recent White House state dinner in Washington DC on 2 Aug, said some words which appear to have made China quite unhappy. During his toast, PM Lee said he remembered meeting Obama back in May 2007:
- “You were in the midst of a hard-fought presidential campaign, and not yet the front-runner for the Democratic nomination,” PM Lee said to laughs. “But I was struck by your focus, your informed interest in Asia, and your desire to cement America’s role in it.”
- “Your years growing up in Indonesia gave you direct experience of Southeast Asia’s cultures and challenges,” he continued.
- “As President, your personal leadership and decision to rebalance to Asia has won America new friends and strengthened old partnerships, including with Singapore,” he added. In other words, PM Lee welcomes the US to adopt a strategy to “rebalance” the Asia Pacific.
- He went on to call President Obama as the “America’s first Pacific President”.
- Two days later on 4 Aug, China immediately issued a response through Global Times owned by the People’s Daily news group which comes directly under the purview of the Chinese Communist Party.
- News published by the group frequently provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the Chinese government. The Global Times was created to focus on international issues from the Chinese government’s perspective. As such, opinion pieces featured in Global Times carry considerable weight in representing the position of the Chinese government.
- The Chinese cautioned PM Lee in an article China should understand Singapore and draw the bottom line.
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Vietnamese “Hang Flower” Girl Calls Hometown Kakis to Beat Up Korean Rival
The incident took place at about 5.30am on Tuesday (12 Jun)
The Vietnamese lady and her friends found the Korean lady having dinner with 2 men at the bak kut the shop and attacked her. Shop staff tried in vain to stop the chair-throwing, stiletto-flinging and cleavage-swinging scuffle.
The Vietnamese gang of ladies was seen leaving and re-entering the shop several times to attack the Korean lady.
Police officers subsequently arrived and stopped the fight. Police say that 4 women, aged between 30 and 34 years old, have been arrested and investigations are ongoing.
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Cambodia & Vietnam rebut Singapore PM's "Invasion Remark":
Hun Sen accuses Singapore PM of ‘supporting genocide’
Cambodia & Vietnam dispute Lee’s use of “invasion” and “occupation”
Cambodian PM Hun Sen who slammed it as an insult
Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Banh has rubbished Lee's FB
Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Lee's Facebook
PM Lee’s Facebook post on Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia draws ire
Lee Hsien Loong Disrespectful of Khmer Rouge victims
Tea Banh dismisses Singapore PM’s statement as ‘untruthful’
PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer Rouge victims”
Cambodia's Defence Minister, CPP lawmaker rebut PM Lee's remark
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion
Political analyst accuses PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion'
Cambodia's Defence Minister, CPP lawmaker rebut PM Lee's
Minister, lawmaker lash out at Singaporean Prime Minister
Singapore PM Stirs Flap in Cambodia by Bringing up Vietnam's 1979
Vietnam joins backlash against Singaporean PM
Lee Hsien Loong Disrespectful of Khmer Rouge victims
Diplomatic rift between Cambodia & SG over PM Lee's FB remark
Vietnam joins in to condemn PM Lee's online remark
Political analyst accuses PM Lee “disrespectful to Khmer Rouge victims”
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion'
Tea Banh dismisses Singapore PM's statement as 'untruthful'
Vietnam joins in to condemn PM Lee's online remark
Condolence Letter on the Passing of Former Thai PM and Privy
Political analyst accuses PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer
Khmer-Vietnamese Association gets nod
Sheer terror: A Cambodian recalls escape from genocide
Pictorial flashback: When Vietnam freed Cambodia from a genocidal regime
Cambodia celebrates 40th anniversary of Khmer Rouge ouster
Khmer Rouge leaders found guilty of genocide in landmark ruling
Cambodia offers ethnic Vietnamese short-term residency
Vietnamese PM pledges loyalty to Cambodia during nostalgic visit
Confronting darkness in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge stronghold
In Cambodia, past horrors take center stage
Cambodia's Defence Minister, CPP lawmaker rebut PM Lee's remark
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion
Political analyst accuses PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion'
Cambodia's Defence Minister, CPP lawmaker rebut PM Lee's
Minister, lawmaker lash out at Singaporean Prime Minister
Singapore PM Stirs Flap in Cambodia by Bringing up Vietnam's 1979
Vietnam joins backlash against Singaporean PM
Lee Hsien Loong Disrespectful of Khmer Rouge victims
Diplomatic rift between Cambodia & SG over PM Lee's FB remark
Vietnam joins in to condemn PM Lee's online remark
Political analyst accuses PM Lee “disrespectful to Khmer Rouge victims”
Vietnam opposes Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Cambodia 'invasion'
Tea Banh dismisses Singapore PM's statement as 'untruthful'
Vietnam joins in to condemn PM Lee's online remark
Condolence Letter on the Passing of Former Thai PM and Privy
Political analyst accuses PM Lee of being “disrespectful to Khmer
Khmer-Vietnamese Association gets nod
Sheer terror: A Cambodian recalls escape from genocide
Pictorial flashback: When Vietnam freed Cambodia from a genocidal regime
Cambodia celebrates 40th anniversary of Khmer Rouge ouster
Khmer Rouge leaders found guilty of genocide in landmark ruling
Cambodia offers ethnic Vietnamese short-term residency
Vietnamese PM pledges loyalty to Cambodia during nostalgic visit
Confronting darkness in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge stronghold
In Cambodia, past horrors take center stage
Vietnamese ladies were upset with the Korean lady for ‘snatching’
The lady in yellow jin fierce leh
Photos of the vandalised DBS branch were posted late Thursday morning (Nov 14) on a Facebook group called the Concerned Citizens Band Together for a better Singapore. The post was shared more than 850 times in four hours. A DBS spokesman told The Straits Times that the graffiti was cleaned off as soon as it was discovered on Thursday morning.
Some Hong Kongers have been upset by comments PM Lee made on the Hong Kong protests at the Forbes Global CEO Conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore in October.
The lady in yellow jin fierce leh
DBS branch in Hong Kong vandalised with vulgar messages directed at PM Lee Hsien Loong
One of the widely shared images showing the graffiti that was scrawled on the DBS branch in Hong Kong. (PHOTO: Social media)
Vandals have attacked a DBS branch in Hong Kong by scrawling vulgarities directed at Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his family and the ruling People's Action Party.
Photos of the vandalised DBS branch were posted late Thursday morning (Nov 14) on a Facebook group called the Concerned Citizens Band Together for a better Singapore. The post was shared more than 850 times in four hours. A DBS spokesman told The Straits Times that the graffiti was cleaned off as soon as it was discovered on Thursday morning.
Some Hong Kongers have been upset by comments PM Lee made on the Hong Kong protests at the Forbes Global CEO Conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore in October.
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Singapore must ‘steal other people’s lunches’
PM Lee Hsien Loong at G20 Leaders' Summit in Hamburg
Singapore must ‘steal other people’s lunches’
PM Lee In The Limelight
PM Lee in Focus
Singapore Stumbles on China's Road
Lee Hsien Loong's 10 years as PM
What is happening in ‘Clean’ Singapore?
A 'Sign of Distress' in Singapore?
Why is everything breaking down in Singapore?
SG Buildings Crumbling Down Parody
Singapore’s Story: What comes next
To Singapore, with Love 星国恋
The politics of power dressing
The famiLEE tree
PM Lee in Focus
Singapore Stumbles on China's Road
Lee Hsien Loong's 10 years as PM
What is happening in ‘Clean’ Singapore?
A 'Sign of Distress' in Singapore?
Why is everything breaking down in Singapore?
SG Buildings Crumbling Down Parody
Singapore’s Story: What comes next
To Singapore, with Love 星国恋
The politics of power dressing
The famiLEE tree
