On January 22, 2026, the Ministry of Cults and Religion issued a statement protesting Thai military actions in building a Buddha statue at the exact site of the destroyed Vishnu statue in An Ses village, Choam Ksan commune and district, Preah Vihear province, describing the actions as encroachment.
The ministry’s protest over the Thai military’s installation of a Buddha statue, which it described as infringing Cambodian sovereignty, followed the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry’s January 21, 2026 press release protesting Thai armed forces’ activities in occupied areas.
The religion ministry said placing a Buddha statue at the site of the Vishnu statue destroyed by the Thai military in An Ses, Preah Vihear, violated Cambodian sovereignty and fundamental international-law principles prohibiting acquisition and occupation of territory by force. It said this also directly contradicted Thailand’s peaceful-settlement commitments under the July 28, 2025 ceasefire agreement, previous General Border Committee meeting minutes, the October 26, 2025 joint declaration on peace and peaceful dispute settlement, and the December 27, 2025 joint statement of the special General Border Committee meeting. Together these documents affirmed both sides’ obligation not to take unilateral measures.
The ministry therefore stated: “We ask the Thai military to sincerely respect the terms and spirit of the agreements, international law and its obligations under existing treaties and agreements.”
By: Nget Pisant
