Twenty-eight families from Tuol Sangke commune in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district gathered yesterday at a mosque to discuss compensation negotiations after they were issued a 30-day eviction notice by the district governor on Wednesday to make way for railway construction.

Yorng Many, 55, a representative of the villagers, said yesterday that they had agreed to request higher compensation in exchange for demolishing their houses and moving to a relocation site in the outskirts of the district.

“We cannot accept Phnom Penh Municipality’s compensation policy because we think that the fee is to small and it is not appropriate for our land’s current price and the size of our houses,” she said, adding that district authorities had threatened to demolish their homes if they did not move.

Yorng Many said that the municipality had offered compensation of around US$100 to $500 for each family.

“We all now agree that we will move our homes from Tuol Sangke to the new place if we are given $8,500 each and a 7 metre by 15 metre plot of land per family.”

Russei Keo Deputy Governor Kob Sles said yesterday that the villagers were living on state land and should not be entitled to compensation.

District Governor Klaing Huot and Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema could not be reached for comment yesterday.