Senior Minister Thong Khon, president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), has delivered sharp remarks to the Thai leaders who were responsible for damage to the Preah Vihear Temple during the recent border clashes.
He condemned those who would destroy humanity’s cultural heritage, describing them as “worse than animals”. He shared his frustration as Thailand’s use of airstrikes and artillery against the temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Khon levelled his attacks on the occasion of the 10th Angkor Empire Marathon 2025, held on Sunday, August 31 at the Angkor Archaeological Park. The race attracted a total of 4,224 runners, including 3,462 Cambodians and 762 international participants from 47 countries, with the largest groups coming from China, Japan, France, the UK and the US.
He explained that the marathon’s main themes this year were “Running for Peace and People’s Well-being”, and at the same time, “Running to Support and Protect Humanity’s Heritage”.
“Humanity’s heritage means it was built by people, not by animals. That is why the world values humanity — animals cannot create such monuments. Therefore, anyone who destroys humanity’s heritage is not a human being at all, but worse than an animal,” he said.
The former tourism minister added that animals actually love heritage sites, because such places are usually surrounded by forests that connect eco-tourism with cultural tourism. Protecting heritage, he noted, also protects forests and the habitats of many animal species.
“Animals have never destroyed heritage. So, if a human destroys it, they are worse than animals. That is why we believe UNESCO will act, within legal frameworks, against whoever damages or impacts humanity’s heritage,” he continued.
He also highlighted the tourism value of the marathon, noting that it was not just for Cambodians but for people worldwide who cherish humanity’s heritage.
Sem Phalla, CEO of the marathon, noted that the event ran smoothly and concluded successfully, despite being rescheduled from August 3 to August 31. The change prevented some 1,500 foreign runners who had already booked flights from participating.
Despite this, Phalla praised the strong turnout, especially the Cambodians who signed up later, which helped push the 2025 participation above the 3,000 runners seen in 2024.
“Our main concern was whether the remaining 1,000 foreign registrants would still come, but in the end we had 4,224 runners, including 762 from abroad. What stood out most was the wholehearted participation of Cambodian athletes and sponsors,” he said.
Phalla concluded by noting that that the marathon demonstrated unity and solidarity.
“It showed our commitment to three causes: 1) running for peace and people’s well-being, 2) running to support and protect humanity’s heritage, and 3) running to support our frontline soldiers and war refugees. We are deeply moved that the event ended in great success,” he added.
