By Sou Soriya and Mao Sopha
Phnom Penh, January 26, 2026: Thailand should try to heal or ease the anger of Hindus around the world over the destruction of the Vishnu statue in Cambodian territory. Instead, Thailand committed another serious offense, showing no regard for the feelings of Hindu believers.
This second act of violence involved placing a Buddha statue on the site where the Vishnu statue had been demolished, and the worst act was that a Thai force sat on the fallen Vishnu statue, which lay face down on the ground with the head already severed from the body. This reckless Thai force climbed onto the Vishnu statue to take photographs after the Buddha statue had been installed.
Although Thai forces and civilians showed respect toward the Buddha, at the same time they insulted Vishnu, one of the gods in Hinduism. People around the world have the right to practice and respect their own religions, but they must not insult the gods of other faiths, as such actions deeply hurt believers’ feelings. Buddhists must not insult Hindus, and vice versa.
Images showing Thai forces and civilians replacing the Vishnu statue with a Buddha statue, and one of the forces sitting on the fallen Vishnu statue, may break the hearts of Hindu believers and cause them severe emotional shock, especially among Indians. Numerous international media outlets, including Indian media, have widely reported this second act of disrespect toward the Vishnu statue by Thai forces and civilians.
These international media outlets include The Star, The Straits Times, CNA, Economic Times, WION, NDTV, and Firstpost. They published similar reports stating that Thai forces installed a Buddha statue to replace the Vishnu statue in the An Ses border area [on Cambodian territory]. The installation followed the destruction of the Vishnu statue—an act that the Cambodian government says violates agreements aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries.
Previously, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement expressing strong dissatisfaction after Thai soldiers used a long-reach excavator to demolish the Vishnu statue. Through its own foreign ministry, India—where the majority of the population follows Hinduism—conveyed a message to Thailand stating: “Notwithstanding territorial claims, such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world and should not take place.”
Despite combined reactions from Cambodia, the invaded party, and India, the world’s most populous country, Thailand appeared to ignore these concerns and further provoke tensions. How will the Indian government and Hindu believers respond again to this second act of disrespect by Thai forces toward Lord Vishnu?
