SIEM REAP: Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a sub-decree on January 11 establishing the Run Ta Ek Techo Sen City by combining two communes which are now home to many residents who relocated from the area surrounding Angkor Wat.

According to the sub-decree, the new city will combine two communes: Run Ta Ek and Balang. Run Ta Ek Techo Sen City will henceforth hold power in local and national elections.

A large-scale campaign was launched in 2022 to dismantle illegal structures within the Angkor Park and required residents living there to voluntarily move to the Run Ta Ek Development Area. Since being relocated, many families have sold the land allocated to them, saying that there are not enough opportunities to make a living in the satellite commune, located 30km outside of Siem Reap.

Former Prime Minister Hun Sen promised that the government would transform the Run Ta Ek area into a modern city by developing, building and arranging infrastructure for people to live comfortably.

In December, Prime Minister Hun Manet visited Run Ta Ek, where he urged residents to stay in the commune with promises of development. He allotted ten transportation vehicles to the commune to bring people to and from Siem Reap, where many of the residents do business. He also promised to upgrade the health facilities and add another school building, as 1,600 primary students are currently assigned to one 12-room school with an additional six rooms borrowed from the high school.