3.7. Site Purchase, Restoration, and Preservation
Many sites face challenges similar to that of the
Preah Vihear temple in Cambodia.56 Cambodia
wants to upgrade tourist facilities at the mountaintop
Preah Vihear temple on its northern border
with Thailand and has asked UNESCO to help
preserve the ruins of the 12th century Angkor-era
temple, which was occupied by Khmer Rouge
guerrillas until 1998. This is one of many sites in
Cambodia, and King Norodom Sihanouk has also
called on the world community to help to save the
ancient Angkor temples from the ravages of time
and looters, who still regularly to hack off stone
carvings for sale on the international black market.
Tropical vegetation and rains also threaten the
Angkor ruins, which are a World Heritage Site
and Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction.
The purchase, restoration, and preservation of
heritage sites is the center of CHM and, ultimately,
CHT.57 Development cooperation can
play an important financial and technical assistance
role not only with respect to heritage artifacts
and sites themselves, but also with accompanying
infrastructure (e.g., museums) and activities
(e.g., interpretation and cultural performances).
For example, NORAD has provided support for
establishment of cultural centers and museums in
rural areas in Botswana, for training of museum
staff (see Section 3.9), and for various groups that
stage presentations of cultural traditions.