Cambodia forces out floating homes despite protests from villagers

The capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, has begun clearing its renowned floating villages along the Tonle Sap River, disregarding the resistance of long-time residents who argue they have no alternative places to go.

For generations, the floating wooden houseboats of Phnom Penh have served as both homes and livelihoods for primarily ethnic Vietnamese families. These boats support fish farming and are connected by a maze of hand-crafted bridges, submerged poles, and small boats.

“Our ancestors have always lived here,” said Kith Dong, 54, as he and his relatives dismantled their home, a timber platform with a sloping tin roof, near Phnom Penh’s Prek Pnov district.

He explained that the city's order had not given his family enough time to find a new place to live.

“If they gave us a few more months, we could have built a proper home,” he said.

The Phnom Penh Municipality claims that the floating communities are nothing more than slums, presenting unsightly conditions and health risks, with trash and raw sewage drifting alongside the houseboats.

Si Vutha, the head of Prek Pnov district’s land management office, supervised the dismantling on Friday.

“We are removing 316 homes today. This is impacting the city’s beauty and the environment. Sitting on a boat, you can’t help but notice the awful smell,” Si Vutha told Reuters.

Si Vutha explained that the evictions are part of efforts to clean up the capital ahead of Phnom Penh hosting the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, with the newly constructed stadium just a few kilometers away.

“There are so many viruses here. Foreign tourists come and see our country like this?” he said.

However, residents argue the action was rushed and questioned why they needed to relocate with over a year still remaining until the Games.

Si Vutha did not provide a reason for the timing of the cleanup, and Phnom Penh city spokesperson Met Meas Pheakdey could not be reached by Reuters for comment on Saturday.

Dang Van Chou, 57, relocated to Cambodia over 20 years ago from neighboring Vietnam.

His family earns a living by farming fish in enclosures near their home, but this year’s catch is too small to sell, leaving them without the funds to relocate, he explained.

“I have no idea where to go,” he said. “I don’t own any land.”