India has expressed concern over reports that conservation facilities at the Preah Vihear temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged amid renewed border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. The 11th-century Shiva temple, perched on a cliff at the edge of the Dangrek mountain range, is noted for its alignment along an 800-metre axis and intricate stone carvings. Its remote location has helped preserve it, but periodic skirmishes along the border have exposed the site to collateral harm.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said any harm to conservation infrastructure was “unfortunate” and “a matter of concern,” noting India’s long-standing role in preservation work at Preah Vihear. Calling the temple a shared cultural heritage of humanity, he said New Delhi hoped measures would be taken to fully safeguard the site and related facilities, and urged both sides to exercise restraint, halt hostilities, and return to dialogue.
UNESCO on Thursday voiced “strong concern” over tensions near the temple, reminded parties of their obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for protecting cultural property in armed conflict, shared geographic coordinates of World Heritage and nationally significant sites with the parties, and said it stood ready to provide technical assistance when conditions permit.
