Cambodia Urges International Community to Continue Support for Preah Vihear Temple

Cambodia continues to urge the international community for sustained support in protecting the Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage site. This appeal was made by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, Republic of Korea. The Cambodian delegation, led by Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Dr. Pheung Sakuna, participated in the session, which took place from July 19 to 29, 2026. During the meeting, Cambodia expressed its appreciation for the international community's attention to Preah Vihear Temple following the armed conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border in 2025. This included the joint advisory mission by the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS in March 2026, at the invitation of the Cambodian government. However, Minister Pheung Sakuna informed the committee that armed clashes in July and December 2025 caused severe damage to the World Heritage site, impacting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), Integrity, and Authenticity. The temple's structures suffered heavy damage from direct attacks, while local communities remain displaced and unable to access sacred sites integral to their cultural heritage, traditions, religion, and identity. With support from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and other international partners, Cambodia has implemented numerous emergency measures, including demining, 3D documentation of the temple, protection of vulnerable structures, and cataloging architectural fragments to aid future conservation and restoration efforts. The Minister emphasized that these endeavors cannot be fully realized as long as threats to the site persist. The Cambodian delegation drew the committee's attention to the continued presence of Thai military forces in areas near Preah Vihear Temple, as well as other unilateral activities that affect Khmer cultural heritage within Cambodia's sovereign territory. These actions pose a risk of further damage and reflect an intention to create a fait accompli on the ground. Minister Pheung Sakuna called on Thailand to respect international law and seek peaceful solutions to border issues through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission, in line with the Joint Statement dated December 27, 2025. Furthermore, the Cambodian delegation requested the World Heritage Committee to closely monitor the situation at the site, continue supporting urgent conservation and restoration work, and reaffirm the importance of respecting international conventions on the protection of cultural heritage. Minister Pheung Sakuna stated that the tragedy befalling Preah Vihear Temple serves as a reminder to the international community that protecting World Heritage is tantamount to protecting peace, dialogue, and shared human responsibility. Source: AKP Khmer