Abstract
OBSERVERS OF THE Vietnamese-Kampuchean (Cambodian) conflict have suggested a number of explanations for it. The conflict has been termed a proxy war between the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China (PRC); a Vietnamese strategic reprisal for Cambodian-initiated border raids; a quarrel between two brands of communism; a diversion from Vietnamese internal problems; and a Vietnamese effort to break Chinese encirclement. While all of these perspectives are of some relevance to the recent behavior of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), we think that the conflict with Cambodia can best be explained as the independent Vietnamese pursuit of their own long-term goal of converting Cambodia into an obedient, if not totally subservient, satellite. Furthermore, we believe that this perspective provides an important key to understanding SRV behavior not only regarding Cambodia, but also Laos, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian nations.' In this context, the main purpose of this article is to
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