Cambodia Seeks UNESCO Review of Damage to Preah Vihear Temple

Cambodia Seeks UNESCO Review of Damage to Preah Vihear Temple

Phnom Penh, 12 January 2026 — The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia has formally submitted Damage Assessment Reports to UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee, ICC–Preah Vihear Member States, and the international community concerning serious damage to the Sacred Site of the Temple of Preah Vihear, a property inscribed on the World Heritage List.

The assessments document damage resulting from artillery and aerial attacks conducted by Thai military forces during the periods 24–28 July 2025 and 7–27 December 2025. The latter attacks caused extensive and unprecedented destruction to nearly all major architectural components of the temple, including original structures, restored elements, inscriptions, and associated conservation infrastructure.

The Ministry further reported the complete destruction of conservation facilities and equipment supporting internationally coordinated restoration projects, significantly impairing ongoing conservation work and future technical planning. Civilian communities surrounding the World Heritage property also sustained damage, resulting in the forced displacement of thousands of residents.

Cambodia has called upon UNESCO and the international community to support urgent protective and emergency conservation measures and to ensure respect for international legal obligations, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, its Second Protocol (1999), and relevant principles of international humanitarian law.

The Ministry reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to continued documentation, international coordination, and the pursuit of legal, diplomatic, and technical remedies to ensure the protection, restoration, and safeguarding of the Temple of Preah Vihear.