(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Culture Ministry takes note of the statement attributed to Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, as reported by The Nation Thailand, alleging that Cambodia has used the temple of Preah Vihear as a military base. The ministry categorically rejects this allegation, according to a statement seen by Fresh News on Friday (Feb. 27).
The temple of Preah Vihear is a sacred cultural and religious monument of outstanding universal value. It has never been designated, developed, or used as a military base. As a State Party to the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention, Cambodia is fully committed to protecting cultural property and ensuring that this World Heritage Site is preserved solely for peaceful, cultural, and religious purposes.
The temple’s legal status is unequivocally established by the 1962 Judgment of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the temple and required Thailand to withdraw any military or police forces. In 2013, the court further clarified that Cambodia’s sovereignty extends over the entire Preah Vihear promontory. These decisions are final and binding under Article 94 of the UN Charter, leaving no legal ambiguity.
From 1962 to 2008, the temple remained under peaceful Cambodian administration, serving as a place of worship, pilgrimage, and cultural significance. The peaceful status of the site was disrupted in 2008 when Thai military personnel encroached upon surrounding areas, including Keo Kiri Svara Pagoda, based on a unilateral interpretation of boundary maps. This action altered the status quo, caused armed tensions, and damaged parts of thetemple. In 2025, similar military operations by Thai forces along the border resulted in armed clashes and unprecedented damage to the monument and its surroundings, as confirmed by preliminary assessments of the National Authority for Preah Vihear and other Cambodian authorities.
Cambodia is obliged under international law to protect the temple of Preah Vihear, which, as affirmed by the ICJ, is situated under the sovereignty of Cambodia. The presence of Cambodian authorities to protect cultural heritage cannot be mischaracterised as a military use of the temple. Administration of the temple remains under civilian heritage authorities, and any security presence is strictly limited to protection.
Cambodia is systematically collecting, documenting and preserving all evidence relating to the attacks against the temple, and the resulting damage to the temple and its surroundings, to support restoration efforts, prevent future harm, and reinforce the international commitment to the protection of cultural heritage. This also serves to ensure accountability under international legal frameworks, including international humanitarian law and the conventions governing cultural property. Damage to a World Heritage Site is a matter of concern to the international community as a whole, transcending political disputes.
The sovereignty of Cambodia over the temple and its promontory has been definitively settled by binding ICJ judgments. Attempts to portray the temple as a military base disregard these legal realities, undermine judicial authority, and threaten regional peace. Cambodia remains firmly committed to international law, the protection of cultural heritage, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and cooperation within ASEAN and the broader international community.
The ministry reaffirms that the temple of Preah Vihear is, and will remain, a monument of peace, culture, and shared human heritage.=FRESH NEWS