The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts today convened a critical meeting with representatives from the Embassies of the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China, Co-Chairs of the International Coordinating Committee for the Conservation and Enhancement of the Temple of Preah Vihear (ICC-Preah Vihear), and the Head of the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh to address the severe damage inflicted upon the Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding areas.
The meeting, held at the Ministry’s headquarters, was chaired by H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts.
The purpose of the urgent gathering was to inform the international community of the serious damage resulting from aggressive actions by the Thai armed forces, including the extensive use of heavy artillery and the dropping of bombs by F-16 fighter jets.
During the meeting, Minister Sackona expressed profound concern over the consequences of the armed clashes, which have caused significant and visible damage to essential parts of the temple. Specifically, Gopuras I, II, III, and V, as well as the core architectural structures of the site, have been impacted.
She emphasised that the Preah Vihear Temple is protected under several international conventions on heritage protection, most notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Minister Sackona strongly urged the Co-Chairs of the ICC-Preah Vihear and the UNESCO Representative in Phnom Penh to take immediate measures to safeguard the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This intervention is crucial given the further damage caused by the activities of the Thai armed forces.
In addition, Minister Sackona called upon UNESCO to activate its existing mechanisms and particularly its advisory bodies. This action is necessary to assess the full extent of the impacts and to include these findings in upcoming discussions of the World Heritage Committee.
