EVICTIONS IN CAMBODIA

On Friday, July 17th, Cambodian police evicted 70 families from their homes in the Group 78 community near the Bassac River in central Phnom Penh. The land is considered as among the most valuable in the cambodian capital. These evictions have been criticized by the OHCHR and human rights group as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as a clear violation of Cambodian and international law.

The families have built houses there since 1983 and in October 1992 their...
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On Friday, July 17th, Cambodian police evicted 70 families from their homes in the Group 78 community near the Bassac River in central Phnom Penh. The land is considered as among the most valuable in the cambodian capital. These evictions have been criticized by the OHCHR and human rights group as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as a clear violation of Cambodian and international law.

The families have built houses there since 1983 and in October 1992 their occupancy was recognized by the local authorities. In 2004 Group 78 applied for land titles since under Cambodian law those who possess land for more than five years are provided with ownership permits. Their applications were continuously rejected and since June 2006 the families have been receiving eviction notices. The past July 17th the majority of the families were forced to agree on a compensation of US $8000, a trifling amount compared to the land's value. As their houses were torn apart early on Friday morning by local government workers with the armed police officers surrounding the area, a few families remained in disagreement with their compensation. Eventually these remainding families accepted a US $20000 compensation. One remaining family who refused relocation saw their house being destroyed, leaving the 5 family members empty handed and without a home.
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