Prem had been leader at a time when Singapore, Thailand, and other Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) countries opposed Vietnam’s invasion and occupation of Cambodia, Lee said. Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge were backed by China while Vietnam was supported by China’s communist foe, the Soviet Union. Hun Sen was a junior member of the Khmer Rouge but fled to Vietnam when the group split. Hun Sen said Lee’s comments were an “insult to the sacrifice of the Vietnamese military volunteers who helped to liberate Cambodia”. Through the 1980s, Singapore along with other Asean and Western countries recognised a three-faction “coalition government” in exile, which included the Khmer Rouge.

Source: The Star June 08, 2019 01:30 UTC