Cambodia Denies Thai Allegations of Military Use of Temples

PHNOM PENH, Sept 15, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia on Tuesday rejected allegations by Thai officials that it has used ancient temples and cultural heritage sites for military purposes, calling the claims unfounded and an attempt to distort information. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said statements by Prapas Sonjaidee, director of Thailand’s Joint Information Centre, and Phanombut Chantharachote, head of the Fine Arts Department, were aimed at shifting responsibility for damage to Cambodian heritage. Cambodia stressed it had never used cultural sites as military bases and reaffirmed obligations under international conventions, including the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Instead, it accused Thai military actions of damaging several sites, notably the Temple of Preah Vihear, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabey. The Ministry said Ta Moan Thom, Ta Krabey and K’nar temples remain under what it described as illegal Thai occupation, citing infrastructure projects, electricity supply, tourism and religious activities carried out without Cambodian authorization. It alleged archaeological objects from K’nar Temple had been removed to Thailand and demanded their return. The ministry said Thai attacks on Preah Vihear in July and December 2025 caused extensive damage, affecting 562 locations and scattering more than 70,000 fragments of temple stone, undermining years of restoration by Cambodian and international experts. Fighting forced more than 16,000 people to evacuate, with some still unable to return. Officials said the damage has been documented by national and international cultural experts. Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is used for conservation, research, worship and tourism, and Thai visitors themselves can see it is a cultural site rather than a military facility. Cambodia urged Thailand to withdraw forces from Ta Moan Thom, Ta Krabey and K’nar, return removed artefacts and respect international law and treaties. It said border disputes should be resolved peacefully through the Joint Boundary Commission and reiterated that cultural heritage sites must not be used for military purposes.