Angkor Wat’s Evictions: A Complex Issue of Heritage Preservation and Human Rights

via Amnesty International, 14 November 2023 and various sources: Amnesty International raises human rights concerns and alleges that some 10,000 families were evicted from the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage site in Cambodia, as part of a conservation effort. These evictions, reported to have began in the second half of 2022, were often conducted without adequate consultation, information, or compensation for the affected families. These actions were justified by the Cambodian authorities, including then-Prime Minister Hun Sen, as necessary to protect Angkor’s World Heritage status. This complex situation highlights the challenges in reconciling heritage conservation with the rights and needs of local communities.

Amnesty International witnessed people dismantling their own homes, traveling to the resettlement site and building them anew. In other cases, families had no choice but to live under sheets of tarpaulin for months on end.

Many families also complained about losing their jobs and the lack of employment opportunities at the site, which is a 45-minute drive from Siem Reap town where the World Heritage Angkor temples are located.

Contrary to international human rights standards, the Cambodian authorities failed to ensure that the main resettlement site – known as Run Ta Ek – was sufficiently equipped with essential services and amenities when people started moving there. Amnesty International also witnessed how the site flooded easily when it rained.

Source: Cambodia: Mass evictions at UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor violate international law – Amnesty International