Preah Vihear Under Fire: Cambodia Sounds the Alarm Over the Destruction of a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has forwarded alarming reports on the massive destruction inflicted on the sacred site of the Preah Vihear Temple—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—to the United Nations agency, the World Heritage Committee, member states of the International Coordinating Committee for Preah Vihear (ICC–Preah Vihear), and the international community at large.

CMAC assessors conduct a damage assessment at the mountain-top Preah Vihear Temple after recent shelling struck the historic site

A millennia-old temple at the heart of the conflict

Built in the 11th century under the reigns of Khmer kings Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II, Preah Vihear stands atop a rocky spur of the Dângrêk Mountains, 525 meters above sea level. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, in his forms as Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, following a controversial ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 affirming Cambodian sovereignty, the site stretches 800 meters from north to south and features five gopuras, monumental staircases, and richly decorated galleries. Despite a long history of tension—civil wars, the Khmer Rouge era, and clashes in 2008–2011—the confrontations of 2025 represent an unprecedented escalation, involving air strikes and heavy artillery allegedly carried out by the Thai army.

A damning toll from the July attacks

From July 24 to 28, 2025, amid a border crisis triggered by incidents near disputed temples such as Ta Muen Thom, 142 locations within the Preah Vihear complex were hit, along with 42 surrounding areas including the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, public infrastructure, and the offices of the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV).

Nearby communities recorded damage in 60 localities—homes, schools, and pagodas—forcing 14,832 residents to flee, according to an official NAPV report released in October 2025. These destructions, documented through photographs and videos, illustrate the initial devastation of an offensive described by Phnom Penh as “unprovoked.”

Massive destruction in December: a site “almost entirely” devastated

The assaults carried out between December 7 and 27, 2025, during Thailand’s “Sattawat” operation involving drones, F-16 fighter jets, and artillery, magnified the damage “exponentially.” All gopuras (I to V), the connecting causeways, and the ancient northern staircase—restored over a decade—were severely damaged, with architectural structures losing their original form. During a mission on December 28, the NAPV collected evidence of targeted bombardment, abruptly halting international conservation work.

International restoration projects wiped out

Sino-Cambodian partnerships on gopuras I, II, and III now require entirely new studies, as the extent of the damage has rendered previous plans obsolete. Gopura V, part of a Cambodian-Indian project, has “largely collapsed,” while the northern staircase—under Cambodian-American cooperation—has seen both original and restored sections pulverized, along with the destruction of technical equipment.

These attacks have severely undermined national efforts and those of international partners, affecting inscriptions, buildings, and specialized conservation tools.

An urgent international appeal and a reminder of the law

The ministry is calling for immediate protection against further strikes, emergency measures to prevent additional deterioration, and comprehensive restoration efforts. It invokes the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Second Protocol, as well as international humanitarian law.

Accompanied by videos, NAPV reports, and documentation from the Cambodian Mine Action Centre on unexploded ordnance, the files underscore ongoing technical, diplomatic, and legal coordination in pursuit of “justice, protection, and restoration.” UNESCO had already issued an appeal in December 2025 to safeguard the site, pledging technical assistance as soon as conditions allow.