MEA urges protection for Preah Vihear Hindu Temple amid Cambodia-Thailand conflict

NEW DELHI: Taking note of damage to conservaton facilities at Cambodia due to the ongoing conflict with Thailand, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday called for protecting the Hindu temple and UNESCO World Heritage site Preah Vihear, urging both sides to “exercise restraint and to take measures for cessation of hostilities and prevention of further escalation.”

In response to media queries regarding damage to conservation facilities at Preah Vihear, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen reports regarding damage to conservation facilities at Preah Vihear during the ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border clashes. Any damage to conservation facilities is unfortunate and is a matter of concern.”

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Preah Vihear temple is a shared cultural heritage of humanity. India has been closely involved in its preservation and sincerely hopes that all measures will be taken to fully safeguard the site and related conservation facilities, read an official statement from the ministry.

The statement comes amidst reports of escalating tensions between Thailand and Cambodia on the border that began on December 10 with artillery and rocket attacks against civilians. As per local media reports, each side has blamed the other for the attacks.

“We once again reiterate our appeal to both sides to exercise restraint and to take measures for cessation of hostilities and prevention of further escalation. We urge them to return to the path of dialogue and peace,” the MEA spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, UNESCO has also urged urgent protection for the Hindu temple, expressing strong concern over the renewed tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

The Paris-headquartered UN body further reminded all parties of their obligations under international law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

“UNESCO will continue to monitor the situation of cultural heritage in the region, with a view to ensuring its protection,” the organisation said.
UNESCO said it stands ready to provide technical assistance to safeguard cultural property and implement emergency protection measures “as soon as conditions allow”.

The two countries have disputed their land border since a 1907 map drawn by France, then the colonial administrator in Cambodia. According to the map, the temple was located in Cambodia. Although the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia, tensions flared again in 2008 when Cambodia sought UNESCO World Heritage status for the temple, leading to years of sporadic clashes.

Cambodia approached the ICJ in 2011, following several military clashes that killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the 2013 ruling.

A central part of the dispute has been competing claims of ownership of the ancient Hindu temples of Prasat Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear.

The Preah Vihar temple was built in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Khmer Empire, which governed most of South Asia, including Siam, the name Thailand was known as earlier. (ANI)