Siem Reap: Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed that all 35 pagodas in the Angkor resort area will be kept intact but asked the people to not build anymore stupas.

Speaking at a public forum during a meeting with the residents in Run Ta Ek village, Banteay Srei District, Siem Reap province this Saturday morning, 1 October, Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed that from now on, there will be no authorization for the construction of any new pagodas, temples, or churches of any religion in order to preserve the cultural heritage of the Angkor area.

Moreover, building new stupas or burying the bodies in those temples are no longer allowed, with the exception of building new stupas for the abbots and abbots' assistants of those pagodas.

The Prime Minister said: "So, all these pagodas, to clarify, are not being demolished, but there is a request to not add on to these temples such as stupas or monasteries. We are not [talking about blocking] the abbots and abbots' assistants, dying left and right, from building [new stupas]. But people from afar are not allowed.”

At present, the 35 pagodas in the Angkor area have about 648 monks.

Prime Minister Hun Sen also ordered the Ministry of Religions and Cults and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to thoroughly examine and prohibit the construction of additional pagodas in the Angkor area.

^{PHOTO: Yuthkun}