RESIDENTS living in Villages 2 and 4 at the Boeung Kak lakeside have been given an extra week to relocate, following meetings Monday with City Hall representatives, but they said they rejected a temporary housing solution proposed at the meeting.

Village representatives, accompanied by 70 residents, met with City Hall Cabinet chief Koet Chhe to discuss the compensation claims of 150 families set to make way for a private housing and commercial development at the site.

"[City Hall is] giving us one week to relocate, from this Monday until Sunday, August 23, when they will take administrative measures and disavow responsibility for any damage to our residents' property," said resident Pol Toris, who attended the meeting.

In a statement dated August 10, city authorities ordered families living in the two villages to vacate the site by Monday this week, or face "administrative measures".

Residents say they have agreed to accept on-site replacement housing but refused temporary relocation at the Damnak Trayoeng relocation site, some 20 kilometres from the city.

Not good enough

Pol Toris said city officials agreed to let residents settle temporarily at the Trapaing Anchanh relocation site, a similar distance from central Phnom Penh.

Sear Nareath, a representative of Village 4, said that the lakeside residents remained at City Hall until evening to protest the outcome of the meeting.

"Tomorrow, we will come again to protest because we can't accept their resolution to live at Trapaing Anchanh," she said.

"We have agreed to the development in the area already ... but we just want to ask them to live temporarily in the [lakeside] area," she added.

Boeung Kak residents have been slowly relocating from the area since August last year, when little-known developer Shukaku Inc began filling the lake with sand. Around 4,000 families are ultimately expected to make way for the 133-hectare development.