SIEM REAP – Around 335 families living on a stretch of riverbank in the heart of Siem Reap city were reassured by local officials on Wednesday that they will not face immediate eviction today, which authorities say is merely the opening day of the planning process for relocation. Siem Reap city Governor Tep Bunchhay said that provincial authorities had set up a committee to handle the relocation, though he added that it is “too soon to think about a deadline. We need more time to discuss the issue and consider the villagers’ requests. I have asked province officials to provide the villagers with money to help them move”. Authorities say the relocation will help beautify the city, the economy of which depends on international tourists visiting the nearby Angkor temples.