Dozens of families in Koh Kong’s Kiri Sakor district that have refused to give up their land to a Chinese resort developer have been ordered by a provincial court prosecutor to abandon their homes within 60 days.

Provincial prosecutor Srey Makny issued a notice on March 4 saying that a February court verdict ordering the families to destroy their houses and vacate the land must be obeyed.

Makny ordered them to remove their belongings and vacate the area within 60 days.

Union Development Group was awarded land concessions totalling 45,000 hectares by the government in 2010 to develop a massive tourist city and dam in the area. Hundreds of families were affected, but the 47 families in question are the last to remain on land they claim to have lived on for decades.

“We disagree with the court’s verdict, because we have lived on the land for many years and never gave or sold our land to the company,” Peam Kam village representative Prak Thuok said.

Although they have appealed the court’s decision, the families fear they will be forcibly evicted after seeing the prosecutor’s notice, he said. Although five community representatives have been summonsed to court on Wednesday in relation to their appeal, they have asked for a delay because they are still looking for lawyers, Thuok added.

Makny, the prosecutor, declined to comment.