The Phnom Penh municipal authority has called on Borei Keila residents evicted on January 3 to present official documents proving they are eligible for housing.

City Hall’s request came as part of a statement criticising NGOs and political parties that encouraged “poor” residents, who were not entitled to housing or compensation, to protest.

“The majority of the protesters are not Borei Keila residents . . . they do not have documents,” it reads. “City Hall has already granted housing to residents who have real documents, and only 31 police families and six civil families have not received housing.”

Pich Limkhoun, 54, a representative of 117 Borei Keila families who claim they have not been compensated, said they still wanted Suy Sophan, the owner of Phan Imex, to erect two more buildings at Borei Keila as it agreed to in 2004.

Two other buildings, one of which has been advertised as a motorcycle shop, have gone up where the final two housing blocks were to have been built.

“Almost all of their houses and property were demolished and damaged by Phan Imex, which was backed by the police,” Pich Limkhoun said.

Those who still had documents – some claim to have lost them during the eviction – would take them to the municipal offices this weekend, Pich Limkhoun said.

Meanwhile, family members of the 13 Boeung Kak women in Prey Sar prison defended NGOs after the city released a statement earlier in the week condemning them for contributing to the women’s imprisonment.

“Our land and houses do not belong to organisations or foreigners, so no one had persuaded us to protest,” resident Bo Chhorvy said.

Kiet Chhe, deputy chief of city administration, was not available for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at [email protected]