The Cambodian government reveals that it spent $10 million on Preah Vihear as part of the effort to get the border temple listed as a World Heritage Site. The article doesn’t say if they spent $10 million US dollars or Riel.
$10 million spent for Preah Vihear heritage site
Phnom Penh Post, 07 October 2008
Cambodia spent nearly US$10 million on an emergency budget to get Preah Vihear temple listed this year as a Unesco World Heritage site, a government official told the Post on Monday.
Phay Siphan, secretary of state for the Council of Ministers, said the money paid for administrative and restoration expenses and not infrastructure development at the 11th-century temple.
“This is a normal expense for the Cambodian government,” he said. “We used the money for technical work and travelling expenses for our delegates involved in the evaluation of the temple,” he said by telephone.
![This week in Southeast Asian Archaeology: Prambanan gets some renewed attention, Phimai Black pottery surfaces at Mun Bon Dam, and I’m taking a short break next week.⠀
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The featured stories look at the new Indonesia–India conservation project at Prambanan, focusing on the temple complex’s ruined perwara shrines, and a striking Late Prehistoric find in northeast Thailand: a remarkably complete Phimai Black vessel discovered as water levels fell at Mun Bon Dam.⠀
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Temples, pottery, reservoirs, and a little scheduled rest. Back again on 27 July.⠀
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Read this week’s newsletter: [link in bio]⠀
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#SoutheastAsianArchaeology #Archaeology #Heritage #Prambanan #Thailand #Indonesia #Cambodia #Vietnam #CulturalHeritage #Substack This week in Southeast Asian Archaeology: Prambanan gets some renewed attention, Phimai Black pottery surfaces at Mun Bon Dam, and I’m taking a short break next week.⠀
⠀
The featured stories look at the new Indonesia–India conservation project at Prambanan, focusing on the temple complex’s ruined perwara shrines, and a striking Late Prehistoric find in northeast Thailand: a remarkably complete Phimai Black vessel discovered as water levels fell at Mun Bon Dam.⠀
⠀
Temples, pottery, reservoirs, and a little scheduled rest. Back again on 27 July.⠀
⠀
Read this week’s newsletter: [link in bio]⠀
⠀
#SoutheastAsianArchaeology #Archaeology #Heritage #Prambanan #Thailand #Indonesia #Cambodia #Vietnam #CulturalHeritage #Substack](https://scontent-sin6-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/744214042_18361115071209510_2262608560893170251_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=efvF5aVfY5EQ7kNvwHCwB5Y&_nc_oc=Adrhygfs4_3OVhjr2Rgbgpm8FmeWkE2yymjBA2vziLdP9JGysLT5sw8HvP0DyoT9ok0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sin6-3.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=E2a971KxU5zWh5nw04VahQ&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQG3isXxBQ6X2iiWSZMjLP-e67HFOBtkU91-gQ-AKbsKRt5f8E-T4V3vusgBi5f3KhWHhujQj78B&oh=00_AQDe-6UC5alsUH9NnC76ElPMhHOuQqr5Md7rQWU22phWgQ&oe=6A65E271)















The article does say US$10 million. I find this number laughable when there are homeless landmine victims and mothers with children literally on my doorstep with no support from the government. Traveling expenses probably means, in this case, buying some fatcat crony a new Land Cruiser.
Hmmm. I think that Preah Vihear is actually a very important issue for most Khmer people. I’m sure they’d think it was a good investment in order to prevent further Thai encroachment on ancient sites that are clearly Cambodian territory according to international law (Ta Moan, Ta Krabei, for example). It’s easy to cry ‘corruption’ but more difficult to realise what local priorities are.