Epilogue
The International Conference on Cambodia was convened at the Kleber Conference Centre in Paris from 30 July to 30 August 1989. Failed to resolve the conflict.^1 Had it succeeded, it would have been an even more memorable year for the French as 1989 was also the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. That the conference failed was unfortunate but not a surprise (as explained later) although some participants, such as the British, held the view that ‘there was … every reason to hope and expect’ the conference ‘to succeed’ for reasons such as improvement in Sino-Soviet relations. Vietnam’s serious economic problems, and the impulse of national reconciliation between the Cambodian faction and Sihanouk, which was ‘the key factor … behind whom all Cambodians and factions could unite’. We may recall from our discussion in Chapter 5 that the Cambodian conflict could only end if four interconnected elements of the conflict were resolved: (1) mutual threat perceptions of Vietnam and Ca...