Nearly 80 homes in Preah Sihanouk province’s Stung Hav district were demolished by authorities over the weekend following a Supreme Court verdict announced on Friday awarding the land to a development company.

Lou Vannaret, a resident of Lek Muoy commune, said residents have been banned from returning to their dwellings since

Friday, when the verdict was announced declaring the land the property of the Ly Hong Sin Company.

“Residents dared not come out and complain against them because they have military forces guarding them,” he said.

Village representative Mon Sina said that 149 families had been living in the area since 1999.

Kim Eng, deputy chief of the provincial court, said yesterday the demolitions were in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict.

“They are not homes,” he said. “They just built them up in the wild, and no one lives there. We have dismantled 78 cottages so far and we will leave the villagers to dismantle the remaining 43 huts by themselves.”

Representatives of the Ly Hong Sin Company could not be reached for comment

yesterday.