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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 19. August 6 1979

Tracing the Roots

Tracing the Roots

The Malaysian Government should be held responsible and unreservedly censured for its atrocities and barbaric disregard for human life. But the refugee problem is neither the beginning nor the end. One should not be totally bogged down with short sightedness and sentiments. Neither sympathy, tears nor financial contributions will end the problem. The refugee problem, which could only be stopped at its source, is but only the tip of an iceberg. A more dangerous and complex time bomb lies hidden - that of a Vietnamese specter over South East Asia. Last December, Vietnam invaded Kaumpchea with a 100,000 strong army. Today she hovers over the Thai border, with insatiable appetite for South East Asia.

With the wolf knocking on the door, the ASEAN leaders were mopping cold sweat as they huddled together in Bali. A thinly disguised international SOS was hurriedly issued. Sheer desperation in a 'Do or Die' situation has finally driven some sense into ASEAN. For the first time, it dared to point the accusing finger at the culprit (even though they failed to name it.)

Even before the end of the war in Indochina, Vietnam had long harboured the ambition of the Indochina Federation under her control The opportunity came after the war. The US fled leaving behind a large arsenal of military hardware. With success gone into their head, the Vietnamese leaders boasted being the third strongest military power in the world. Russia immediately cashed in for the loot. With the moral boost of a new military 'treaty" and fresh ammunition, Vietnam set off on a path of aggression, eyeing not only Kampuchea and Laos, but the whole of South East Asia.

Being a country at war for more than 30 years, Vietnam's economy is in a shambles. Economic reconstruction should be her top priority. Hence, to drum up for aggression beyond her territories, the Vietnamese regime has resorted to Hitler's tactics, to propagate jingoism. Like the victimised Jews, the 3 million Chinese minority in Vietnam were singled out as scapegoats for persecution, especially in view that China would be an obstacle to her expansionist ambition in the region.

Being more subtle than Hitler, the Vietnamese regime decided it could make a fast buck by providing one way passage, with lots of exit taxes, to her "undesirable' people. At the same time it has the effect of lowering unemployment, decreased demand on scarce food, and literally lessen all other economic headaches of supporting a huge population with a sick economy. Further, these boat people would disrupt the already shaky regimes in SEA. Hence, by discharging responsibility of her people, she is also hitting many birds without even wasting one stone!