Laos/Nam Penh33 minutes ago
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Thai soldiers demolished the idol of Lord Vishnu with the help of bulldozers on 22 December.
The Thai army broke a statue of Lord Vishnu on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. According to Asianet News report, Thai soldiers demolished the statue by using bulldozers. The incident is said to have happened on Monday, December 22.
Cambodia expressed displeasure over this, saying that the statue was in its territory, which was pulled down illegally by Thailand. The height of the statue is said to be 30 feet.
Kim Chanpanha, a government spokesman for Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, said the statue was erected in 2014 about 100 meters from the border with Thailand.
India has expressed concern over reports of the statue being vandalized. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday said that insulting religious symbols hurts the sentiments of devotees around the world and such actions should not happen.
Watch the video of statue demolition here…
Conflict between Thailand and Cambodia continues for 6 months
There is a dispute going on between Thailand and Cambodia for the last 6 months regarding the area of Preah Vihar Temple. There was also a war between the two countries in June. However, the ceasefire was ended after Trump’s mediation.
But controversy flared up once again in December. So far, more than 40 people have died in the conflict, while more than 10 lakh have had to flee.
Know the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand…
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is 118 years old. Its center is the ancient temples like Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, which are located very close to the border of the two countries.
In 1907, when Cambodia was under France, an 817 km long border was drawn between the two countries. Thailand protested because the map showed the Preah Vihear temple as part of Cambodia. Ta Muen Thom temple shown in Thailand, which Cambodia claims as its own.
This dispute reached the International Court in 1959. In 1962 the court recognized Preah Vihear Temple as part of Cambodia. Thailand accepted the decision, but claims to surrounding land continue to this day.
Historically too, there has been a long-running conflict between the Khmer Empire (Cambodia) and the Siam Empire (Thailand) over boundaries and sphere of influence, the effects of which are visible till today.
Know why war broke out between Thailand and Cambodia
There was a clash between the armies of the two countries at the Emerald Triangle on May 28, in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. This is the place where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet. Both Thailand and Cambodia claim this area.
According to the Cambodian army, Thai soldiers had surrounded the Ta Muen Thom temple near the border area and placed barbed wire around it. After this, Thai soldiers released the drone and fired in the air.
At the same time, according to the Thai Army, Cambodian soldiers started the conflict first. Thailand tried to reduce tension through talks, but when things did not work out, firing started.
Cambodia’s claim on Ta Muen Thom temple
Ta Muen Thom Temple falls in a part of the border between the two countries which is not properly determined. This is the reason why both the countries claim it.
It is located on the Thai side, but Cambodia claims it to be its historical part, as it was built during the Khmer Empire.
The Khmer Empire was a powerful and influential civilization in Cambodia that lasted from the 9th to the 15th century. This empire ruled over Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and parts of Vietnam.
At the same time, Thailand claims that the temple may belong to Cambodia but it has rights over the land around it.
The armies of both the countries regularly patrol around this temple, due to which clashes often occur here. This time the clash also took place near this temple.
Preah Vihear Thailand’s claim on the temple
There is a lot of dispute between the two countries over Preah Vihear Temple. Thailand continued to try to control this temple, after which Cambodia took the matter to the International Court in 1959.
In the year 1962, the court ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia. The court ordered Thailand to withdraw its troops. Thailand then accepted it, but continued to dispute the surrounding land.
Controversy increased over inclusion in heritage site
This controversy increased further in 2008 when UNESCO included this temple in the World Heritage Site. After the temple was recognized, clashes started again between the armies of the two countries and in 2011, the situation worsened so much that thousands of people were forced to leave their homes.
In 2013, the court clarified its old decision and said that not only the temple, but also the area around it belongs to Cambodia. Also, Thailand was asked to completely withdraw its army from there. However, the border issue has not been completely resolved yet.
PM’s chair went to resolve the dispute
After the dispute between the two countries escalated, on June 15, Thailand’s PM Paitongtarn Shinawatra spoke on phone with Cambodia’s leader Hun Sen. In this conversation he criticized the Thai Army Commander. This is considered a serious matter in Thailand, because the military has a lot of influence there.
After this conversation was leaked, anger spread across the country. After this the court removed the PM from the post. However, Pyitongtarn apologized and said that his comment was only to resolve the dispute, but it was of no use.
Pyitongtarn Shinawatra answering media questions after stepping down from the post of PM. The picture is of July 1, 2025.
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