By Pin Sisovann and Jason McBride
The Cambodia Daily
Surrounded by photocopied portraits of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife Bun Rany, some 50 residents of the area known as Group 78 in Tonle Bassac commune protested Tuesday against their imminent eviction on Friday. Group 78, a narrow strip of houses along a dirt road behind the Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh, is home to 146 landowning families and an unspecified number of people who rent accommodation. However, the municipality plans to evict the residents from what has now become prime real estate, and is offering in return 5-by-12 meter plots of land some 20 km from the city center. Group 78 resident Hoeun Sovann accused the municipality of taking his land unlawfully so that it could be sold to private developers. Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema said critics should wait and see what the municipality plans to do with the Group 78 land. Protester Soy Sophal said the portraits of the prime minister and his wife were on display as "symbols of peace and happiness." Images of Hun Sen and Bun Rany have been used by other land dispute protesters who believe that police will not use violence to break up their demonstrations if the photographs are displayed prominently.
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