Wat Preah Vihear: disputed and endangered

Sophomoric saber-rattling on the part of Thailand and Cambodian politicians has escalated to military forces battling over a 4.6 square kilometer patch of disputed territory has damaged the historic 11^th century Preah Vihear temple (also known as Khao Phra Viharn), according to Thai army sources reported in the Bangkok Post.  This small patch of earth has been claimed by both countries for years, and recently several skirmishes have brought the conflict back onto the front pages of Cambodian and Thai newspapers.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has attempted to cool down various powerful Thai political and military influences, who are bent on causing a war to further their own interests. The yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy, who closed down Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport two years ago, are claiming that Cambodian encroachment in the disputed territory causes Thailand to lose face, and that Thai military muscle must be used. Because Abhisit has taken a more measured stance in solving the problem, yellow shirts are calling for an end to his role in government, and are staging large protests in Bangkok. As of this writing, the protests have been peaceful and non-disruptive to daily life.

Where will all this lead? The temple is in the process of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so the world’s eyes are on the temple. People in nearby villages have been killed in the past week by artillery. As Cambodia and Thailand play a “he said-she said” game over who fires each first daily volley, the fate of this important historical temple and the people who live near it is deeply in question.