Border Conflict: Beneath the Preah Vihear Temple, the Silent War Over Mineral Resources

In the steep cliffs of the Dangrek Mountains in Preah Vihear province in northern Cambodia, there is far more than an ancient Khmer temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beneath its rugged terrain, deposits of gold, iron, copper, and precious stones have fueled decades of desire and tension.

While Phnom Penh intensifies mining through new licenses, recent border incidents with Thailand fuel suspicions of economic motives behind the scenes. Between ancestral Khmer heritage and contemporary geostrategic appetites, Preah Vihear illustrates the paradox of mineral wealth trapped by regional geopolitics.

An Exceptional Geological and Historical Heritage

The Preah Vihear sanctuary, an architectural masterpiece from the 10th century, was built from exceptionally pure quartzitic sandstone (95–99% SiO₂). But it is in the surrounding hills of the Dangrek where Khmer mining history takes on its full scope. According to doctoral thesis SORUL040 (Royal University of Laos, 2025), the region already housed, between the 9th and 14th centuries, a vast metallurgical complex spanning 400 to 600 km², centered on Phnom Dek — literally “the Iron Mountain.”

Excavations in Chhaep uncovered a copper extraction pit of about 300,000 m³, associated with medieval smelting workshops. French geologist Olivier Dottin identified gold deposits at Phnom Lung, where native gold reaches more than 90% purity — one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia.

A study published in Heritage Science (2017) confirms the existence of a triple construction phase of the temple, closely linked to regional mineral exploitation. Geological maps from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) also record geochemical anomalies in gold and silver in the Rovieng district. Databases like Mindat.org also list the presence of yellow sapphires, peridots, hematite, and zircons.

Economic Potential: Gold and Iron at the Forefront

The Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) estimates about 5 to 6 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore (up to 96% Fe₂O₃) in the Phnom Dek area. Auriferous deposits in Otakheav, Phnom Bak, and Ondong Barang have been preliminarily evaluated since 2015.

Companies such as DELCOM Campuchea already exploit the site, producing about 340 kg of gold per year — representing more than $0.6 million in tax royalties. Global Green holds a 28,000-hectare iron concession contiguous to the Prey Lang forest, one of the country’s ecological lungs, while Nop Sidara Resources is interested in copper at Thalaborivat (20,400 ha).

MME Notification No. 018 of 2020 opened some 200 km² more to prospecting. In 2013, already 26 mining companies operated in the Rovieng district. Gemstones complement this extractive panorama, especially deep blue sapphires and thermally treated zircons — an activity still dominated by Pailin but expanding in Preah Vihear. According to official data, national gold production reached about 13 tonnes in 2024, with a significant share coming from this province.

Joint Sino-Cambodian investments, encouraged by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), stimulate the sector. However, environmental fallout — mercury pollution, intense deforestation, and illegal mining — raises local concerns, despite control operations conducted since 2014 by authorities.

Resources and Border Tensions: The Geo-Economics of the Conflict

Since the historic verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 awarding the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia, relations with Thailand have experienced recurring upheavals. The clashes in 2008, 2011, and the armed incident of July 2025 all concern the same 4.6 km² contested border strip.

Although the official motives cited are heritage-related, several analyses — including Lessons from Preah Vihear (University of Chulalongkorn, 2011) — speak of “low-intensity conflicts with economic drivers.” Recent publications suggest that the Thai “incursion” of July 25, occurring not far from DELCOM’s gold concessions, could be linked to a desire to secure access to promising mineral resources.

Adding to this is a painful memory: the “Dangrek genocide” of 1979, when Khmer refugees were pushed back by Thai troops on these same mineral-rich heights. The heights of Preah Vihear offer a dual strategic advantage: military control of the plateau and direct access to mineralized areas. While there is no concrete evidence linking recent incursions to mineral greed, Phnom Penh, for its part, strengthens the presence of its Chinese partners to secure its most sensitive concessions.

Outlook: Between Economic Promise and Strategic Uncertainty

Mining growth in Preah Vihear represents a potential boon for the Cambodian economy: increased royalties, progressive industrialization, and greater attractiveness for foreign direct investment. The government plans to open up to 455 km² more to prospecting.

But these ambitions face several obstacles: environmental degradation in the Prey Lang area, administrative delays, and a climate of border instability. If regional settlement mechanisms manage to pacify the zone, Preah Vihear could become a truly integrated extractive hub, reconciling historical heritage and sustainable mining development. For now, the thousand-year-old temple watches over a coveted land where gold attracts as much interest from investors as bloody disputes between neighboring nations

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Sources : Ministère cambodgien des Mines et de l’Énergie (MME), JICA, UNESCO, Heritage Science (2017), Cambodia Mag (2025), Chulalongkorn University, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mindat.org.