Preah Vihear Damage Casts Shadow Over 18th UNESCO Anniversary as PM Vows Restoration

Preah Vihear Damage Casts Shadow Over 18th UNESCO Anniversary as PM Vows Restoration

Prime Minister Hun Manet has pledged to restore the heavily damaged Preah Vihear Temple and strengthen the protection of Cambodia’s border heritage sites, saying the destruction inflicted during Thai military aggression last year represents not only a national tragedy but also a loss to humanity.

In a message marking the 18th anniversary of Preah Vihear Temple’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Mr Hun Manet said the temple suffered 526 points of severe damage during Thai military aggression in July and December 2025, undoing nearly two decades of conservation efforts.

“This is a tremendous loss not only for Cambodia but also for the heritage of all humanity.”

Despite pursuing peaceful solutions through international law and existing bilateral mechanisms, Mr Hun Manet said the armed conflict had caused extensive damage to several cultural heritage sites, including the iconic hilltop temple.

He said the Royal Government has already begun emergency conservation measures in cooperation with UNESCO, the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Preah Vihear (ICC-Preah Vihear), and other national and international partners.

According to the Prime Minister, the measures include comprehensive damage assessments, requests for international conservation experts, the clearance of unexploded ordnance and cluster munition remnants, the emergency stabilisation of vulnerable structures, and the recovery and preservation of fallen sandstone blocks scattered throughout the temple complex.

“The Royal Government remains fully committed to restoring and conserving Preah Vihear Temple, transforming this painful experience into another symbol of Khmer unity and resilience,” he said.

Mr Hun Manet’s message coincides with the 18th anniversary of UNESCO’s inscription of Preah Vihear Temple on 7 July 2008 in Quebec, Canada, a milestone widely regarded as one of Cambodia’s most significant diplomatic achievements in protecting its cultural heritage.

He described the temple as a sacred legacy inherited from the Khmer ancestors and a lasting testament to Cambodia’s sovereignty.

Constructed between the 9th and 12th centuries and dedicated to Lord Shiva, Preah Vihear Temple stretches more than 800 metres along a dramatic mountain ridge and is renowned for its distinctive Khmer architecture, sandstone stairways and intricate carvings.

-Khmer Times-