ICC-Preah Vihear seeks Thai strike data to aid explosive clearance
Culture minister Phoeurng Sackona examines the Preah Vihear Temple, which suffered extensive damage during last year’s border conflict. Supplied
The international committee overseeing the conservation of Preah Vihear Temple has requested information from Thailand on aerial bombardments and artillery fire to help clear explosive remnants of war (ERWs) and restore safety around the conflict-damaged World Heritage site.
The was made during the 11th Technical Session of the International Coordinating Committee for Preah Vihear (ICC-Preah Vihear), held in Siem Reap on September 30, according to a press release from the National Authority for Preah Vihear.
The committee sought firing directions and related data to guide mine and unexploded ordnance clearance in the temple and development areas. It also recommended that the authority identify and prioritise areas contaminated by explosive remnants from the armed clashes, including cluster munitions.
The request forms part of efforts to secure the site for Cambodian and international conservation teams, as authorities undertake emergency work to stabilise damaged structures and prevent further collapse.
“The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) cleared unexploded ordnance across approximately 70 hectares, discovering 730 items of ordnance on the surface and 247 buried, along with four drones. The operation also recorded 625 craters,” according to the release.
The meeting reviewed these clearance results alongside emergency conservation measures undertaken following recommendations from a UNESCO assessment and the committee’s March plenary session.
“The National Authority for Preah Vihear reported that it had collected, registered and stored 84,800 broken temple stone fragments and propped up high-risk structures at 23 locations,” the release stated.
It also installed stone movement monitoring devices at 50 sites, built protective roofs over four temple areas and restored nearly 250 metres of an ancient drainage system.
Despite that progress, the meeting identified urgent additional work needed to safeguard the temple, including emergency support for 25 more structures, a shelter to protect stored stone fragments from damage and loss, and further drainage improvements to divert water away from the site.
The emergency interventions were carried out with international partners, with funding support from UNESCO, the ALIPH Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture and the Cambodian government, noted the release.
The meeting was presided over by Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, alongside Chinese co-chair Li Qiaozhi, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Department of China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, and Indian co-chair Vijay Shankar Prasad, second secretary at the Indian embassy.
Representatives from Belgium, France, Japan, Thailand and the US were also in attendance.
Approximately 150 national and international researchers participated in person and online, alongside heritage experts and representatives of institutions including CMAC, the APSARA National Authority and the Sambor Prei Kuk National Authority.
During the session, the authority presented findings from an assessment conducted from March 1 to 6 by international World Heritage Committee and International Council on Monuments and Sites experts.
The assessment examined damage caused by armed conflict on July 24–28 and December 7–27, 2025.
According to the release, the conflict damaged 562 locations at the temple, affected infrastructure on the mountain and severely disrupted surrounding communities.
The committee expressed deep concern over the damage and stressed the need to ensure the safety of conservation teams so they could continue protecting the site’s Outstanding Universal Value.
Sackona reiterated that Preah Vihear must continue to serve its cultural and heritage functions, asserting that the area is not used, and has never been used, for military purposes.
She expressed her hope that the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Boundary Commission would resume its work to complete border demarcation peacefully, in accordance with agreements accepted by both countries and international law.
The minister called for approximately 20,000 displaced Cambodians to be allowed to return to their villages. According to the release, she attributed their continued inability to return to the ongoing occupation of Cambodian areas by Thai forces.
Alongside the Preah Vihear emergency work, the session reviewed conservation and research at Koh Ker, including the completed restoration of the Prasat Krahom tower and southern gate with ALIPH support, and ongoing projects at other structures.
The committee called on member states and national and international institutions to continue providing technical and financial assistance for the rescue and restoration of Preah Vihear, with the aim of preserving the temple’s authenticity, integrity and heritage value for future generations.
-Phnom Penh Post-
