Border clashes leave Cambodia’s ancient temple facing uncertain future

Perched on a hill next to the border demarcation

Standing just on the border to Thailand (the Temple is on Cambodian territory while part of its immediate surroundings are on Thai territory), the temple has been a continuous source of discord between both countries. The International Court of Justice made a clear decision in favor of Cambodia’s claim to the territory in 1962. With Thailand never fully accepting the ruling, armed conflict erupted regularly. One of the most serious occurred in 2008 when Preah Vihear became a UNESCO World Heritage. The International Court of Justice awarded again sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia in 2013 clarifying borders issues.

According to a report released in February by news agency AFP, the last fighting in December damaged very seriously the centuries-old temple.

AFP journalists were the first international media allowed to visit Preah Vihear after weeks of deadly border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand. They documented extensive structural damage across the ornate 11th-century complex. Cambodian officials escorting the visit said heavy artillery shelling and aerial bombardment by Thai forces were responsible for much of the destruction.

“The damage is very serious,” said Darith Ea, director of conservation and archaeology at the Preah Vihear Authority. He reported that 420 sections of the complex were damaged in December alone, with another 142 affected during earlier violence in July. “Some structures could collapse. We need urgent intervention,” he declared to AFP.

Bird view from Preah Vihear temple site (Photo: https://napv.gov.kh/documentation/photo-gallery)

A long, costly and complicated reconstruction

UNESCO, which has expressed concern about the destruction, reiterated that cultural heritage must be protected during armed conflict under international conventions. The agency confirmed it plans to send an assessment mission following a request from Cambodia, stressing the importance of safeguarding heritage sites from military use or targeting.

Restoration is expected to be complex, costly, and probably take many years. Cambodian authorities say some areas may be preserved as “museum zones” to document the damage caused by the conflict. AFP reporters also observed unexploded shells still scattered around the site, now marked by deminers.

The Thai army justified its attacks by accusing Cambodian forces of using the temple as a military base, supporting their claim by showing videos of Cambodian soldiers and weapons at the temple.

The Royal Thai Army argued further that the use of the temple as a military site let the World Heritage Site losing its protected status. And they give a right to attack it. Cambodian officials deny the claim. The result is however an extraordinary historical site on the verge of vanishing…

(Sources: AFP-UNESCO)