Statue Of Hindu Deity 'Vishnu' Destroyed In Cambodia; India Calls It 'Disrespectful'
Amid the ongoing Thai-Cambodia border dispute, a statue of a Hindu deity, Vishnu, was demolished, allegedly by the Thai army. Responding to the demolition, New Delhi has called the event “disrespectful” acts which hurt the sentiments of followers around the world and “should not take place”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen reports on the demolition of a statue of a Hindu religious deity, built in recent times, and located in an area affected by the ongoing Thai-Cambodia border dispute”.
He stated that Hindu and Buddhist deities are “deeply revered” and worshipped by people in the region and are part of our “shared civilisational heritage”.
India urged the two nations to use dialogue and diplomacy to let peace prevail and to prevent loss of lives and damage to property. The clashes between the two countries started in July, and despite a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump, the conflict resumed this month.
Read also: “The Greatest Religion Is Trust”: Mammootty’s Powerful Words On Humanity
Videos showing the demolition of the Vishnu statue using a backhoe loader have gone viral on social media.
📍Thailand VS Cambodia fight turning UGLY. Thai military destroyed Hindu deity statue after capturing area of Cambodia, all symbols of Cambodia’s are being removed by the Thai military. pic.twitter.com/NiUcX7WsNE
— Dara Mech (@MechDara1) December 23, 2025
As per the AFP report, the statue was located inside the Cambodian territory in the An Ses area, built in 2014, and the demolition of the Vishnu statue, took place on Monday, about 100 metres (328 feet) from the border with Thailand.
Notably, Ta Krabey Temple, a sacred cultural heritage site of Combodia, was also destroyed recently during the latest round of fighting along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the destruction occurred on 8 December 2025 amid Thai air and artillery operations in the area. The Ministry has formally condemned the Thai military and is calling for international accountability.
Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, began with a December 7 skirmish and includes prior Thai airstrikes, a Cambodian drone shootdown, and civilian injuries from shelling.
