An official from Prime Minster Hun Sen’s cabinet has asked 47 families cut out of a land compensation deal at Boeung Kak lake to provide proof they have been living within a 133-hectare area where residents are set to be evicted.

Families from Boeung Kak’s villages 6, 22 and 24 in Daun Penh’s Srah Chak commune, yesterday handed Nou Ra, an official from the Cabinet of the Prime Minster, a letter asking the premier to intervene against land officials who “violated” his decision.

The villagers were sent invitations to apply for land tit-les after the Prime Minister’s decision to provide 756 families living beside Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak lake with 12.44 hectares of land for onsite relocation was ann-ounced on August 18.

The refusal to make land titles by authorities was discrimination

They were later told by commune officials they had been cut out of that deal because their houses lay too close to the shore of the former lake.

“The refusal to make the land titles by authorities was discrimination against the villagers at Boeung Kak and violated Prime Minister Hun Sen’s decision,” community representative Tep Vanny said yesterday.

“Nou Ra told me to collect the family books, house code numbers and some documents such as identity cards and thumbprints of the 47 families and add it to the letter we have already sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen.”   

Nou Ra yesterday vowed to forward their complaints to the premier and return with a response.

Meanwhile families from Village 1, who were told they were cut out of the deal on the day invitations for land titles were announced because their land fell outside the jurisdiction of commune and land officials, are also preparing a letter urging the premier to intervene.