UN Cultural Agency Calls for Contentious Sites' Monitoring in Laos and Cambodia

Author: Dian Kencana
July 28, 2024

Luang Prabang (left) in Lao PDR raises concern on risky dam project in Mekong River, while Angkor Wat (right) on forced locals’ displacements. (Wikimedia Commons)

SEAToday.com, Jakarta – The United Nations’ cultural agency has recommended Laos monitor the historic city of Luang Prabang and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat UNESCO site.

The Lao city has raised concerns due to a dam project on the Mekong River that potentially could lose the city’s special status, while the Angkor site raised concerns about forced population displacements.

The World Heritage Committee is concerned of Luang Prabang about the dam project’s possibility to affect the protected wetlands and the city’s riverbanks.

The dam project team also build the dam near an active fault line, which locals are worried if the dam collapsed due to an earthquake and unleash a chunk of water.

With such concerns, the committee has advised Lao government to create a team of experts and collaborate with authorities to assess risks and preserve the conservation.

On the other side, the committee is concerned about the human rights abuses in Angkor Wat Heritage Site, where local authorities force the eviction of local residents from the heritage area to expand dwelling areas.

Such forced dislocation ruins Angkor Wat’s culture and customs, as well as endangers their existence as they are not well-protected in the supposed heritage site.

Furthermore, the UNESCO has advised experts to report and corroborate with the authorities to preserve Angkor Wat, and return the locals to the Angkor Wat Heritage Site.

Writer: Patricia Febi