Not with the intention of hurting religious sentiments…Thailand’s clarification came after India’s strong reaction on the demolition of Lord Vishnu’s statue.

New Delhi:After questions raised at the international level regarding the demolition of the statue of Lord Vishnu in the disputed border area between Thailand and Cambodia, now an official statement has come out from Thailand. Amidst the strong reaction of the Indian government and the viral video on social media, the Thai administration has clarified that this action was not aimed at hurting any religious sentiments, but was related to security and area management.

Thailand’s side

The Thai-Cambodia Border Press Center said in a statement issued on Thursday that the statue that was removed was not a registered religious site in any way. The statement said that this step was taken by Thailand to re-establish control over its sovereign territory. Thai officials also stressed that the action was not intended to insult any religion, belief or sacred authority.

According to the Thai side, there is a sensitive security situation in the border area and in such a situation it was necessary to remove any temporary or controversial structures. Under this, the statue was damaged with the help of a backhoe loader, the video of which later went viral on social media.

Where was the statue located?

According to the report, Preah Vihear spokesperson Lim Chanpanha said that this statue of Lord Vishnu was located in the On Ses area of ​​Cambodia. He said that the statue was constructed in the year 2014 and it was built at a distance of about 100 meters from the Thai border. It was demolished on Monday.

Thailand also said that the country respects all religions and beliefs and if this incident has caused any inconvenience or hurt to anyone, it expresses its regret.

India’s sharp reaction

India took a strong stance on this incident. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the demolition of the statue and termed it as insulting. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that destroying any religious statue hurts the sentiments of devotees across the world and such acts should not happen.

India also clarified that it has received information about the demolition of a recently constructed statue of a Hindu deity, which was located in the area affected by the Thai-Cambodia border dispute. New Delhi appealed to both the countries to maintain peace and resolve the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy.

border dispute

Border tension between Thailand and Cambodia is not a new topic. The clashes between the two countries started in July. Later, a ceasefire was established on the initiative of the then US President Donald Trump, but in recent times the conflict has re-emerged.

Cambodia alleges that the site where the statue was installed holds religious significance for both Buddhist and Hindu followers. At the same time, Thailand claims that this statue was built in the disputed area Chong An Ma and Cambodian soldiers had installed it illegally to assert sovereignty over Thai territory.

Religious sentiments and diplomatic challenge

This entire incident has once again brought religious faith, regional sovereignty and diplomatic balance face to face. While on one hand Thailand is calling it a matter of security and border management, on the other hand for countries like India and Cambodia it has become a sensitive topic related to religious sentiments. In the coming days, it will be important to see in which direction both the countries take this dispute and whether diplomatic talks can reduce the tension or not.