Temple at centre of Thai-Cambodian dispute

7 Feb 2011, 8:04 pm   -   Source: AFP
1 Comments
Share This
+ Comment
1

Built atop a cliff in the 11th century to honour the Hindu god Shiva, the Preah Vihear temple is the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside of Cambodia's Angkor Wat.

Built atop a cliff in the 11th century to honour the Hindu god Shiva, the Preah Vihear temple is the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside of Cambodia's Angkor Wat.
  
Constructed under Cambodian King Suryavarman I during the 600-year-long Khmer empire, the temple ruins have largely withstood decades of war, but are again at the centre of a deadly border dispute with neighbouring Thailand.
  
French colonial surveyors in 1907 drew a map showing Preah Vihear temple perched along the Dangrek mountain range inside Cambodia.
  
Thailand does not regard that map as valid, arguing that an earlier agreement showed the temple alongside a Thai mountain.
  
Thai troops occupied Preah Vihear in the 1950s, but were forced to leave after the World Court in 1962 accepted Cambodia's ownership claim. Mass demonstrations in Thailand followed the ruling.
  
Preah Vihear's clifftop position gives it a defensive military advantage, and it is reportedly the last place in Cambodia to have fallen to Khmer Rouge forces in 1975 as they swept through the country, emptying cities to create their vision of an agrarian utopia.
  
In 1979, Thai officials forced some 40,000 Cambodian refugees fleeing civil war and the Khmer Rouge back into their country over the heavily-mined Preah Vihear area, causing an unknown number to die.
  
Preah Vihear temple was also the scene of the final surrender of several hundred remaining Khmer Rouge guerrilla forces in 1998.
  
The temple issue lay dormant for years until Cambodia managed to get Preah Vihear listed as a UN World Heritage site in July 2008, reigniting nationalist fervour on both sides.
  
Each side claims ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) area surrounding the ancient temple. Its main entrance lies in Thailand.
  
UNESCO deemed the site exceptional for its location on a plateau with sheer cliffs overlooking a vast plain and mountain range, its rare architecture and the religious function of the temple, and its carved stone ornamentation.
  
Since the World Heritage listing, both sides have engaged in occasional, sometimes deadly border clashes though not as heavy or prolonged as the current bout of violence.
  
In 2010, Cambodia built a new road to Preah Vihear, improving access to the crumbling but picturesque structure that Phnom Penh hopes to turn into a major tourist attraction.
  
The road also makes it easier for Phnom Penh to send troops and weapons to the border when tensions boil over.
  
Cambodia has accused Thailand of damaging the ancient stone temple in the latest unrest. Local sources have reported seeing shells scattered around the grounds and lodged inside temple walls.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Your Comments

message to ladyboy nation

Vannak - from Melbourne, 1 year

Thai are good at twisting ....moderated....they don't respect international law. Thai kill ten of thousands of innocent Khmer people in 1979 by pushing us down to land mines infested area at phnom Dang Rek close to Prasat Preah Vihear to release their anger of loosing the case at the international court of justice. I am the living witness to this barbaric act of Thai agreesion toward Khmer. they think they are superior but they are a real coward. Down Ah Kteuy nation.

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.