Synopsis: The government rejects Thailand’s territorial assertions regarding Khnar and Ta Krabey heritage sites and demands the immediate return of removed cultural artefacts.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has firmly rejected claims by Thai Culture Minister Sabida Thaised that Khnar and Ta Krabey Temples are located in Thai territory, insisting that both sites lie securely within Cambodia’s sovereign borders and that any artefacts removed from them must be returned.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the ministry responded to the remarks of Sabida, as reported by Thai media, stating that both temples had been registered as historic sites under Thai law. She said Thai authorities were responsible for protecting and preserving the sites and their antiquities, taking into account their historical, archaeological and cultural value.
The Cambodian ministry dismissed the claims as lacking any basis in international law and outlined five key legal arguments to support its stance.
It said Khnar and Ta Krabey Temples, along with several other border structures currently under unlawful Thai military control, were built by Khmer ancestors and are located entirely within Cambodian territory.
The ministry said this position was fully consistent with the 1:200,000-scale map produced through the boundary delimitation process between French Indochina and Siam under the 1907 Franco-Siamese Convention.
It added that Thailand had historically recognised and used the map, citing the 2003 Terms of Reference and various agreed technical records. The ministry also referred to International Court of Justice judgments in 1962 and 2013, saying the court had rejected Thailand’s challenges to the map’s legal effectiveness.
It noted that Thailand subsequently declared it no longer recognised the map’s validity following the 2025 border conflict.
The ministry added that even Thailand’s Series L7017 map, which it described as unilateral and lacking validity under international law, depicted the two temples as lying within Cambodian territory. Cambodia has consistently objected to this map.
It said that Thailand’s unilateral registration and management of the temples without Cambodia’s consent amounted to attempts to create a fait accompli on the ground.
The ministry noted that such administrative measures could not establish lawful ownership or override Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial title, which are grounded in historical maps, treaties, prior agreements and the principle of border stability.
It added that removing artefacts from the temple sites without Cambodia’s consent violated international legal norms and obligations concerning the protection of cultural property, including those under the 1954 Hague Convention, the 1972 World Heritage Convention and UNESCO instruments.
It said that such actions could alter the border environment, destroy technical evidence and change the original topography of the border region.
These activities contradicted Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, which established the Joint Boundary Commission framework for boundary surveys and demarcation, it said.
It said the actions risked heightening border tensions and undermining commitments by both countries to rebuild trust, particularly the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, and subsequent bilateral agreements.
The ministry expressed deep regret that Thailand’s Ministry of Culture was taking actions it said undermined mutual trust, neighbourly ties and respect for sovereignty, which are essential to restoring normal relations between the two nations.
It called on Thailand to immediately cease all unauthorised activities at Cambodian cultural heritage sites, return archaeological objects removed from Khnar Temple, and fully respect Cambodia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and cultural heritage.
