On the morning of Monday, April 6, 2026, at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, H.E. Heng Ratana, Delegate of the Royal Government in charge as Director General of CMAC, participated as a speaker in a round-table discussion forum under the theme "Damage to Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage Site." The purpose was to highlight the severe impacts caused by the armed conflict that occurred in 2025. This significant event was attended by representatives of the Preah Vihear National Authority and was moderated by the Club of Cambodian Journalists. Evidence of the use of various types of modern munitions fired upon the Preah Vihear temple area includes MK-82 aerial bombs, cluster munitions, chemical weapons or toxic smoke, and artillery shells of 105mm, 125mm, and 155mm calibers.

These attacks caused extensive damage to the ancient sandstone structures of the temple, particularly the causeway, foundations, walls, pillars, lintels, pediments, and the galleries of all five Gopuras. Beyond the damage to the temple structures, factual data revealed the massive scale of destruction caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO) across the site. The affected areas include 154.7 hectares of the Preah Vihear temple grounds itself and approximately 48,000 hectares of development zones and surrounding infrastructure. Through surveys, specialist teams discovered a total of 501 craters resulting from aerial bombs, artillery, and drones. Specifically, the conflict between July 24 and 28 created 78 craters, while the conflict between December 7 and 27, 2025, created up to 423 craters.

I informed journalists that this shelling was a clear and intentional act, as the weapons used were equipped with high-precision guidance systems. Furthermore, the temple is situated on a high, isolated cliff, which is a sacred site and not a battlefield. Currently, explosive remnants of war (ERW) remain a major concern for conservation efforts and community safety, particularly for the tourism sector. CMAC is collaborating closely with the Preah Vihear National Authority to clear safe paths and conduct demining to achieve "zero risk," aiming to ensure total safety for assessment experts and tourists visiting this World Heritage site in the future.

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