‘Disrespectful act’: India on demolition of Vishnu statue at Thai-Cambodia border

India urged the two sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy, to resume peace and avoid any further loss of lives, and damage to property and heritage

Updated on: Dec 24, 2025, 22:27:04 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday described the demolition of a Hindu deity’s statue amid clashes on the Cambodia-Thailand border as a disrespectful act and urged the two Southeast Asian nations to return to dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution.

The demolition of the statue caused outrage online. (X/AnnQuann)

Cambodian officials have accused Thailand of destroying the statue of Vishnu in a disputed border area, after more than two weeks of military clashes between the neighbours. The statue, located about 100 metres from the border in the Cambodian border province of Preah Vihar and built in 2014, was toppled with an excavator by Thai military personnel on Monday.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to media queries on the demolition of the statue, saying the incident occurred in an area affected by the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.

“Notwithstanding territorial claims, such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place,” he said.

“Hindu and Buddhist deities are deeply revered and worshipped by people across the region, as part of our shared civilizational heritage.”

Jaiswal added, “We once again urge the two sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy, to resume peace and avoid any further loss of lives, and damage to property and heritage.”

The demolition of the statue caused outrage online.

The clashes stem from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800-km border between Cambodia and Thailand. Several ancient temple complexes are located in disputed areas.

Five days of fighting between the two sides in July killed dozens of people before the US, China and Malaysia brokered a ceasefire. The border conflict reignited in December, killing more than 40 people and displacing around a million.

Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia began talks on Wednesday after both sides agreed to resume the ceasefire.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.