An inspection of the Preah Vihear temple originally slated for late November has been pushed forward to next week, after recent clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces led to minor damage to one of the temple’s staircases and statues.
Cambodia, UN seek to protect border temple
AP, 28 October 2008
Cambodian and U.N. officials plan to visit a historic temple near the border with Thailand to highlight the need to safeguard the site after it was damaged in an armed clash with Thai troops, an official said Tuesday.
The visit to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple — which was designated a World Heritage site by the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, in July — will take place on Nov. 7, said Phai Siphan, a spokesman for Cambodia’s Council of Ministers.
He said the trip was originally planned for late November but has been moved up following an Oct. 15 clash between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over disputed border territory near the temple.
