Airport eviction delayed

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 15:03 Tep Nimol and May titthara

OVER 100 families living near Phnom Penh International Airport who were slated for eviction on Friday were granted a last-minute reprieve, but residents remain wary.

Chan Sam An, a representative of the group, said he was unsure why the eviction had been delayed.

“I think the reason behind it is that a lot of people have complained about this issue. But even when they come to evict us we will not go because they are not going to provide us with compensation,” he said.

The original eviction letter was sent to the families on December 5, stating they would be expelled on December 11. The letter also outlined three options handed down by City Hall for the residents: voluntarily leave their homes and receive an unspecified amount of compensation; voluntarily relocate to a site along Russian Boulevard, or be forcibly relocated.

Uth Teng Sakhorn, another residents’ representative said: “We are living here legally.... We don’t want to move to a new location, but if authorities really need the land in our area to develop then they should provide us with a fair compensation plan that we can accept.”

Kroch Phan, the governor of Dangkor district, said the eviction was delayed because City Hall was “considering compensation” and looking for new potential relocation sites. He said he was unsure when the eviction would begin.