Thailand has issued a clarification after India expressed concern over the demolition of a Lord Vishnu statue near the Thailand-Cambodia border, asserting that the structure was not a registered religious site and that the action was linked to security considerations.
Videos circulating online purportedly showed the Vishnu statue, built in 2014, being pulled down using a backhoe loader by Thai military personnel in the disputed border region earlier this week.
HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of this video.
Responding to the backlash, the Thai-Cambodian border press centre said the demolition was “not intended to involve religion or beliefs” and was carried out purely for area management and security after Thai forces regained control of the territory, according to a report by The Week.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to the backlash, the Thai-Cambodian border press centre said the demolition was “not intended to involve religion or beliefs” and was carried out purely for area management and security after Thai forces regained control of the territory, according to a report by The Week.
{{/usCountry}}Thai authorities further stated that the statue was a later installation and did not have official recognition as a religious site, adding that its removal was meant to prevent symbols that could heighten tensions along the sensitive border, the report stated.
According to the Thai side, the statue stood in the Chong An Ma area along the disputed frontier and was viewed by Thailand as a marker erected by Cambodian soldiers to assert sovereignty over Thai-claimed land, the report added.
Thailand also emphasised that it respects all religions equally, including Hinduism, which it said shares deep historical and cultural links across the region.
What India said
The demolition drew a response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which said such acts hurt the sentiments of believers worldwide and urged both Thailand and Cambodia to return to dialogue and diplomacy, according to a report by news agency ANI.
Cambodia's stance
Cambodia accused Thailand of destroying the Vishnu statue inside Cambodian territory, with a provincial government spokesperson claiming the structure stood within the An Ses area of Preah Vihear province, according to an AFP report.
Cambodian officials said the demolition took place roughly 100 metres from the border, while mapping data suggested the statue was located a few hundred metres from the boundary line.
The incident has unfolded amid renewed clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces over their long-disputed border, a conflict that has reportedly killed dozens and displaced nearly a million people, according to the AFP report.
Thai and Cambodian officials have since begun another round of talks at a border checkpoint in Thailand, even as both sides continue to trade accusations over damage to civilians, heritage sites and religious structures.
(With inputs from AFP, PTI and ANI)
HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.