Cambodia’s Culture Ministry strongly condemned what it described as Thai military destruction of the wooden stairway to Khnar temple, built by Cambodian authorities in 2017 for heritage conservation and public access. It also protested Thai religious, tourism and ticket-sales activities at Ta Krabei temple.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts’ June 5 statement said the destroyed stairway had 1,181 steps and was 325 metres long. It called the act serious, deliberate damage to cultural heritage and an attempt to change conditions on the ground, contrary to international principles and states parties’ obligations to protect cultural heritage.
The ministry also rejected and protested Thai plans for religious ceremonies, tourism and ticket sales at Ta Krabei, asserting that Ta Krabei and Khnar temples lay within Cambodian sovereignty under treaties and international law. It called such Thai activities an unlawful exercise of authority on Cambodian territory and a serious violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, unacceptable to Cambodia and liable to cause confusion. It urged Thailand to stop all activities affecting Cambodian heritage and sovereignty immediately, saying Cambodia would continue protecting territorial integrity and seeking peaceful legal and diplomatic solutions.
By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
