Long-standing border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand flared into open conflict this July, leaving dozens dead and displacing more than 300,000 people before a ceasefire was reached. At the center of the dispute is Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Hindu temple perched on a cliff along the contested border, a site that carries both sacred and national significance for the two countries.
In 2008, Preah Vihear was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The UNESCO website describes the temple as "situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of Cambodia," reflecting a 1962 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that it was within Cambodian territory. But on the ground, this designation has not been so simple. The temple, with its religious significance and unique Khmer architecture, is an important cultural symbol for both Cambodia and Thailand. As author and journalist Sebastian Strangio observes, "Both sides are describing the border as a sacred
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