Deng Yingchao’s (widow of China’s Premier Zhou Enlai) visit to Cambodia ends, where she met the wife of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, leng Sary, & Khieu Samphan and toured Angkor Wat. Her role was to try to deescalate the Vietnam-Cambodia conflict. https://t.co/pHZ2k1RfTC China is embarrassed by the Khmer Rouge’s slaughter-house approach to politics. China would shed few tears if Pol Pot accidentally shoots himself in the back while cleaning his gun. Therefore, Vietnam kept quiet on the captured🇨🇳military advisors, writes AsiaWeek: https://t.co/xsyhubNl2u

Sao Phim reports the success of various military operations to Pol Pot & Nuon Chea: “We smashed 30 military houses & burned down several civilian houses”; “our force destroyed 5 Yuon boats”. In the same report he says 60% of medium-term rice was too ripe and lost. @minamie235 https://t.co/9uMP7xjCh8 – search for 1977-12-31

In a speech to a visiting Chinese delegation, Nuon Chea says: “In 1977, we achieved 100% success in producing 3 tons of rice per hectare. We must keep up our revolutionary vigilance [..] to build our country quickly & improve our people’s standards of living.” “Among the most flagrant and massive abuses of human rights in the world today is Cambodia, where 100,000s, not only supporters of the former regime, but people from all elements of society, have perished,” says W. Christopher, US Deputy Secretary of State. 5. Swedish Ambassador to Thailand Jean Oberg (photo) makes a controversial private trip to Angkor Wat 6. From early January to 31 December…

At the 10th anniversary of the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea, Pol Pot says it is important to liberate Cambodia from the land-grabbing Yuon(=Vietnamese). “if we hit their legs the Yuon can still crawl, if we hit their arms they can still walk” @RPanh https://t.co/3nVhLDWfWd page 6

A man is reported to Angkar for no longer wanting to “make revolution”, because he is working hard & only gets gruel to eat. He also said Khmer Rouge Head of State Khieu Samphan boasts he would serve the people, but in reality “he traveled by car & ate good foods”. https://t.co/y1pbYaD7Yz

Vietnamese Defence Minister Giang: “The Cambodians sat with us & agreed in 1976 exactly where the border was, we agreed on which maps to use, and what scale, and we believed the problem was solved. “Then Cambodia didn’t respect the agreement, & killed my people.” Two recent incidents at the Thai‐Cambodian border were attributed by informed Thai sources to Khmer Rouge troops who, in their unwillingness to be transferred to the Vietnamese front, had staged local raids to prove that they should not be shifted. reports @nytimes Jan. 14 ,1978: After servere initial defeats, Khmer Rouge troops reorganised and handed Vietnam heavy losses especially around Ha Tien and Parrot’s Beak.…

An East German Intelligence report indicates that Vietnam is deploying forces to foster internal resistance in Cambodia & to bolster forces working against POL Pot which would be capable of political leadership, albeit noting Vietnam prefers a political solution. “While there are no neutral reports from the front, it seems clear the Cambodians, hopelessly out-numbered and outgunned, took a severe beating.” This is why Khieu Samphan abruptly announced Cambodia’s plight to the world, writes AsiaWeek on the🇰🇭-🇻🇳war. https://t.co/tM9TSuOBEf

@UPI says Vietnam set up a “cordon sanitaire”, inhabited by pro-Vietnamese Cambodians to prevent Khmer Rouge troops from raiding🇻🇳territory. Vietnam holds a strip of territory up to 18 miles deep running 235 miles along the border, say Radio PhnomPenh.

An East German defence report says “Vietnam’s army is capable of taking Phnom Penh & solving the Cambodia problem militarily.” It has refrained from doing so, out of political considerations & because China’s response has hitherto been impossible to fully gauge.” @Reuters reports that for the first time since the Khmer Rouge came to power, Soviet newspapers have publicised charges that KR forces were responsible for atrocities and mass killings. The Soviet Union supports Vietnam in the🇰🇭-🇻🇳conflict. A Vietnamese photographer publishes two recent fotos: left: Caskets containing the bodies of victims of a Cambodian attack on Tam Lap village. right: Some of the children who survived a Khmer Rouge attack…

As diplomatic reports say 10,000s are massacred, US President Carter should privately ask Chinese leaders to pressure the Khmer Rouge to moderate their policies, says @nytimes. With 100s of technicians in Cambodia, China should at least able to verify reports: https://t.co/9OfceYFSGI Jan.10, 1978: Speaking on the 10th anniversary of the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea, Pol Pot says “We do not worry that one day our army may run out of men, for Cambodia’s population from which we can recruit is unlimited.”