Cambodia Presses UNESCO to Act After Thai Military Fire Damages Preah Vihear Temple

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 11, 2025) — Cambodia has urged UNESCO and the international community to intervene after alleged cross-border fire by Thai military forces damaged parts of the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the countries’ disputed frontier.

Keo Remy, president of Cambodia’s Committee for Human Rights and the Committee to Foster Peace, criticized what he called a lack of international response to repeated incidents. He said UNESCO, with 194 member states, had been more vocal in past decades when cultural heritage sites came under threat.

“Despite repeated damage to World Heritage property caused by Thai soldiers, no experts or relevant institutions have stepped forward,” he said, adding that the ancient stones of the Khmer temple “are calling for help.”

On Sunday, Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts urged condemnation of what it described as “aggressive actions” by Thailand and the “continued destruction” of the Preah Vihear area. The ministry said the reported attacks violate the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention on protecting cultural property during armed conflict.

In a statement Monday, the ministry said Thai forces opened fire at around 5 a.m. on Dec. 8 in the An Ses area of Preah Vihear Province, with further fire reported toward Ta Morn Thom Temple and other border sites. By 7 a.m., the attacks had expanded to areas around Preah Vihear Temple itself, damaging a conservation building tied to the Cambodia–India Restoration Project at Gopura 5 and other preservation infrastructure.

Officials said the incidents followed days of “provocations” by Thai forces, including fire near Prorléan Thmor point in the temple’s tourist zone on Dec. 7. They warned the actions could undermine the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement.

The situation has forced the evacuation of conservation workers, guards, officials of the National Authority for Preah Vihear, and local residents.