The Municipal Government has requested restaurants and businesses on eight streets

in Phnom Penh to tidy up their sidewalks in a bid to make the city "prettier

and attractive".

A restaurateur on street 240 said the request was sent in a letter which she received

six weeks ago, signed Seng Leng from the local police.

The letter, sent to streets 23, 19, 13, 154, 172, 178, 184 and 240, said the council

wished to remove items such as tables and chairs from the footpath, and to stop people

selling items from stalls not immediately in front of their own properties.

"If you do not do these things or cooperate, we'll remove the offending items

or stalls," the letter said. "We hope all the people using the street will

cooperate to make it look nice."

The restaurateur has since been visited by a municipal official on numerous occasions

and asked to move potted plants in from the sidewalk. However, she had not received

exact guidelines on how much, if any of the sidewalk can be used.

"Until now, the man has told me 'move the pot plants closer'," she said.

"I replied that I'll decide the décor and arrangement, if he just tells

me what I'm allowed to do!

"If you want the street to look prettier, I don't see a problem with having

pot plants, as opposed to just a bare wall. I think it looks reasonable now, so I'll

see what happens."