Singapore explains official stance after Lee Hsien Loong's remarks

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On the official website of the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a spokesman for the ministry stated: “Singapore highly values ​​its relations with Cambodia and Vietnam. Despite past differences, we have always treated each other with respect and friendship.

Bilateral relations have developed in many areas and we have worked together with other Southeast Asian countries to build a united and unified Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Previously, at the Shangri-La Dialogue and on his personal Facebook page at the end of May, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that Vietnam had "invaded" and "occupied" Cambodia in 1979.

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement criticizing the Singaporean Prime Minister's statement as being against the revival of the Cambodian people, showing that Singapore supported the genocidal regime and wanted the genocidal regime to return to Cambodia, as well as insulting the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who sacrificed their blood to help liberate Cambodia from the genocidal regime.

A statement from the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said: "Singapore does not support the Khmer Rouge and does not want to see the Khmer Rouge return to Cambodia. In 1988, ASEAN sponsored UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the Khmer Rouge to ensure that the Khmer Rouge would not be part of any future government in Cambodia. Singapore and ASEAN have actively provided humanitarian assistance to the Cambodian people."

According to a spokesperson for the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wanted to emphasize that regional stability and prosperity as well as ASEAN solidarity do not come naturally. The current geopolitical instability makes it even more important for ASEAN countries to maintain solidarity, unity and enhance cooperation.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong referred to history to explain how leadership and judgment helped end the tragic wars that caused suffering to the people of Indochina, bringing about the peace and cooperation that the region enjoys today.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that on June 7, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had phone calls to explain official positions to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.

The Ministry's statement stated: "The parties agreed that despite major differences in the past, we have now chosen cooperation, dialogue and friendship." The statement affirmed that "Singapore is determined to build good relations with Vietnam and Cambodia, hoping that the relationship can continue to develop based on trust."