Lake eviction fears remain

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
A market vendor carts food through her neighbourhood near Boeung Trabek lake yesterday. Residents fear eviction from the site, although an eviction deadline passed without incident on Monday.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 29 September 2010 15:02 Kim Yuthana

RESIDENTS from at least five villages around Boeung Trabek lake in Chamkarmon district remain concerned about their future living situation, although an eviction deadline passed without incident on Monday.

District governor Lo Yuy issued a letter on September 17, ordering 500 families to dismantle their homes and leave the lakeside’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune by Monday.

“If they don’t move away by the deadline, the authorities will take measures through the law, and we won’t be responsible for any destruction or loss of their property,” the letter stated.

But community representative Suos Samy said the deadline had passed without any reported incidents.

“Even though the deadline has passed, we are still concerned because we do not know when the authorities will take measures against us,” he said.

Authorities say that residents need to leave the area so that drainage can be improved to ease the threat of flooding.

Resident Khiev Sinoeun said that no compensation had been offered despite claims by many residents that they had lived in their homes for over 10 years.

“I am very concerned because the authorities plan to renovate the drainage ditch where we reside at the lake,” he said.

Naeb Ly, a community empowerment officer for the Housing Rights Task Force, said the authorities should “pay reasonable compensation, so families will be able to afford suitable replacement houses and look for jobs before they move”.