Sawt Falasteen - Cambodia reveals damage to UNESCO-listed temple after Thailand clashes

Considered a masterpiece of Khmer architecture that looks out over the northern Cambodian plains, the temple became a war zone when a longstanding border dispute erupted into fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops last year.

Dozens of people were killed and more than a million displaced before the Southeast Asian neighbours agreed a ceasefire in December.

AFP was the first international media outlet to access the Preah Vihear temple since the clashes, documenting extensive damage to the ornate sandstone complex dating back to the 11th century.

Cambodian officials who escorted AFP said the destruction resulted from heavy artillery shelling and aerial bombardment carried out by the Thai army.

"The damage is very serious," said Ea Darith, director of conservation and archeology at the Preah Vihear Authority, which is charged with preserving the temple.

He said 420 parts of the complex were damaged in December, and another 142 in a previous round of violence in July.

"Some temple structures could collapse. We need urgent intervention," he said, adding that Cambodia will consult with UNESCO on how to make repairs.

The UN cultural agency told AFP in January that it would send a team to assess the damage following a Cambodian request. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

"Restoration will be difficult, take time and cost a lot," Ea Darith said.

- 'Damage everywhere' -

The row between Cambodia and Thailand dates back to the drawing of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier in the early 20th century during French colonial rule.

The Preah Vihear temple, which has been a UNESCO heritage site since 2008, has been a point of contention between the neighbours.

The International Court of Justice granted Cambodia sovereignty over Preah Vihear in 1962 and over a patch of land surrounding the temple in 2013, but Thailand does not recognise the tribunal's jurisdiction.

A contested area near the temple was also the site of military clashes in 2008, and sporadic violence for several years after led to the deaths of two dozen people.

Some of the damage inflicted during last year's fighting cannot be repaired, said Hem Sinath, deputy director of the Preah Vihear Authority.

He said that some affected areas may be preserved as "museum sites to show the damage from the firing from the Thai side".

AFP journalists saw several unexploded shells at the site.

Thailand in December accused Cambodian forces of deliberately using the ancient site as a military outpost, saying it therefore lost its protected status.

"The Thai army fired a lot at the temple on the last day," said a police officer stationed at the temple, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.

"The damage is everywhere... They wanted to destroy the temple."

S.Abdullah--SF-PST