More than a month after the deadline to partially demolish two buildings that violate height restrictions near the Royal Palace, a Phnom Penh City Hall official on Wednesday blamed the delay on opposition party and garment worker protests.
“We have not yet scheduled to knock down [the buildings] because we are too busy with the protests,” City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche said, referring to Friday’s violent clash between garment workers and police that left five people dead, and the clearing of protesters from Freedom Park.
Now, there is no time frame for the long-delayed demolitions, Mr. Dimanche said.
“We do not have a schedule,” he said.
The initial deadline was November 21, but Phnom Penh’s new governor, Pa Socheatvong, had delayed the demolitions by 10 days following a request by the owner of one of the two buildings. In early December, Mr. Socheatvong again said the demolitions would move forward.
Now, into the new year and the two buildings, which are located within a block of the Royal Palace, remain standing.
One is owned by Vattanac Properties, which is related to Vattanac Bank, and is on Sisowath Quay near Street 184. The other illegal building is a privately owned multistory structure in an alley off Street 19, behind the Royal University of Fine Arts.
The Vattanac building was permitted to build 14 meters in height, but has already surpassed 20 meters, and the other building, which is to be a hotel, was granted a 24.5 meters limit, but is now more than 34.5 meters.
Roeung Phallin, chief of Chey Chumneah commune where the two buildings are located, said Wednesday that the owner of the building off Street 19, Sin Kim Heng, was supposed to meet with City Hall to argue his case, but that the recent demonstrations had delayed any meetings.
“Both sides agreed to discuss about this building,” she said.
At the site of Mr. Kim Heng’s building on Wednesday, construction was continuing as normal on the illegally tall hotel.
Workers said they had received no orders to halt construction, but were told to finish their work before the Khmer New Year in April.
Mr. Kim Heng declined to comment, but has previously admitted going above the height restriction.
At the site of the Vattanac building, where construction has been suspended since October 1, there were no signs of workers or demolition. A green mesh covered the entire building and a locked fence surrounding the property kept people out.
