Fourteen families evicted from Boeung Kak were left disappointed again yesterday when Phnom Penh’s governor ignored their calls to increase the size of land plots authorities had offered them.

During a three-hour meeting, Governor Pa Socheatvong held firm on a 2011 decision that the families would receive 4-by-18-metre plots of land in reparation for land they once owned at Boeung Kak, where construction crews levelled homes and dredged the earth in 2010.

“When I heard the decision, I nearly fainted at the meeting table,” said Hong Sokkheng, 49, a representative for the families.

“My land is 9,600 square metres and was flooded with sand and I received no compensation.”

In tears after the decision, Ly Channary said the plots offered were unacceptable for her and the 13 other families.

“We, the 14 families, had at least 2,000 square metres for each family,” Channary explained. “So we cannot accept this solution.”