AKP Phnom Penh, July 26, 2025 -- Cambodian Minister of Tourism H.E. Huot Hak has sent a letter to H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, informing him of the Thai military aggression and urging him to condemn Thailand for turning the cultural tourism site of Preah Vihear Temple into a war zone.

“It is with profound concern and deep regret that I hereby inform Your Excellency of the serious damage inflicted upon the sacred and historic Preah Vihear Temple-a UNESCO World Heritage Site caused by a recent premediated and deliberated military aggression from the Thai armed forces, including the use of heavy artillery and the dropping of bombs by F-16 fighter jets,” he wrote in his letter dated July 25. 

Despite Preah Vihear Temple's status as a protected heritage monument and its symbolic significance as a testament to Southeast Asia's ancient civilisation and architectural genius, it has regrettably suffered considerable structural harm and visible damage to essential parts of the temple, particularly Gopuras I, II, III, and V, as well as to the core architectural structures of the site, he pointed out.  

It was emphasised that the Preah Vihear Temple is protected under several international conventions on heritage protection, especially the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, H.E. Minister added.

The Ministry of Tourism views this incident as a serious impediment to cultural tourism and regional harmony, and a serious harm to the safety of tourists, he said, underlining that the temple has long been a cherished destination for both domestic and international visitors, and this unfortunate aggression undermines efforts to promote peaceful cross-border tourism and shared cultural preservation.

“In this regard, Cambodia would like to respectfully appeal to the UN Tourism to express solidarity with the Royal Government of Cambodia in condemning the recent acts of violence against this world cultural heritage committed by the Thai side,” H.E. Huot Hak concluded.

By C. Nika