On March 20, 2026, Her Excellency Academician Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, led a mission to inspect and assess the structural damages at Preah Vihear Temple caused by armed conflicts in July and December 2025. The inspection was joined by H.E. Kim Rithy, Governor of Preah Vihear Province, H.E. Kong Puthikar, Director General of the National Authority for Preah Vihear, H.E. Hang Peou, Director General of the APSARA National Authority, and various technical experts.
During the mission, Her Excellency the Minister and the entire delegation expressed profound shock and deep sorrow over the immense destruction inflicted upon the Preah Vihear World Heritage Site, which belongs to all of humanity. “The fractures and destruction observed firsthand are hundreds of times more extensive than the previous damage reports prepared by the National Authority for Preah Vihear, which had initially recorded a total of 562 damaged locations,” the Minister emphasized. She further stated that all nations have a duty to protect cultural property, and heritage sites must never be targets of attack under any circumstances, in accordance with the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
It is noted that Preah Vihear Temple sustained damage at 142 locations during the armed attacks in July 2025, with an additional 420 locations damaged following December 2025. This destruction spans from the Pei Ta Daed cliff and the 1st Gopura through to the 5th Gopura. The impact includes the Indian cooperation project site at the 5th Gopura, the northern staircase restoration site (funded by the U.S. Embassy), and significant damage to Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvara.
