SIEM REAP: In collaboration with local authorities, APSARA National Authority is cleaning up Prasat Kok Balang in Boeung village, Sangkat Chreav, Siem Reap for conservation work.

Som Kakada, Technical Officer of the Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology of the APSARA National Authority, said that his team started to inspect the Prasat Kork Balang on 2 January 2024. With the cooperation of local authorities and nearby residents, his team is now clearing the overgrown vegetation around Prasat Kork Balang and removing the rubble from the site. The work is scheduled to take 30 days to complete.

He said that on the hill site of the temple, there are still some doors and window sills whose age the team had not yet determined. However, after the initial clean-up, the APSARA National Authority plans to use funds for archeological research and restoration of the surrounding area for conservation.

On behalf of the APSARA National Authority, Som Kakada requested all the people living around the ancient hills to take care of the area, to dispose of waste responsibly and not abuse the sites to preserve the legacy of Khmer ancestors.