(Phnom Penh): The National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV) expressed strong condemnation of the brutal and inhumane acts perpetrated by the Thai government and military, which invaded and attacked the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cambodia from July 24 to 28, 2025.

This invasion resulted in the destruction of 142 locations of the World Heritage Sites of Preah Vihear, along with 42 surrounding infrastructures, including Wat Keo Sikh Kiriswara, public facilities, and the NAPV office buildings. It has adversely affected 60 locations of communities surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple, including homes, schools, pagoda, and other public infrastructures, forcing the evacuation of 14,832 people from the area, according to a petition seen by Fresh News on Friday (Dec. 26).

The second invasion by the Thai military, which began on December 7, 2025, and continues to the present, has caused further severe damage to the Preah Vihear Temple, including the site of the Cambodia-India collaborative conservation and restoration project and each gopura structure of the temple.

The Thai military has escalated its aggression against Cambodia's territorial integrity and sovereignty through shelling and bombing from land, air, and sea, particularly by deploying F-16 and T-50TH fighter jets in various provinces bordering Cambodia and Thailand (Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Battambang, Koh Kong, and Siem Reap). They have advanced more than 90 kilometers into Cambodian territory, destroying homes, temples, civil infrastructure, religious statues, and heritage sites. This barbaric and inhumane conduct violates human rights, international law, and conventions dedicated to the protection of heritage, resulting in the loss of 30 innocent civilian lives and injuries to 87 others. The number of refugees has now exceeded 630,000, more than 50% of whom are women and children.

The National Authority for Preah Vihear called upon all countries that are parties to the 1954 and 1972 Conventions, as well as the international community, to join us in condemning the Thai military's flagrant aggression against Cambodia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The authority urged the Thai government to cease its destructive actions against Cambodian heritage and to seek a peaceful resolution in accordance with the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration.

The National Authority for Preah Vihear also pledge unwavering support for all prudent measures and decisions of the Royal Government of Cambodia in peacefully resolving the border dispute and protecting the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and lives of innocent Cambodian citizens.
=FRESH NEWS