[Vietnamization] Vietnamese Defense Minister Meets Government Leaders

Vietnamese Defense Minister Meets Government Leaders

Cambodia Daily | 1 June 2016

Vietnam’s new defense minister met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Heng Samrin on Tuesday, assuring them that military cooperation between the two countries would remain strong [to repress and shed blood of innocent Cambodians] in the face of efforts to break them apart.

Ngo Xuan Lich had afternoon meetings with Mr. Samrin at the National Assembly and Mr. Hun Sen at his office building in Phnom Penh.

National Assembly President Heng Samrin, right, shakes hands with Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich on Tuesday at the Assembly building in Phnom Penh. (Siv Channa/The Cambodia Daily)

“He said that currently some unfriendly people are trying to split the relationship, ties and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia, but Vietnam will continue in solidarity as has been the tradition forever [of Vietnamization],” Keo Piseth, Mr. Samrin’s Cabinet chief, told reporters of General Xuan Lich’s remarks.

The defense minister expressed similar sentiments in his meeting with Mr. Hun Sen, according to Eang Sophalleth, an assistant to the prime minister.

The ruling party’s ties to Hanoi have long been a major point of criticism for the political opposition.

However, the CPP in recent years has ramped up relations with China [as long as it doesn't impede on the Vietnamization of Cambodia in deforestation, rubber, rice, fisheries, the lakes, the sea, ICT, airspace, "national" airlines via Vietnamese embedment in the military and all the important ministries, as tycoons running all the lucrative concessions in petroleum, hotels, tourism, etc. or the demographic flooding and favored status in medium to large size businesses via the major banks owned by Vietnam in Cambodia]