Regarding the Claims of the Thai Minister of Culture Concerning K’nar Temple and Ta Krabey Temple October 28, 2026
Regarding the Claims of the Thai Minister of Culture Concerning K’nar Temple and Ta Krabey Temple October 28, 2026
Cambodia PR Team Responses
Regarding the Claims of the Thai Minister of Culture Concerning K’nar Temple and Ta Krabey Temple
October 28, 2026
Q1: What is Cambodia’s stance on the Thai Minister of Culture’s claim that K’nar Temple and Ta Krabey Temple are located within Thai territory?
A: Cambodia categorically rejects this claim, affirming that K’nar Temple, Ta Krabey Temple, and several other temples situated along the Cambodia-Thailand border, currently under unlawful control by the Thai military, were constructed by Khmer ancestors and are located within the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in accordance with the 1:200,000 scale map that resulted from the demarcation works of the Commissions of Delimitation of the Boundary between Indo-China and Siam, produced in the spirit of the 1907 Franco-Siamese Convention. The Thai side has consistently recognized and adhered to this map, as evidenced in the 2003 Term of Reference (TOR) and various agreed-upon technical records. The validity of this map was affirmed and recognized by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in1962 and 2013, in which Thailand’s challenges to its effectiveness were rejected.
Q2: Can the registration of K’nar Temple and Ta Krabey Temple on Thailand’s national heritage list make these temples Thai property?
A: According to Cambodia’s position, the registration of temples on a national heritage list or administrative measures taken by one party cannot create legal rights over territory or alter the sovereignty of another country. Cambodia regards such actions as the unilateral creation of a fait accompli, which cannot replace the delimitation of the border in accordance with existing treaties, maps, and agreements.
Q3: What does Cambodia demand from the Thai side in order to resolve issues concerning the temples and protect cultural heritage?
A: Cambodia demands that Thailand immediately cease unauthorized activities at Cambodia’s cultural heritage sites and return archaeological objects removed from K’nar Temple. Cambodia also demands that Thailand respect Cambodia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and cultural heritage, and resume the work of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in order to peacefully resolve the remaining border issues in accordance with international law and relevant bilateral agreements.
