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Ancient Temple's War Scars: Border Dispute Erupts
13 Mar
Summary
- A thousand-year-old temple is damaged by artillery fire.
- Border disputes between Cambodia and Thailand led to clashes.
- Decades ago, the area was a dangerous Khmer Rouge stronghold.
The Preah Vihear temple, a millennium-old Cambodian sanctuary on a sheer cliff, now shows significant damage from artillery fire. Once a remote "stairway to heaven," its sandstone walls are pockmarked, and carvings destroyed, with warnings of unexploded ordnance along its causeway.
This architectural marvel, a former shrine to Shiva and later a Buddhist sanctuary, has been a source of tension between Cambodia and Thailand since colonial times. The International Court of Justice has affirmed its ownership by Cambodia.
Recent years saw devastating clashes between the two nations over their unresolved border, resulting in numerous casualties and widespread displacement. Decades prior, the region was a dangerous stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, leaving it littered with land mines.
