AFP
PHNOM PENH — Hundreds of Cambodian school children marched through the country's capital on Sunday to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, waving banners calling for an end to the widespread practice.
The demonstration was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Cambodian government, who have set a goal of ending the worst forms of child labour in the country by 2016.
They also announced the launch of an ambitious programme to rid Phnom Penh's popular riverside area of child workers by this time next year.
Menacherry Paul Joseph, head of the ILO's anti-child labour programme in Cambodia, said it was "a shame" that young children could be seen begging or selling books and souvenirs to tourists until late at night.
"Cambodia is truly a kingdom of wonder (sic!). Let us make it a kingdom without child labour ," he said at the rally, where demonstrators waved banners saying "Warning! Children in hazardous work - End child labour".
According to the ILO, some 1.5 million Cambodians under the age of 18 are forced to work, more than 310,000 of them in hazardous jobs such as spraying pesticides or working in brick factories.
Ten-year-old child worker Soth Ousphea, watching the rally, said his mother could not afford to send him to school, and instead he earned around 50 cents a day collecting plastic bottles and cans.
"I want to go to school," he told AFP.
Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries, with around a third of its 14 million people living on less than a dollar per day.
2 comments:
What Child labor?
Just like chicken, in Cambodia and other poor country, children must find food or starve to death.
No welfare system to support the poor.
The Hun Sen govt does not provide enough schools,healthcare,and
jobs.
All blogger could see:
Some 1.5 million Cambodians under
age of 18 years old are forced to
work and more than 310,000 of
them in hazardous jobs.
What happening in the North Africa
and in the Arabia countries,people
got revolved and had protest to
defeat dictatorship in that area
because those people from 50 years
old down to 18 have no jobs.They
have 4 or 5 children to feed and
lacked of jobs.
Will Khmer people force Hun Sen
out of power ?Yes indeed.
Because of Khmer people go hungry,
they have to fight back Hun Sen.
The wind of change will come to
Cambodia.Be well prepared and aware
beforehand.
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