Cambodia to relocate two villages near Preah Vihear temple

Villagers were evacuated during the fighting on 3rd April, 2009.

PHNOM PENH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has decided to relocate Kor Muy and Prasat villages near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, national television station Bayon reported on Tuesday.

The government will provide over 4,500 hectares of land around 10 km away from the previous sites for the 792 village families to build houses and farm, it said.

The Prasat village was totally damaged by rocket fire on April 3, when Thai and Cambodian troops had fire exchange there.

Kor Muy has to be moved, because it is situated within the conservation area of the temple.

The Preah Vihear temple will be the second largest tourism destination of the kingdom in the future, right after the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province, Bayon quoted villager Ken Kan as saying.

"As we know, the government will develop the land near the temple into a tourism complex," he added.

The Preah Vihear temple became a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 2008.

Editor: Sun