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'Was 100 metres inside ...' What India, Cambodia said on damage to Lord Vishnu statue
India said that such “disrespectful” act hurst the sentiment of followers of the deity around the world and urged Thailand and Cambodia to resolve conflict.
The alleged demolition of a statue of a Hindu deity on the Thailand-Cambodia border by the Thai Army has sparked outrage, with India on Wednesday voicing concern over the incident and Cambodian officials also condemning the same.
The statue, built in 2014, "was inside our territory in the An Ses area", news agency AFP quoted Kim Chanpanha, a Cambodian government spokesman in the border province of Preah Vihear, as saying. He said the demolition occurred on Monday about 100 metres (328 feet) from the border with Thailand.
A Google Maps search showed the statue's location was around 400 metres from the border line, the news agency reported.
"We condemn the destruction of ancient temples and statues that are worshipped by Buddhist and Hindu followers," Chanpanha was quoted as saying.
Also read: Cambodia slams demolition of Lord Vishnu statue by Thai army: ‘Was inside our territory’
India on Wednesday said such "disrespectful" acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, even as it urged both Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their border dispute through dialogue and diplomacy.
"We have seen reports on the demolition of a statue of a Hindu religious deity, built in recent times, and located in an area affected by the ongoing Thai-Cambodia border dispute," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"Hindu and Buddhist deities are deeply revered and worshipped by people across the region, as part of our shared civilizational heritage," Jaiswal said, responding to a media query on the issue.
"Notwithstanding territorial claims, such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place," he said.
Also read: ‘Hurt sentiments globally’: India reacts as Vishnu statue demolished at Thailand-Cambodia border
The long-standing border conflict between the two countries reignited this month, taking the lives of more than 40 people and displacing around a million, report said, citing official counts.
Both sides have blamed each other for instigating the conflict, along with accusations of attacking civilians. Cambodia has repeatedly claimed that Thailand has damaged temples along the border during the clashes. Thailand has claimed that Cambodia was positioning soldiers at the centuries-old stone structures.
