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8 June 1978
Khmer Rouge EZ secretary So Phim reaches Arei Khsat, on the Mekong opposite PhnomPenh. He sends a bodyguard by boat with a note to Pol Pot. After 1h, two ferries, crammed with marines arrive, and shoot him in the stomach. Surprised, Phim runs for his life. Romanian president Ceaucescu & his wife are greeted by Pol Pot at the PhnomPenh airport (video). Ceaucescu will attend a reception (cr: Pol Pot, right: Khieu Samphan), sign a treaty on friendship and cooperation and visit Angkor Wat. https://t.co/F8x4nAlM9r https://t.co/jVYXJnhFQl
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5 June 1978
KE Pauk calls all Division 4 commanders to a meeting and has them arrested by his soldiers. Following arrests, various groups (among them Heng Samrin’s) start to flee to the forests, from which they launch guerrilla attacks against Pauk’s & Son Sen’s forces. Despite continuing border incidents, Thai Prime Minister Kriangsak says Thailand would try to maintain good relations with Cambodia to “isolate” the Communist Party of🇹🇭from the Khmer Rouge. Kriangsak: “the lack of vigilance of Thais caused unnecessary casualities” As Piem failed to return from a meeting with Pauk, Khmer Rouge EZ secretary So Phim, suspects a coup by Son Sen is under way. He seeks an audience with…
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3 June 1978
Ten persons, including two border patrol policemen, died, and 17 others were seriously wounded when Khmer Rouge soldiers ambushed a packed passenger bus on a Thai road running parallel to the Thai-Cambodian border.🇹🇭announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew in response. https://t.co/fkb986CnPp While Ke Pauk’s Central Zone forces purge Khmer Rouge Eastern Zone cadres, Pauk (inferior in rank) summons EZ secretary So Phim to a meeting. After first sending his bodyguards, who fail to return, Phim sends Piem to Pauk (Zone office chief). Pauk sends him to S-21. Heng Samrin’s brother T., commander of the 290th Division, & their brother-in-law, S., Khmer Rouge secretary of Region 21, are arrested & brought to S-21.…
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31 May 1978
CHOU Chet, Khmer Rouge secretary of the West zone writes in a 134 page confession at S-21 that “his existence has been of no use to the party”. (1) He also describes situations where he regrets what he said to Pol Pot (2+3). https://t.co/8aIACUIkE9
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30 May 1978
Malaysia offered to take in 20,000 Cambodian muslim refugees and Vietnam approached us seeking assistance to resettle refugees from Cambodia inside Vietnam or other countries, says an @Refugees representative.
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29 May 1978
Shell fragments found in Thailand indicate the Khmer Rouge use new Chinese-made equipment for their attacks, says Thai PM Kriangsak. “🇹🇭stopped supporting resistance activity to the KR & only attacks in retaliation.🇹🇭has the military capability to walk to PhnomPenh” The Thai army says that the Khmer Rouge & Thai communists caused 111 incidents occurred along the Cambodian-Thai border over the past 4 months, including ambushes, booby-trapping, mortar & rocket bombardment and the mining of roads. https://t.co/7oWNe6CXYM
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28 May 1978
RUOS Nhim, Khmer Rouge Secretary of the Northwest Zone reports severe food shortages in Sector 5 to Angkar & that 58 people trying to escape to Thailand were “smashed”. He asks what to do with “Yuons(🇻🇳) with Khmer(🇰🇭) spouses”, which are “worried about their fate” @themattmadden https://t.co/2fBNR1ZflI @masaya_shinoda @johnmalis150 There was a Reuters article about his visit at the time (see photo) and diplomatic cables (on wikileaks) https://t.co/2fBNR1ZflI https://t.co/TivTWmdKBE
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27 May 1978
The US State Department assesses 🇻🇳-🇰🇭relations: “Although Vietnam’s forces are poised for strong military action against Cambodia, Hanoi will continue to seek a negotiated settlement while covertly preparing Cambodian insurgent forces to subvert the Khmer Rouge” Lee C. Giam concludes his 5-day visit, heading a Singaporean Trade delegation, to Cambodia. Lee worked 4 years in🇰🇭, till 1973. He said he met nobody he knew from 5 years ago. He describes his impression of PhnomPenh (1) & trip to Siem Reap (2): https://t.co/wtNdGtmyBN
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26 May 1978
Cambodia sends Hanoi a diplomatic note requesting that Vietnam ceases any form of aggression, invasion and annexation and proposes a 7-month cooling-of period after which if there are to border incidents- talks could begin: https://t.co/qbowrv1eg2 The governor of Trat, Thailand, says an active smuggling trade exists in waters separating Thailand and Cambodia. Thai smugglers trade consumer goods for marine products on Cambodia’s Kud Island.
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23 May 1978
Cambodia suffers “continuing bloodletting” &🇰🇭refugees escaping to Thailand “recall concentration camp survivors of 1945”, says @nytimes. The absence of French speakers among them “lends credence to reports that the Khmer Rouge methodically kill the educated”