Cambodia has firmly rejected an allegation by the Thai foreign minister that the Temple of Preah Vihear is being used as a military base, invoking binding rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reaffirm its sovereignty over the World Heritage site and dismiss what it described as legally unfounded claims.
In a statement on February 27, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said it “categorically rejects” remarks attributed to Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and reported by The Nation Thailand, alleging that Cambodia had turned the ancient temple into a military installation.
“The Temple of Preah Vihear is a sacred cultural and religious monument of Outstanding Universal Value. It has never been designated, developed or used as a military base,” said the ministry.
The statement placed strong emphasis on international law, citing the ICJ’s 1962 judgment, which confirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the temple and ordered Thailand to withdraw any military or police forces from the area.
It also referenced the Court’s 2013 interpretation, which clarified that Cambodia’s sovereignty extends over the entire Preah Vihear promontory.
“These decisions are final and binding under Article 94 of the UN Charter, leaving no legal ambiguity,” the ministry said.
Cambodia, as a State Party to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 World Heritage Convention, reiterated its obligation to safeguard the monument for peaceful, cultural and religious purposes.
The ministry stressed that administration of the temple remains under civilian heritage authorities and that any security presence is strictly limited to protection.
“The presence of Cambodian authorities to protect cultural heritage cannot be mischaracterised as a military use of the Temple,” the statement said.
The ministry also recalled that from 1962 to 2008, the temple remained under peaceful Cambodian administration as a site of worship and pilgrimage.
It said tensions escalated in 2008 when Thai military personnel encroached upon surrounding areas, including Keo Kiri Svara Pagoda, based on what it described as a unilateral interpretation of boundary maps.
That move, it said, altered the status quo and led to armed clashes that damaged parts of the monument.
The statement alleged that renewed military operations by Thai forces along the border in 2025 resulted in armed confrontations and “unprecedented damage” to the temple and its surroundings, citing preliminary assessments by the National Authority for Preah Vihear and other Cambodian authorities.
It noted that the ministry is systematically collecting and preserving evidence relating to the reported attacks and resulting damage to support restoration efforts and ensure accountability under international legal frameworks, including international humanitarian law and conventions governing cultural property.
“Damage to a World Heritage Site is a matter of concern to the international community as a whole, transcending political disputes,” the ministry said.
Reaffirming its commitment to international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes, Cambodia warned that allegations undermining the ICJ’s binding judgments risk threatening regional stability.
“The sovereignty of Cambodia over the temple and its promontory has been definitively settled,” the ministry said, adding “The Temple of Preah Vihear is, and will remain, a monument of peace, culture and shared human heritage.”