Phnom Penh City Hall yesterday extended by 30 days a two-month deadline for Borei Keila holdouts to accept compensation packages, adding that it would not be responsible for any actions taken after that.

City Hall had issued the original deadline in early January, asking the 15 families who have yet to leave the site to accept one of three offers. Those with some form of documentation supporting their claims can take either $2,000 and a plot of land or $5,000, while those with none are being offered a flat $3,000.

City Hall spokesman Mean Chanyada said the 15 families – who do not possess the documentation necessary to qualify for on-site housing – had yet to agree to the municipality’s offer, which he says will not last.

Chanyada added that 154 families’ claims had been processed since 2014. Thirty-five families received apartments in the eight resettlement buildings built by developer Phanimex (10 were originally promised), 34 took the land and $2,000, 46 accepted the $5,000, and 21 took the $3,000 flat payment.

“If the people [15 families] are willing to discuss with our team honestly, that will help to end the dispute,” he said.

Community representative Sor Sorn contested City Hall’s assessment of their documents, insisting that onsite housing – which had been promised to the families when they were forced to relocate – was the only acceptable solution.

“They said that I lack documents, but it is not true. They just do not want to solve my problem.”