"The Cry for Justice Has Been Revealed": CMAC Director Hails UNESCO Report on Preah Vihear Destruction

PHNOM PENH, September 10, 2026 – The cry for justice for Preah Vihear Temple—the heritage of Khmer ancestors and a World Heritage site—has gradually been revealed, according to H.E Heng Ratana, Director of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC).

In a statement, H.E Heng Ratana thanked UNESCO-ICOMOS for releasing the assessment report on what he described as the most severe destruction and damage inflicted upon the temple. He revealed that CMAC's survey and assessment operations at the site found that Thai soldiers dropped aerial bombs and fired at 501 targets on the temple structure, damaging more than 560 locations.

H.E Heng Ratana stated that the attacks involved clear strategic planning, coordination, and command control, with the intent to destroy Preah Vihear Temple—one of the rarest and most poignant world heritages and ancestral legacies of the Khmer people.

"There is a firm hope that true justice will prevail for Preah Vihear Temple, and those who caused the destruction will strictly face punishment under international law, as well as bear the curse of the Khmer ancestors who built this Preah Vihear Temple as a heritage for mankind," he said.

— Source: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC)

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Reported by The Khmer Today