Residents ask Hun Sen to help them get fair compensation.

Residents of Group 78 have sent a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen's house in a desperate attempt to get compensation for their soon-to-be demolished houses.

A week after City Hall cancelled a meeting scheduled to settle relocation terms, residents say the prime minister's conscience is their only remaining hope.

"We would like to ask the prime minister to help us receive fair compensation as residents of Group 78," said Lim Sambo, a community representative.

According to Lim Sambo, families have been told that their houses will be bulldozed on July 17, with or without compensation.

"Now we are worried about our situation because City Hall threatened to evict us without fair compensation," he said.

"We would to like to say again and again to the prime minister that we are not living on Sour Srun Company's land but rather on the public road, and we have all the documents to prove it," he added.

City Hall offered families from Group 78 two optional compensation plans - US$8,000 without land or $5,000 with a 5-by-12-metre plot of land in Trapaing Anhchanh village, Dangkor district.

According to Khat Narith, Tonle Bassac commune chief, none of the 70 families had taken City Hall's offer of land, located outside of the city.

"There are currently eight families who agreed to take City Hall's compensation of $8,000 to each family without land, and they promised to pull their house down five days later," he said.

"I don't know about the other families who are trying to protest to get more compensation, but the last eviction deadline for them is July 17," he added.