Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson issued a statement on February 27 firmly rejecting recent allegations by a senior Thai diplomat, circulated by Thai media, that Cambodia had used Preah Vihear Temple as a military site.
Cambodia said Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage site of outstanding universal value, was a sacred cultural and religious monument that had never been planned, developed or used for military purposes. The statement said Cambodia remained firmly and fully committed to protecting the site and its cultural property solely for peaceful, cultural and religious activities.
The statement said the presence of Cambodian security personnel to protect cultural heritage and sovereignty could not be interpreted as military use of the temple. Management remained with the competent civilian heritage authority, and security arrangements at the site were strictly limited. It argued that attempts to depict Preah Vihear as a military site ignored existing legal facts, seriously undermined the authority of the international court and endangered regional peace.
The spokesperson reiterated that Preah Vihear was and would remain a temple of peace, culture and shared human heritage, rather than a site for military use, and that protecting the World Heritage site was a shared responsibility of the international community.
By: Nget Pisant.
