About 70 residents of Boeung Kak lake gathered outside the Phnom Penh municipal hall yesterday to ask city officials to include their 58 families in an inclusion zone that would secure their eligibility for land titles.

The protesters, from five villages, said confusion had reigned since the government had approved a sub-decree awarding 12.44 hectares of land to residents.

Land not being clearly marked had caused confusion, resulting in some families not being awarded land titles despite having the relevant documents, villagers said.  

Kong Chantha, a representative of Boeung Kak residents, said 53 families had not received land titles, including those supposedly inside the 12.44-hectare zone.

“Our reason for protesting today is to make sure all families receive land titles like others have,” she said.

Tep Vanny, another representative, said those who had already received land titles had joined the protest and asked the authorities to clearly mark where the 12.44-hectare zone was and to instal a sewage system.

She said 631 of 794 families who had the right to live on the land had received land titles.

The protest prompted city hall officials to invite 19 representatives to join them to discuss their requests.

Ly Saveth, director of administration at Phnom Penh municipality, said officials had promised to respond to their requests next week.

Technical teams from city hall would visit the lake in preparations for a sewage system to be installed in the future, Ly Saveth said.