The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has been ongoing for a long time. Military clashes have escalated recently along the border between the two countries. Despite numerous efforts to restore peace, the situation is worsening rather than improving. The most tragic aspect of this conflict is that the people’s religious beliefs and faiths are not being respected in the struggle for land control.
Thailand has been accused of bulldozing a giant statue of Hindu god Vishnu in the disputed border area during the more than two-week-long military conflict, news agency AFP reported.
Where and how was the statue broken?
Kim Chanpanha, a government spokesman for Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, said the statue was located entirely within Cambodian territory. According to him, the statue of Lord Vishnu was built in 2014 and was demolished with a bulldozer on Monday.
He said the statue’s location was about 100 meters from the Thai border. An AFP report, based on Google Maps data, said the statue was located about 400 meters inside the border, further strengthening the claim that it was in Cambodian territory.
“We strongly condemn the destruction of ancient temples and statues revered by Buddhist and Hindu devotees. This is not just the destruction of a statue, but an attack on people’s faith,” Kim Chanpanha said.