Wang Chau villagers threaten ‘bloody fight’ in the face of eviction under Hong Kong housing plan
Deadline of evacuation order has passed but residents angry over lack of transparency about relocation and compensation
Villagers facing eviction on Thursday over a controversial public housing plan in Hong Kong’s New Territories have threatened to put up a fight that could turn ugly if their requests fall on deaf ears.
About 400 residents living in three squatter villages in Wang Chau, Yuen Long, were expected to be forced out after a three-month evacuation order by the Lands Department expired at the end of Wednesday.
By 10am Thursday, no department officials had been seen around the three villages: Wing Ning Tsuen, Fung Chi Tsuen and Yeung Uk San Tsuen.
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Chan Oi-kam, village chief of Wing Ning Tsuen, said officials would be allowed to enter the villages to affix notices but not [force them out of ] their homes, adding that the villagers would not register for land resumption and relocation.
“Are the officials looking forward to bloody clashes in January 2018?” Chan asked, strongly condemning the administration for refusing to visit the villages despite repeated requests.
He also slammed the government for failing to detail plans for compensation and relocation.
In its first campaign communique published and distributed on Thursday afternoon, the Wang Chau Green Belt Development Concern Group told villagers to collectively refuse to register so they could obtain more bargaining power in negotiations for compensation. Otherwise, the newsletter said, the government would feel little pressure and could just pack them off with the lease it was offering.
