Thailand says it removed a Hindu statue to assert control over a disputed border area with Cambodia, denying any religious disrespect after India condemned the act.
BANGKOK: Thailand has defended its military’s demolition of a Hindu statue along the border with Cambodia, stating the removal was to assert control in a disputed frontier area.
The Thai government said on Thursday the action was “related to security considerations and area administration and not intended to disrespect any religion or beliefs”.
It added the structure was “merely a decorative piece” and was not an officially recognised religious site.
“More importantly, its removal was undertaken with the objective of affirming effective control of the area,” the government stated.
The statement expressed “sincere regret for any discomfort that may have arisen from misunderstandings” from widely circulated footage.
Cambodia’s Preah Vihear provincial spokesman said the statue of the deity Vishnu was built in 2014 on Cambodian territory and was knocked down on Monday.
Hindu-majority India’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that “such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place”.
Videos showing the demolition using a backhoe were verified by AFP and confirmed as filmed near the disputed An Ses area.
A Google Maps search indicated the statue’s location was around 400 metres from the border, on the Cambodian side.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that “a destroyed statue cannot compare to soldiers’ lives or limbs”.
The neighbours’ long-standing border conflict reignited this month, killing 23 people in Thailand and 21 in Cambodia according to official counts.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the fresh fighting, trading accusations of attacks on civilians.
