Villagers want to build within Angkor park

Mom Kunthear and Chrann Chamroeun

Phnom Penh Post

EIGHT representatives of more than 3,000 families in Siem Reap province’s Angkor Thom district arrived in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, hoping to call on Prime Minister Hun Sen and the National Assembly to allow them to build new houses within the Angkor temple park.

Koeun Keup, 28, a village representative, said the Apsara Authority, which maintains and administers the ancient temples, has prevented seven villages in Angkor Thom district from constructing new houses.

“The Apsara Authority officials don’t allow us to build more houses in the villages, and they told us that if we want to ... build new houses, we should go and build outside our village,” he said.

He said that the affected villagers had collected thumbprints and planned to present them with a written request to Hun Sen to resolve their problems.

“We don’t need more land, but we just want to have the right to build new houses on our land,” he said.

Koeun Keup said that Apsara Authority officials visit the village every month and pull down any new buildings that have been put up.

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