On June 2, Phnom Penh City Hall issued an eviction notice for residents of floating houses, illegal fish farms and small houseboats on the Tonlé Sap, the Mekong and a third river, the nearby Bassac. The notice said the order was issued to preserve the river's ecology and water quality and improve the city's aesthetics. Since then, what might happen to those who refuse to leave their river homes has remained unclear.
Phnom Penh's Floating Fishing Community Faces Eviction
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A view of the floating houses being demolished in Prek Pra commune, Chbar Ampov district, Phnom Penh, June 12, 2021. (Vicheika Kann/VOA)
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A child moves remnants from a newly demolished floating house in Prek Pra commune, Chbar Ampov district, Phnom Penh, June 12, 2021. (Vicheika Kann/VOA)
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A man moves pieces of board after authorities told him to dismantle a floating house in Prek Pra commune, Chbar Ampov district, Phnom Penh, June 12, 2021. (Vicheika Kann/VOA)
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A man dismantles the wall of a floating house in Prek Pra commune, Chbar Ampov district, Phnom Penh, June 12, 2021. (Vicheika Kann/VOA)