Lawyers in Cambodia are urging the government to file a case against Thailand at the International Criminal Court, seeking compensation for damage to ancient Khmer temples during the latest border clashes.
A former prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, Kang Rithkiry, said attacks on historic Khmer temples by Thai forces amounted to war crimes and were a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. Writing on social media on Thursday, he described the destruction as deliberate and unlawful.
He said heavy shelling had almost destroyed Ta Krabey Temple and had caused partial damage to Preah Vihear Temple, both of which lie near the disputed border. According to Kang Rithkiry, Cambodia could pursue legal action either at the International Criminal Court or through domestic courts to hold those responsible to account.
He called on the Cambodian authorities to establish a dedicated war crimes tribunal and to begin investigations into those who ordered the attacks. He said responsibility would inevitably extend to senior Thai leaders, including the head of government, the defence minister, and top military commanders.
Kang Rithkiry said such legal action was necessary to prevent further violence, to uphold national and international law, and to expose Thai leaders to international scrutiny.
His comments come after Thai forces shelled Ta Krabey Temple and areas around Preah Vihear amid the ongoing border dispute with Cambodia.
Lazare Eloundou, Assomo, director of the World Heritage Centre at UNESCO, told a technical and plenary meeting on December 12 that the organisation was closely monitoring the situation. He said UNESCO was preparing to provide technical assistance and other measures to help protect Cambodia’s cultural heritage from further attacks.
The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk held its forty-first technical session and thirty-second plenary meeting over two days from December 11 to December 12, 2025. The meetings were co-chaired by France and Japan, with Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona in attendance.
On December 11, Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts issued a strong condemnation of the Thai military, accusing it of destroying Ta Krabey Temple and damaging Preah Vihear during the border clashes.
The ministry said the attacks constituted crimes against the heritage of humanity and were serious violations of the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention. It also called on Cambodians nationwide to mourn the loss of Ta Krabey Temple and to remember the destruction as part of the historical record of Thai military actions against Cambodia.
