A day after India voiced concern over the demolition of a statue of Lord Vishnu amid the Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, Thailand issued a statement saying that the site of the structure was not a registered place of worship and that the action was driven by security needs and area management.
A statement by the Thai-Cambodian border press centre read, “The actions were not intended to involve religion, beliefs, or disrespect any sacred entities, but were solely for the purpose of area management and security, following the Thai side's regaining control of areas under Thailand's sovereignty,” as per The Week.
India had called the alleged demolition a ‘disrespectful act’ after a statue of Lord Vishnu was allegedly destroyed by the Thai military on Monday after over two weeks of military clashes between the two nations.
How did Cambodia react to the demolition?
Earlier, Kim Chanpanha, a government spokesman in the border province of Preah Vihear, told AFP that the Vishnu statue was located within Cambodia's territory.
“The statue was in our area in the An Ses area,” said Chanpanha.
What Thailand said
Thailand, however, in its statement, reportedly claimed the ‘symbols’ (statue) were erected by Cambodian soldiers to illegally claim sovereignty over Thai territory.
“Following the operation on December 22, 2025, the Thai army successfully recaptured the Chong An Ma area. Subsequently, army engineers dismantled the Hindu deity statues near the casino, which the Thai side viewed as symbols erected by Cambodian soldiers to illegally claim sovereignty over Thai territory,” the statement read.
Thailand-Cambodia border clashes
The controversy surrounding the demolition of the Vishnu statue comes amid the recent wave of fierce border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which killed at least 86 people, according to Reuters.
Military officials from the two strife-torn nations began talks on Wednesday, both countries said, days after the neighbours agreed to discuss resumption of a ceasefire after 16 days of fierce border clashes.
Talks are due to run until Saturday and Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri reportedly said that Bangkok was "very hopeful that the meeting will have positive outcomes".
The clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have their roots in a long-running territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the fresh fighting since 7 December and traded accusations of attacks on civilians, after five days of clashes in July killed dozens.
