Culture Ministry Demands Thailand Return Artifacts, Respect Cambodian Sovereignty

Phnom Penh, October 27, 2026: Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has called on Thailand to immediately halt unauthorised activities at Cambodian heritage sites and return archaeological objects taken from K'nar Temple, rejecting Bangkok's claims over the temple areas as groundless under international law.

In a statement issued today, the ministry responded to remarks by Thai Minister of Culture H.E. Sabeeda Thaised published in Khaosod on Oct. 25, 2026, which claimed that K'nar and Ta Krabey temples are in Thai territory, that Thailand has listed them as national heritage under its domestic laws, and that it will not return artifacts removed from the sites because they were collected for study and conservation.

The ministry said the temples—and several others along the border now under unlawful Thai military control—were built by Khmer ancestors and lie within Cambodian territory, in full accordance with the 1:200,000 scale map produced under the spirit of the 1907 Franco-Siamese Convention. Thailand has long recognised that map, including through the 2003 Terms of Reference, and the International Court of Justice upheld its validity in 1962 and 2013, rejecting Thai challenges. Bangkok abandoned that recognition after launching the 2025 border conflict, the ministry noted.

It added that even Thailand's own unilaterally drawn Series L7017 military map, which carries no legal weight and contradicts the ICJ rulings, shows the temples inside Cambodian territory—evidence the ministry described as undeniable.


The ministry further rejected Thailand's heritage listing and claimed management rights as an attempt to create a fait accompli, stressing that such administrative steps create no lawful ownership and cannot override Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial title based on border stability, historical maps, treaties and prior agreements. It said the removal of artifacts from unlawfully occupied areas breaches the 1954 Hague Convention, the 1972 World Heritage Convention and UNESCO norms, and violates Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding by encroaching on the Joint Boundary Commission's sole authority over survey and demarcation on the ground.

Expressing deep regret over actions that erode trust and good-neighbourly relations, the ministry said such conduct fuels unnecessary border tension and undermines commitments including the Joint Statement of Dec. 27, 2025.

Cambodia urged Thailand to cease all unauthorised activities at Cambodian heritage sites, return the objects taken from K'nar Temple and fully respect Cambodia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and cultural heritage. It also called for the prompt resumption of Joint Boundary Commission work and the peaceful resolution of all outstanding border issues through dialogue and in line with international law and bilateral agreements.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts



Reported by The Khmer Daily Network