berman@ihopb.UUCP (Rational Chutzpah) (01/25/85)
>China is indeed another terrible country, and my manners prevent me from >saying what I really think of their backing of the Khmer Rouge. >--- > Greg Kuperberg > harvard!talcott!gjk ---------------------------------------------------- Whether China is a "terrible" country or not is irrelevant. (although clearly the recent arms deals indicate that the current regime in Washington doesn't agree with you). What is more important is the issue of US backing, diplomaticaly and militarily of the Khmer Rouge/Rightist coalition. Diplomatically the backing is in the form of consistent efforts in the UN (so far succussful) to keep the Kampuchean seat filled by the Khmer Rouge/Rightist forces. Militarily it is in the form of arms flow to the rebel forces along the Thai border and support for Thailand's sheltering of these forces. I repeat my previous contention. Vietnam's incursion into Kampuchea, although legally a violation of Kampuchea's sovereignty, was the key factor that stopped the mass murder of the 1975-78 period when the Pol Pot Khimer Rouge was in power. The incursion was in support of anti-Pol Pot elements within the Khmer Rouge, led by Heng Sarim. I believe that a careful reading of the history of the period places a good deal of blame for the murderous society that emerged on the massive destruction wrought by 7 Billion dollars worth of bombing on that country by the Nixon administration. Andy Berman -- -------------------------------------------------- "My life is so complicated, it's a good thing I'm such a simple person that I can understand it" -Ed Balchowski