Floating houses are seen in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district on Monday. Hean Rangsey
The Kandal provincial authorities are keeping a close eye on the movements of Vietnamese settlers in boats and floating houses with fish farming cages to prevent them from docking in the province after they were ordered to move by the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration.
Kandal provincial governor Kong Sophorn advised all district and town authorities to ban any settlers from docking.
“At this time, the provincial hall has no plans to pull down or move existing boats, floating houses or fish farming cages in the river. But we will not allow those who are moving from the river in Phnom Penh to dock in the river in Kandal province,” he said.
Over the past two days, and especially on June 13, more than 100 floating structures owned by Vietnamese settlers have moved from Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov, Chroy Changvar and Daun Penh districts to the K’am Samnar area in Kandal province’s Kien Svay and Lvea Em districts, according to Lvea Em district police chief Heng Sophal.
“Some of them have tried to dock at Point Poy Koh Teuk Khleang in Kien Svay and Lvea Em districts. But our police will not allow them to dock there and pushed them off to make way to the K’am Samnar area,” he said.
Kien Svay district governor Ou Chheang told The Post that he is leading forces to observe the situation along the river and prevent settlers from illegally docking there.
“We will allow them to cross, but we will not allow them to dock here. Our forces are keeping a close eye on them and will not allow them to dock at the riverbank. At this time, most of them have gone beyond our area of control,” he said.
He added that in Kien Svay district there were already many boats, floating houses and fish farming cages owned by Vietnamese settlers, but he had not been given permission from the provincial administration to pull down or move those constructions.
As of June 14, more than 80 per cent of the targeted structures on the river in the capital have been pulled down and moved. The Phnom Penh municipality has given the remaining 20 per cent three to five days to move, according to local officials.
