Overview
- AFP analysed the viral footage, found no signs of AI manipulation, and independently verified the statue’s location near the Preah Vihear frontier.
- Cambodian spokesman Kim Chanpanha said the Vishnu statue, built in 2014, stood about 100 metres from the frontier on Cambodian soil.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs called the demolition disrespectful to regional faiths and pressed both governments to return to diplomacy.
- A Thai army spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, while Thai accounts portrayed the removal as an assertion of territorial claims.
- Border fighting this month has caused heavy casualties and displacement, and talks were slated in Chanthaburi from Dec 24 with Reuters reporting that senior officers from both sides began discussions to revive a ceasefire.