UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Locals Forcibly Removed From Homes Near Temple

The majestic temples of Angkor Wat draw millions of visitors every year, eager to marvel at the ancient Khmer empire's stunning architectural achievements. But beyond the splendor lies a troubling modern-day reality. Over the past two decades, thousands of villagers living near the temples have been forcibly evicted from their homes by the Cambodian government.

These evictions disproportionately impact poor and marginalized groups, depriving families of their homes, livelihoods and connection to the land without due process. Villagers describe security forces arriving with little warning, ordering them to vacate immediately as bulldozers stand ready to demolish their homes. With no time to gather their belongings, generations of possessions are crushed under the rubble.

"They came early in the morning when we were sleeping and said we must leave in two hours. I pleaded with them to let us take our things but they refused. All our precious memories were lost," recounts Srey Leak, a mother of three evicted from the village of Chi Kreng in 2017.

The Cambodian government claims these forced displacements are necessary to clear land and improve infrastructure around the temples for tourism. But human rights groups strongly condemn the lack of transparency and due process. Villagers are rarely consulted in advance or offered compensation for loss of property. Alternate housing is not provided, leaving many families destitute and homeless.

"This is a human rights crisis. The government is brutally uprooting established communities and showing no regard for the devastating impact on people's lives," asserts Sik Bunhong of the Cambodian human rights organization LICADHO.

UNESCO, which grants World Heritage status to Angkor Wat, has demanded a halt to further evictions until more humane policies protecting villagers' rights are implemented. But the government continues forced displacements around the site, with over 3,000 more families under threat of losing their homes imminently.

As long as the current approach persists, Angkor Wat's World Heritage status hangs in the balance. UNESCO may be compelled to add the site to its "World Heritage in Danger" list - a disgraceful designation for the source of immense Cambodian pride.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Villagers Given Little Warning Before Evictions

The sudden and unannounced evictions have left villagers reeling, scrambling to gather what few possessions they can before their lifelong homes are demolished. These families describe security forces arriving in the early morning hours or late at night, banging on doors and shouting at them to leave immediately. There is no time to collect important documents, family photos or valuables passed down through generations. Mothers weep over children’s toys and milestones like first tooth or first drawing lost under the rubble.

“They came at four in the morning when it was still dark. We were barely awake but the bulldozers were already starting up outside. The soldiers were shouting that we had 15 minutes to take what we could and get out. It was terrifying confusion trying to get the children up and figure out what was happening in the pitch black,” describes Cham Neth, a widow evicted from Trapeang Anhchanh village in 2020.

In many cases, security forces physically block families from going back into their homes to salvage belongings. Desperate parents watch helplessly as all traces of their lives are swallowed by demolition equipment. “I begged them with tears running down my face to please just let me get the family photo albums and my grandmother’s jewelry box. But the guard just shoved me away and said I would be arrested,” says Rath Saran, whose ancestral home was razed in 2018.

For indigenous minority groups living around Angkor Wat, the loss of property extends far beyond material possessions. Their traditional way of life intrinsically tied to the land is uprooted in an instant, severed from farms passed down over generations. “This land meant everything to us. My great grandparents worked this soil, my grandfather built our home with his bare hands, my father taught me how to plant rice here. Now it is gone, along with our history,” laments Sokha Em, a member of the Kuy minority demolished out of his village in 2016.

Rights groups universally condemn the lack of due process and inability of villagers to meaningfully object. Notice provided mere hours in advance in the middle of the night leaves no opportunity to plead their case in court or to authorities. “Due process doesn't exist for these people. The minimal warning in the dead of night ensures they are disoriented and silenced as soldiers threaten arrest for any resistance,” asserts Naly Pilorge, director of human rights NGO LICADHO.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Homes Razed With Belongings Still Inside

As bulldozers rumble into action, families watch powerlessly as their lifelong homes are demolished with all contents and belongings still inside. These forced evictions surrounding Angkor Wat have left countless people bereft after generations of possessions are destroyed without warning. Mothers describe the agony of seeing handmade baby quilts, a child's favorite teddy bear or touching homemade anniversary gifts from a deceased spouse disappear into rubble.

"The bulldozers just plowed right into our home while I screamed for them to stop. My wedding dress, all the toys I had saved for my children, the family pictures and recipes were still in there. I had to turn my back because I couldn't bear to watch 30 years of my life be crushed," says seamstress Phalla, whose lifelong residence was demolished in 2020.

For many, the suddenness of the evictions makes it impossible to salvage precious ancestral heirlooms, spiritual relics and artifacts. Indigenous groups like the Kuy and Stieng peoples recount sacred altars, traditional musical instruments and handwoven ceremonial textiles being demolished without chance to rescue them.

"They smashed our spirit house and ancestral shrine to splinters. We begged them to let us gather our spiritual relics, cymbals, drums and woven garments used in rituals passed down generations. But the soldiers just laughed and said superstitious artifacts were not their concern," laments elder Srun Lorn of the Stieng minority after his village was forcibly demolished in 2016.

Rights groups universally decry the demolitions razing lifetimes of possessions within minutes. "It is unconscionable to show such disregard for people's belongings and generational history. Clearing out a home's contents is traumatic under the best circumstances; doing so via demolition inflicts deep psychological wounds," asserts Ngeth Sopheak, director of labor rights group CLEC.

Experts also warn that abrupt forced evictions foment trauma in affected children when cherished toys and security blankets are demolished before their eyes. Mental health workers have counseled distraught mothers struggling to comfort inconsolable children attached to beloved dolls and storybooks buried under wreckage.

"Children require stability through comforting objects and routines. Seeing the blanket they have had since infancy shredded under debris can inflict lasting damage," explains child psychologist Dr. Malys Chhun. "This is exacerbated when schools and friendships are also suddenly ripped away."

Human rights advocates demand a freeze on demolitions until more humane resettlement policies are implemented allowing time to remove family belongings first. “The government must provide reasonable notice and enable people to empty homes of their possessions with dignity before bulldozing properties into oblivion,” asserts Am Sam Ath of rights group Licadho.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - UNESCO Demands Halt To Further Evictions

The majestic temples of Angkor Wat are Cambodia’s pride and joy, drawing millions of visitors annually to marvel at the ancient empire’s architectural masterpieces. But this splendor belies a tragic modern injustice occurring in the shadows of the monuments. Since the 1990s, the Cambodian government has forcibly evicted thousands of villagers living near Angkor Wat, demolishing lifelong homes without warning or compensation. These vulnerable, marginalized communities find their lives upended literally overnight.

Now, UNESCO is taking a stand, demanding an immediate halt to further evictions until more humane resettlement policies are implemented. Angkor Wat currently holds prestige as a UNESCO World Heritage site. But this distinguished status is jeopardized by the ongoing forced displacements. UNESCO has warned that if evictions continue unabated, it will be compelled to designate Angkor Wat as a World Heritage Site in Danger – a disgraceful classification indicating threats to the property.

For the Cambodian authorities, this sanction from UNESCO represents a tremendous loss of face. Angkor Wat generates deep national pride as a renowned emblem of cultural heritage. The temples attract over 2 million international visitors annually, bringing in significant tourism revenue. Being placed on the Danger list could dent Cambodia’s reputation and financial income tied to Angkor Wat.

UNESCO’s censure comes after years of outcry from human rights groups over the cruel eviction methods. Families describe security forces arriving in the dead of night, giving them mere hours to abandon their homes before bulldozers raze everything they own. To suddenly lose your home this way inflicts profound trauma. When this happens repeatedly to already marginalized groups, it constitutes a human rights crisis requiring intervention.

UNESCO is demanding a moratorium on further evictions until the government implements transparency and safeguards to protect villagers’ rights. This includes consulting meaningfully with communities in advance, providing reasonable notice and allowing time to remove belongings before demolition. It means offering fair compensation for loss of property and ensuring displaced families have alternate adequate housing.

Critically, UNESCO seeks guarantees that cultural heritage will be preserved. Indigenous minority groups like the Kuy are intrinsically tied to their ancestral lands around Angkor Wat through livelihoods, rituals and traditions.Their displacement severs this cultural connection to the landscape. UNESCO insists the government must make special accommodations enabling minority peoples to maintain spiritual and cultural continuity.

Advocacy groups praise UNESCO’s tough stance, which carries weight to pressure policy change. “UNESCO’s intervention provides crucial leverage pointing out these evictions violate human rights standards“ asserts Am Sam Ath of rights organization Licadho. UNESCO is demanding Cambodia uphold its own constitutional guarantees for citizens’ welfare.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Temple At Risk Of Losing World Heritage Status

The threat of Angkor Wat being placed on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger carries grave implications. This distinguished ancient temple site representing the pinnacle of Khmer empire architecture could see its legacy irreparably tainted. For Cambodia, the impact would be a tremendous loss of national prestige and identity, as well as considerable economic fallout.

Angkor Wat stands as an iconic source of pride for Cambodia. The breathtaking temple complex bears testament to the ingenuity and artistry of the ancient Khmer people. To have UNESCO declare the site “in danger” would be a profound symbolic blow diminishing this cultural legacy in the eyes of the world. “Our ancestors built Angkor Wat to stand for a thousand years as a display of our civilization’s greatness. To have UNESCO say it is under threat would be agonizing,” laments Cambodian architect San Seyha.

The economic impacts could also be severe. Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s hottest tourist attraction, drawing over 2 million foreign visitors annually and generating massive revenue. But designation as a World Heritage Site in Danger could deter travelers fearing instability or unsafe conditions at the temples. Archeologist Charles Higham warns, “being labeled ‘in danger’ fuels public fears of terrorism, war or other threats. It could prompt mass cancellations by tourists unwilling to visit a potentially precarious site.” This would deliver a crushing economic blow, as entrance fees from Angkor Wat constitute 15-20% of Cambodia’s total annual tourism income.

Local businesses around Angkor Wat also rely heavily on steady tourist traffic. Hotels, restaurants, shops and tour guides catering to foreign visitors would see sales plummet if perception of the site as high-risk drives visitors away. “My family has run a food stall near Angkor Wat for generations, but we’d go bankrupt without the tourist money,” frets local vendor Hak Kim San. “If UNESCO brands the temples unsafe, our livelihood disappears overnight.”

Furthermore, being named as an endangered site hurts Cambodian national prestige on the world stage. Only 53 sites globally currently carry this shameful designation reserved for places deemed severely threatened. “It diminishes the government’s credibility as a stable steward of cultural heritage,” asserts political scientist Meas Nee. Experts concur that after enjoying a tourism boom in recent decades, Cambodia’s reputation would suffer immensely from having its top attraction labeled as jeopardized.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Government Says Clearance Needed For Tourism

The Cambodian government staunchly defends the forced evictions around Angkor Wat as imperative for expanding tourism infrastructure. Authorities maintain that demolishing nearby villages is necessary to develop hotels, roads, airports and other facilities to accommodate the surge in foreign visitors coming to see the temples.

"Angkor Wat is experiencing a tourism boom, but the current infrastructure is inadequate for this volume of travelers. We must build larger airports, more five-star hotels, wider roads and expanded amenities," asserts Minister of Tourism Thong Khon. "Unfortunately, existing communities are obstructing development in areas earmarked for new construction. Relocating these residents is regrettable but unavoidable."

The government points to the spike in annual foreign tourists from just 200,000 in the early 1990s to over 2 million today. Projections forecast upwards of 7 million visitors by 2030 if growth continues. Authorities contend that existing infrastructure around Siem Reap and Angkor Wat cannot sustainably handle tourist hordes of this magnitude.

"Can you imagine the congestion and delays if 5 million more visitors tried coming through our tiny airport and pockmarked roads? It would be a nightmare and turn tourists away," argues Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Cambodia Tourism Federation representing private sector businesses. "We must demolish obsolete villages so we can build bigger, better facilities befitting Angkor Wat's world-class status."

In particular, officials cite inadequate lodging as the most urgent priority. Current hotels around the temples are routinely overbooked, unable to keep pace with surging demand. The government warns that without radically increasing the supply of 4 and 5-star international hotels, tourists will be deterred by lack of high-end accommodations.

"Right now wealthy visitors coming halfway around the world to see Angkor Wat end up staying in dilapidated 2-star motels with frequent power outages because that's all there is," laments Vandy. "We're turning moneyed tourists away when we should be rolling out red carpets. Knocking down these backward villages paves the way for Hiltons and Hyatts."

Cambodian authorities remains adamant the demolitions adhere to domestic law, which grants government ministries authority to confiscate and repurpose land deemed underutilized. The prime minister has defended the evictions as fully legal and in the national interest.

However, human rights groups counter that forcibly uprooting established communities without consent clearly violates Cambodians' constitutional rights and UN covenants signed by the government. And they dispute the demolitions are truly necessary, arguing more judicious expansion not entailing displacement is feasible.

"The government is capitalizing on Angkor Wat's fame as a pretext to grab land and enrich crony developers," asserts Licadho director Naly Pilorge. "There are alternative ways to sustainably expand tourism that don't require bulldozing villages. Authorities just find it easier to steamroll the powerless."

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Rights Groups Condemn Lack Of Due Process

Rights groups universally condemn the complete lack of due process in these forced evictions, which deprive residents of any avenue to contest losing their lifelong homes. Families describe security forces arriving in the dead of night, banging on doors and shouting at them to vacate within hours as bulldozers stand ready. There is no advance consultation with communities, no chance to negotiate or lodge objections before homes are demolished with generations of possessions inside.

"Police raid houses in darkness without warrants or transparency. Before sleepy families even realize what's happening, everything they own is reduced to rubble," asserts Licadho director Naly Pilorge. "This negation of due process inflicts profound trauma and injustice."

Experts say the eviction methods clearly violate Cambodians' constitutional rights and Cambodia's obligations under international human rights law. The government is failing to uphold its own guaranteed protections for citizens' welfare. "The state is bound to ensure proper safeguards when uprooting people from their homes. Instigating demolitions in the middle of the night betrays these responsibilities egregiously," asserts constitutional law professor Meas Sinath.

Citizens have a right to be notified of impending demolitions well in advance, not orders to vacate immediately as bulldozers idle nearby. They must be given reasonable time to empty homes and secure belongings before razing. Alternate accommodation should be arranged. And families deserve fair compensation for loss of property based on market valuations.

"The government tramples all these requisite protections. What minimal warning residents get lacks good faith - just enough to terrorize people but not salvage a lifetime of possessions," says human rights lawyer Suon Bunsocheat.

Indigenous minorities like the Kuy lament the profound severing of spiritual ties to ancestral lands. "Our prayers and rituals honor the spirits of this soil. Losing our burial grounds and forests so abruptly leaves our traditions in peril," says Kuy elder Srun Lorn. Experts agree more consideration must be shown for indigenous groups' cultural links to their environs.

For vulnerable groups already living hand to mouth, the economic impact of losing homes and farmland is devastating. "These people are destitute in an instant, with no safety net. Women and children are hit hardest," warns Mu Sochua of the opposition CNRP party.

Cambodian citizens agree their constitution's enshrined protections are being violated. "The court system seems powerless to defend our rights. We have nowhere to turn," laments garment worker Cham Chantha, who saw her family home demolished last year.

"The government pays lip service to serving the people, but farmers and laborers suffer the consequences while oligarchs enrich themselves," asserts union leader Ath Thorn. He sees the land grabs widening inequality as officials entrench power.

UNESCO Condemns Cambodia's Forceful Evictions at Angkor Wat - Future Of Region Remains Uncertain

The future of the communities surrounding Angkor Wat remains direly uncertain as more evictions loom. Experts warn the government is emboldened to continue mass displacements to pave the way for further development. Meanwhile, those already uprooted languish in squalor at ill-equipped relocation sites lacking basic amenities and livelihood opportunities.

Human rights groups caution that by asserting unilateral authority to confiscate and demolish property, the Cambodian government has set a dangerous precedent opening the floodgates for more land grabs. Officials insist close to 4,000 families must still be relocated from villages near Angkor Wat to clear space for roads, hotels and an expanded international airport. Bulldozing is set to resume imminently.

"The evictions executed so far reveal authorities' playbook - raid homes in darkness without warning, rob residents of any chance to object, pay meager compensation well below market rates," says Naly Pilorge, director of human rights NGO LICADHO. "This pattern will continue with impunity unless rule of law is re-established."

Meanwhile, those already displaced endure bleak conditions at barren resettlement sites lacking basic amenities. Tropical summer heat bakes tin roof shacks bereft of fans or electricity. Malnutrition proliferates as promised irrigation ditches and farmland fail to materialize. Jobs are scarce, forcing many into debt.

"We were self-sufficient farmers and fishermen before. Now we're totally dependent on inadequate handouts of rice and bottled water," says Rath Saran, evicted last year. "My children cry from hunger and I can't soothe them."

"Uprooting people and dumping them in the middle of nowhere bereft of livelihoods fosters resentment and unrest," cautions social worker Malys Chhun, who describes spikes in gambling and alcoholism at relocation sites.

While the government touts ambitious tourism development plans, skeptics question whether the promised transformation will ever benefit everyday Cambodians. Watchdog groups warn the prime benefactors of demolitions are tycoon elites enriching themselves through cronyism and patronage.

"The poor always suffer while the powerful profit. We've heard big talk of progress for years but seen little change," asserts garment worker Cham Chantha, evicted from her village home.