Villagers given three weeks to quit their homes on site for public flats

Tuen Mun villagers who have been refusing to quit their homes to make way for public flats have been told they have three weeks to leave and demolish all structures on the site.

In a notice issued to the remaining occupiers of Tsz Tin Tsuen, the government said it would move in on September 9 to end a six-month standoff delaying construction of 5,000 flats. But villagers said they would not go until the government responded to demands for more compensation and resettlement.

The government failed to retake the site on August 3, the previous deadline, when villagers clashed with lands and housing department staff.

A government spokesman said it was not possible to increase the compensation or defer clearance as the project was already behind schedule.

'The government has so far only taken action to repossess vacant premises where the occupiers have agreed to move out,' the spokesman said. 'However, for the timely production of about 5,000 public rental housing flats by 2016, there can be no more delay.' The site had reverted to the government under the resumption ordinance on July 17 last year.

Of 69 former landowners, 37 agreed in 2007 to a government plan to buy their land for HK$474 per sq ft. The remaining 32 are asking for HK$606. Some tenants - who did not qualify for compensation because they had never owned the land - are also refusing to move out.