It’s been three months since a ceasefire ended bitter border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, but signs of combat are deeply carved into the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountain range.
The neighbouring Southeast Asian countries have disputed the site on and off for decades, putting the ancient holy site at risk. Built by the same Khmer Empire that constructed Angkor Wat 160 kilometres to the southwest, Preah Vihear was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 and is held as an important cultural relic by Cambodians. After two rounds of heavy fighting last year, much of the structure is damaged and Cambodian officials say parts may be in danger of collapse.
Where tourists once admired the weather-beaten carvings and a sweeping view over the Cambodian plains, there is now stone debris, artillery craters and scorched vegetation. “The temple has turned quiet, and its beauty looks so sorrowful because of the tragedy,” said Hem Sinath, archaeologist and deputy director-general of the National Authority for Preah Vihear.
The site is closed to visitors because of unstable walls and concern about unexploded ordnance. Areas are roped off and dotted with signs warning of landmines, a hazard Cambodians know well after decades of civil war. Conservation staff, groundskeepers and troops remain stationed in and around the temple, from which Thai soldiers can be seen just across the border.
A damage assessment issued in January by Cambodia’s Culture Ministry said all five of the temple’s notable gateway pavilions were hit, three almost beyond recognition. An ancient northern staircase previously restored by a US-funded conservation project sustained severe damage from repeated bombardment. The Culture Ministry’s statement said the temple suffered damage in 142 locations during the July clashes and at 420 more sites during heavier combat in December. Hem Sinath warned experts expect some weakened structures could collapse during the upcoming rainy season. No independent outside evaluations of the damage are available.
Cambodian officials charged that Thai forces deliberately attacked the temple. Information Minister Neth Pheaktra accused the Thai military of relying on false information to justify incursions and of damaging the site, writing that “Preah Vihear temple belongs to all humankind. It is not an enemy of Thailand.” International law forbids attacks on important historical sites, but Thailand contends that Cambodia militarised the temple — installing weapons systems, storing ammunition and using the site for surveillance — thereby voiding its wartime protection. Thailand also said a tall construction crane at the site was part of a military command-and-control system and was targeted. Thai Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said Thai forces struck military targets only.
Cambodia denies using the temple militarily, with its Culture Ministry saying the site is under civilian control and any security forces present were there only to protect the cultural heritage. Each nation blames the other for starting the July and December clashes. Cambodia reported more than 640,000 people were displaced from border regions during the fighting, and almost 37,000 have yet to return home.
The temple, known as Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been the focus of a long-standing boundary dispute since the 1950s. In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled the temple and a surrounding area of less than five square kilometres belong to Cambodia; the court reaffirmed that ruling in 2013. For years the site drew visitors from both sides of the border, with many foreign tourists arriving via Thailand before the border was closed. UNESCO’s 2008 designation as a Cambodian heritage site provoked strong reactions in Thailand, and heightened nationalism has fuelled sporadic armed clashes at the temple, notably in 2008 and 2011.
Restoration will be a major challenge. Hem Sinath fears weakened structures could collapse during the rainy season, which normally begins in late May or early June and runs through October. India, China and the United States have taken part in past renovation efforts, but funding has been on hold since the recent fighting. Hem Sinath said urgent projects to prevent further deterioration are being impeded by safety concerns and the fragile ceasefire. “We have a plan; we want to do a repair — the sooner the better, but as you see, it depends on the situation along the border,” he said.
