Tempers flare as 20 Hong Kong villagers lose homes to Northern Metropolis
Hundreds of security guards and police officers deployed to evict Tin Sam Tsuen villagers, despite residents saying concerns remain largely unresolved
Hundreds of security guards and police officers were deployed on Tuesday to evict about 20 residents from a Hong Kong village as part of the government’s Northern Metropolis megaproject, despite residents saying their concerns remain largely unresolved.
The operation by the Lands Department sparked heated confrontations with Tin Sam Tsuen villagers, who lived in properties built under the small-house policy.
The government said about 60 households, involving more than 70 residents, were affected.
Residents argued that the government had yet to provide satisfactory compensation and relocation packages. However, Development Bureau said that more than 40 of the 60 households were ineligible for the packages, while most of the remainder had received payments or rehousing arrangements.
It noted that roughly five families were currently going through the procedure and they had arranged their own accommodation, while the bureau would offer compensation upon confirming their eligibility.
At 9am, hundreds of security guards in reflective vests gathered at the village in Hung Shui Kiu. Half an hour later, lands officials confronted residents at a steel gate leading to a cluster of eight houses.