City Hall Denies Evicting Family Despite Fencing Off Homes
Three families protesting the fencing–off of the Phnom Penh building in which they have lived for decades were assured yesterday by City Hall-which “swapped” the property and the land on which it is built earlier this month-that they will not be evicted from the building until they negotiate compensation with the company who now owns the land. In a letter dated April 25 and signed by Phnom Penh governor Kep Chucktema, City Hall complied with a request by the Khun Sear Import Export Company to fence off the land around the building in Toul Kok district Boeng Kak 1 commune. But the letter also requested that a gate be made in the fence for the three families who are still negotiating compensation for their eviction with the company, and who continue to live on the site. … Community chief Rith Darith claimed yesterday that the entire property belongs to City Hall, and that because it is old and small, and because government policy now requires that commune offices and political party offices be on separate premises, the municipal government decided to sell the building to a private company. …
