Eviction Deadline Passes, But Community Remains

Despite threats of eviction from local authorities, residents of a village in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district said Sunday that a deadline set by City Hall to vacate the area came and went without incident on Friday.

In a notice distributed on November 21, district officials informed the more than 600 people living in Kilometr Pram Muoy commune’s Boeng Chhuk village to leave the village by Friday to make room for a planned road expansion that would better serve developers in the area—or face eviction.

“The deadline has passed, but the authorities have not come yet,” said villager Horn Hou, 37.

“We are really worried about the eviction, but we are willing to die on our land and in our homes.” District governor Thuy Sokhan, who issued the notice on behalf of City Hall, refused to comment Sunday.

Sok Sambath, the commune chief, said authorities would inspect the village today.

“We know a lot of residents live there, but if they do not respect the authorities’ notice, we will take action,” he said.

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