Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and her delegation expressed shock and distress at extensive damage to the World Heritage temple of Preah Vihear. The Cambodian account attributes the destruction to earlier Thai military attacks and stresses that the heritage belongs to humanity.
The minister inspected and assessed damage from the July and December 2025 armed conflicts on March 20, 2026. She was accompanied by Preah Vihear Governor Kim Rithy, National Authority for Preah Vihear Director-General Kong Puthikar, APSARA National Authority Director-General Hang Peou and technical officials.
The minister added: “The damage and collapse seen with our own eyes are hundreds of times more extensive than the previous report prepared by the National Authority for Preah Vihear, which recorded 562 damaged locations.”
The Cambodian account stresses that all countries have a responsibility to protect cultural property under the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and that heritage should never be targeted.
The report lists 142 damaged locations from the July 2025 attacks and a further 420 following the December conflict. Damage extends from Poy Ta Di through Gopuras I–V, including the Indian cooperation project at Gopura V, the northern stairway restoration supported by the U.S. Embassy, and Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara. Written by Pai Sokhim.
