Culture Minister: Preah Vihear Damage Far Worse Than Reported

Cambodia’s Culture Minister Phoeurng Sackona has sounded the alarm after inspecting the Preah Vihear temple, declaring the destruction inflicted by Thai military aggression in 2025 to be far more severe than previously documented.

During her visit on 20 March, Sackona was joined by Preah Vihear provincial governor Kim Rithy, senior officials from the Preah Vihear National Authority, and representatives of APSARA. Together, they surveyed collapsed structures and shattered stonework across the UNESCO World Heritage site.

“The damage and structural collapses observed directly are hundreds of times greater than earlier reports,” Sackona said, expressing deep shock at the scale of devastation. Initial assessments had recorded 562 damaged locations, but the Minister confirmed the true extent is far worse.

The temple, perched on the Cambodian-Thai border and long regarded as a symbol of Khmer heritage, was struck during clashes in July and December last year. Officials documented 142 instances of damage in July and a further 420 in December, affecting key areas from Poey Ta Di through Gopura I to Gopura V. Restoration projects supported by international partners — including India’s work at Gopura V and a US-funded staircase restoration — were also hit, alongside the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda adjacent to the temple.

Sackona stressed that cultural property must never be targeted in war, citing obligations under the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention. “All countries have an obligation to protect cultural property,” she said, underscoring Preah Vihear’s status as “a valuable asset of humanity.”

For Cambodia, the damage is not only architectural but deeply symbolic. Preah Vihear embodies centuries of history and spiritual identity. Its destruction is felt as a national wound, highlighting the urgent need for stronger international safeguards to protect heritage sites from the ravages of conflict.

-2026-03-23