Preah Vihar and Muen Thom: The Hindu temples at the heart of Thailand-Cambodia clashes

Twelve people dead and counting… Military escalations between Thailand and Cambodia emerged on Thursday (July 24) with the Cambodian prime minister calling on the United Nations Security Council to convene an “urgent meeting” to “stop Thailand’s aggression.

On Thursday, the tensions between the two countries saw the use of fighter jets, landmines, and artillery fire. Thai authorities have even evacuated approximately 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border and said cross-border shelling from Cambodia struck residential areas, a hospital and a fuel station.

The situation has even led Thailand to close its border with Cambodia with Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesperson for Ad Hoc Centre for Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation, saying, “We have escalated the measures to level 4, which involves the complete closure of all border checkpoints along the Thai Cambodian border.”

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This is the latest chapter in the border dispute between the two nations that has dragged on for decades. In fact, this new fighting on Thursday began as both forces of both sides began firing at each other near the Ta Muen Thom temple. The ancient temples along the Thailand-Cambodia border have been friction points.

But what do we know of these temples? And why are both countries fighting over them?

Fighting erupts near Ta Muen Thom temple

On Thursday morning, intense fighting began between Thai and Cambodian troops at Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin Province along the border of the two countries. Reports state that a Cambodian drone was the trigger for the cross-border hostilities, which later escalated to rocket-fire exchange and airstrikes, involving F-16 jets.

According to Thailand, just after 07:30 local time, Cambodia’s military deployed drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops near the border. Soon after, Cambodian troops carrying RPGs gathered near the border. Soldiers on the Thai side attempted negotiations by shouting, but were unsuccessful. Finally, around 8.20, they began firing — even using heavy weaponry such as the BM-21 rocket launchers.

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However, Cambodia claimed that it was Thailand that violated their territorial sovereignty and launched an armed assault on Cambodian forces. “In response, the Cambodian armed forces exercised their legitimate right to self-defence, in full accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion and protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement.

In the ensuing violence, 12 people have died, and many others have been injured. It has also led to panic in the area, with Malaysia and China expressing concern over the situation.

About Ta Muen Thom, temple at the heart of the dispute

Thursday’s fighting erupted in the complex of the Ta Muen Thom Temple, which is an ancient Khmer-Hindu temple located near the Thai-Cambodian border in the Dangrek mountains. Believed to have been built under Khmer ruler King Udayadityavarman II’s, Prasat Ta Muen Thom, or “Great Temple of the Grandfather Chicken” in Khmer is dedicated to Lord Shiva and even houses a Shivling from a natural rock formation in its sanctum sanctorum.

Historians note that the temple was constructed around the 12th Century, making it older than its two companion temples, Prasat Ta Muen and Prasat Ta Muen Tot.

The temple is built from laterite, a durable red soil and notably, its main entrance faces south, which is unusual for Khmer temples that typically face east. The temple’s location is what has led to both sides fighting; it lies in an area where the boundary demarcation between Cambodia and Thailand is incomplete. Both countries claim the temple as their territory, leading to skirmishes between the two.

In fact, earlier in February, a group of Cambodian soldiers visited the temple area and began singing their national anthem. They were confronted by Thai soldiers stationed nearby. A video of the exchange, filmed by a Thai, surfaced online, showing a heated verbal exchange between the two sides.

Visitors are generally allowed in, but are not permitted to move more than a dozen or so metres beyond the boundary of the temple, and soldiers patrol the site at all times.

Thailand, Cambodia and disputes over temple

While today’s military hostilities occurred at Ta Muen Thom Temple, historically, Thailand and Cambodia have had disputes over other temples, such as the Shiva temple of Preah Vihear, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Muen Thom.

In May, a deadly clash erupted between the two countries claiming the life of at least one Cambodian soldier at the Preah Vihear temple.

That’s because these temples are located in contested area. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate.

In fact, the most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple area to Cambodia. Years later, in 2013, the court again ruled in favour of Cambodia. However, Thailand has rejected the court’s jurisdiction.

The Preah Vihear temple also located on a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and dates to the 11th century. Now, a Unesco world heritage site, it was built by the leaders of the Khmer Empire, firstly by King Suryavarman I (1002-50) and then expanded upon by Suryavarman II (1113-50).

It is made up of a series of sanctuaries known as “gopuras” and well-preserved elaborate stone buildings.

Today, the Preah Vihear temple is a popular tourist despite tensions; it attracts approximately 100,000 visitors annually.

With inputs from agencies