A Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts official has hit back hard at claims from Thailand that the Preah Vihear temple has been used as a military base, calling the allegations completely untrue.
The official stressed that the UNESCO World Heritage site is strictly dedicated to culture, religion, heritage preservation, academic research, and education. Dismissing the accusations of military use out of hand, the official added that any doubts should be settled through an independent investigation.
On the streets, locals are taking the news in stride. With tourists and researchers regularly visiting the area and motorbikes buzzing around the site, nobody has ever seen the temple turned into a camp. Now that the government has made its stance clear, the whole issue has just become another topic of conversation over tea and coffee.
