Cambodia rejects accusations of ‘militarised’ temple; UNESCO not considering Thai allegations

Unexploded ordnance fired by the Thai military in December 2025. Supplied

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UNESCO has not considered the Thai accusation that the Preah Vihear temple site was being used by Cambodia as a military base. Nevertheless, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation reiterated on February 27 that the Preah Vihear temple site has never been employed for military purposes.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow shared the accusations with UNESCO director-general Khaled El-Enany this week, suggesting that Cambodia used the World Heritage site for military purposes.

However, this accusation was vehemently denied by the Cambodian foreign ministry, with a ministry spokesperson stating the temple is a sacred cultural and religious monument.

A ministry statement clarified that as a state party to the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention, Cambodia has always maintained a firm and full commitment to protecting and preserving the site and other cultural properties solely for peaceful, cultural and religious activities.

“The presence of Cambodian security forces to protect cultural heritage and to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty of the site cannot be interpreted as using the temple for military purposes,” said the statement.

“The management of this site remains under the responsibility of competent civilian heritage authorities, and any security arrangements at the site are strictly limited, defensive in nature, and proportionate to the needs of preserving and protecting the site,” it added.

The ministry suggested that the Thai Foreign Minister has attempted to portray Preah Vihear Temple as a military site, ignoring existing legal realities, and that doing so severely undermines international judicial authority and poses a danger to regional peace.

“Cambodia adheres to international law, the protection of cultural heritage, the peaceful resolution of disputes and cooperative engagement within the framework of ASEAN and the global community,” it said.

According to a report by Thai media outlet The Nation, despite Sihasak’s claims that Cambodia was using the site as a military base, El-Enany stated that UNESCO will not take sides and would remain neutral and encourage Thailand and Cambodia to engage in dialogue.

According to The Nation, El-Enany was more interested in how Preah Vihear Temple had been damaged and how restoration and rehabilitation could be carried out.

“Sihasak said UNESCO is interested in how the Temple of Preah Vihear was damaged during clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, and how restoration and rehabilitation would be carried out.

“UNESCO does not want to be involved in the issue of the site being used as an operations base, he added, but is considering sending a team to assess the extent of the damage,” reported the Thai outlet.

In December, the temple suffered heavy shelling and bombing by the Thai military, damaging the temple and its wider conservation area. The attack on the temple occurred after the Thai military attacked Ta Krabei Temple on December 8 and 9.

-Phnom Penh Post-
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