LIBRARY

23 July 2013

The Guardian newspaper recently ran a damning expose of child labor on the KSL Group sugar plantations in Cambodia that supply the sugar giant Tate & Lyle Sugars. Rather than acting quickly to address the abuses, the companies seem to have resorted to a strategy of denial and legal bullying in an attempt to defend their tarnished reputations.

31 May 2012

On May 31, the children and grandchildren of "the Boeung Kak 15" - former residents of the Boeung Kak Lake community who have been jailed following a land dispute - gathered outside the Ministry of Justice to sing songs in support of their relatives.

29 May 2012

LICADHO and its partner NGOs will mark International Children's Day today by distributing food and materials to children and pregnant women in 14 of Cambodia's prisons.

LICADHO has also organized special Children's Day events at Correctional Center 2 ("CC2"), Kandal provincial prison, and Siem Reap provincial prison. The events will include games, prizes and guest speakers who will discuss children's issues.

9 June 2011

I gave up school for a job as domestic worker when I was very young. I earned just 100,000 Riels (approximately USD 25) per month, which was already advanced by my mother. In addition to housework, I was also assigned to sell fried crickets at night at various beer gardens and bars. Just three months after I came to work for the family, the male house owner raped me while I was in the house alone. I was subsequently raped on further occasions, and intimidated into not disclosing the information. The owner also gave me contraceptive injections.

- A 13-year-old girl from a remote province fell into bonded labour as a domestic worker for a family.

LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia will mark World Day Against Child Labour on June 10 and June 12 by organizing two community events to raise public awareness and actions on the worst forms of child labour.

1 June 2011

Phnom Penh - LICADHO and friends will mark International Children's Day on June 1, 2011 by distributing food and materials to children and pregnant women in 14 of Cambodia's prisons.

In cooperation with prison department at Ministry of Interior, LICADHO will also hold special Children's Day events at Correctional Center 2 ("CC2") and Takhmao prisons. The events at CC2 and Takhmao will include games, prizes and guest speakers who will discuss children's issues.

Some 730 juvenile prisoners were incarcerated in Cambodia's 25 prisons as of April 2011, according to government statistics. The General Department of Prisons defines juvenile prisoners as those who were between ages 14 and 17 when they committed their crime; they may continue to be classified as juvenile prisoners if they reach their 18th birthday in prison. Fourteen is the age of criminal responsibility in Cambodia.

21 April 2011

The Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) strongly condemns the violence used earlier today against peaceful Boeung Kak lake protesters and the arrest of 11 villagers - including young children - in front of the Phnom Penh municipal cabinet.

At around 8:30AM, about 100 villagers from the Boeung Kak lake gathered in front of the Phnom Penh municipal cabinet to attempt once again to meet authorities to discuss two issues: i) to stop the lake filling causing flooding in the area, and ii) to stop evictions until authorities enter into negotiations with the villagers and reach an agreement with the affected residents.

8 March 2011

The number of women and girls in Cambodian prisons has soared 41 percent since 2007, outpacing the already extraordinary overall growth rate of 29 percent during the same period.

At the end of 2010, a total of 914 women were incarcerated in Cambodia. An average of 12 of these women was pregnant; while an average of 47 young children were living alongside their incarcerated mothers.

LICADHO and its partner NGOs are marking International Women's Day this year by drawing attention to the plight of imprisoned women and children. LICADHO and its partners will deliver food and supplies to female prisoners at 18 prisons and hold special events at Correctional Center 2 ("CC2") and Takhmao prisons. The events at CC2 and Takhmao will include traditional dancing and games, as well as guest speakers who will spread out International Women's Day impression.

30 September 2010

"I was told by the company that I could earn $ US 180 per month as a domestic helper in Malaysia. During the first six months my salary would be deducted to cover the expenses of the company. I thumb-printed the documents without knowing their content, and the company did not give me any copies or explain anything in detail to me. But I know that the company changed everything. In fact, the company changed my name and age in the documents, and I was told to use the name of my older sister."

This is an account of an underage girl who was sent to work as a domestic worker in Malaysia where she was mistreated with other Cambodian maids. Channa (not her real name) was brought up in Koh Kong province in a poor family. She met with a representative of a licensed recruitment agency who promised to give her a highly paid job in Malaysia. She was underage, but the company facilitated falsified documents including a passport, visa and other necessary documents so that she could be sent to work abroad.

18 June 2010

In June 2010, LICADHO helped organized two events to promote the rights of children in Cambodia. International Children's Day was celebrated on June 1st, with the slogan "Community Without Trafficking." The World Day Against Child Labour occurred on June 12th under the theme "I protect the children, do you?"

The two events are celebrated every year to highlight children's rights and promote prevention and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. The aim is also to draw public attention and increase awareness of children's rights violations.

16 June 2010

“When I was putting the soil into the mixing machine, the soil was stuck, so I tried to push it in, suddenly the machine caught my arm inside. After the incident, I returned to hometown to live with my single father and three younger brothers. I need to look after all of them because my father is mentally weak. I am so hopeless and my dreams are also destroyed, as I am disabled and uneducated. I don’t know what I can do besides tending cows every day. I left school when I was in grade 1 before I went to work in the brick factory.”

A 16-year-old boy who lost his left arm while he was working in a brick factory.

LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia will mark World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, 2010, by organizing a street march and local concert in Sangke District, Battambang. The event aims to sensitize the public on the issues of child labour, particularly on child labour in brick factories. The event will take place between 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

12 June 2010

In June 2009, LICADHO together with Horizons commenced a national survey of women living with their children in Cambodian prisons. The purpose of the survey was to identify the key problems faced by women and children during their incarceration, particularly in relation to food, clothing, health and hygiene; the extent to which services provided through the Adopt-A-Prison Project has helped to address these problems; and assess the need for educational and recreational programs for children living in prison.

1 June 2010

To mark International Children’s Day this year, LICADHO is promoting the theme of “A community without child trafficking” in Kien Svay district, Kandal province, to promote children’s rights as well as raise awareness of child trafficking and the worst forms of child labor. The program will run from 7.30 am until 11am and will provide children with an opportunity to participate in singing, games, quizzes and awards. Secondary school students, community workers, local and vulnerable children, and the general public are encouraged to attend. Guests at the event include the Kien Svay district deputy-governor, Korky commune chief and LICADHO’s President, Dr. Pung Chhiv Kek.

30 June 2009

I get up at 5:30 a.m. so I can let the dogs out of the house. Then I clean the dog droppings, wash the dishes, and prepare food for the dogs. At around 8 a.m., I have to leave the house to work at the private school that my employer runs. I also bring clothes which need cleaning with me so I can hand-wash them. After I arrive at the school, I have to go to the market, help with the cooking, and prepare lunch for my employer. Then, I do the washing-up and clean the school building and the clothes. In the afternoon I also have to tend to the bikes of the students who study at the school.

This is the story of a 16-year-old domestic worker and the conditions she works and lives in. Her story is shared by thousands of exploited children across Cambodia.

10 June 2009

A concert to raise awareness about child domestic workers’ rights will be held at Provincial Stadium of Kampong Cham, on June 12, from 4:30pm to 9:30pm.

Organized by human rights organization LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia (WVC), the concert aims to highlight the rights of child domestic workers to education, health-care, and protection from physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and exploitation. The 12 June event coincides with the World Day against Child Labor, the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention Number 182 which requires signatory countries to take action to end the worst forms of child labor.

12 May 2008

Sophal* was only six when he became a child brick factory worker. The rest of his family has spent over five years working in the brick factory. Together, the family of five earns less than US$25 per month. The work is hard, and the children often get sick. The job involves repetitive lifting, carting and drying of clay, and hauling brick blocks in and out of hot furnaces.

On May 7, World Vision Cambodia (WVC) and LICADHO launched a joint research report "Child Labor in Brick Factories - Causes and Consequences" at a workshop in Battambang city. The research, conducted in July 2007, aimed to identify causes and consequences of child labor in brick factories in the surrounding areas of Battambang city.

8 May 2008

As part of the campaign against the worst forms of child labor for the wellbeing of Cambodian children, LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia have commissioned the research team, led by Dr. Poch Bunnak, to conduct a study on children working in brick factories. The study was conducted in July 2007 to identify the causes and consequences of child labor in brick factories in Battambang and Sang Ke districts, the surrounding areas of Battambang
provincial city.

Data were collected using interviewer-completed questionnaires from three main sources (132 child workers, 43 parents, and 15 brick factory owners or managers) from 26 brick factories. It is estimated that between 400 and 500 children work daily in these brick factories during the high labour-demand season.

8 March 2008

As of February 2008, there are 562 women living in 18 out of Cambodia's 26 prisons. Of these women, 4 were pregnant and 43 women brought their children to live with them in prison or had given birth to children while in prison, for a total of 50 children living with their mothers in prison.

Life in Cambodian prisons is a harsh reality for any individual. Limited access to food and clean water, overcrowding of prison cells, routine denial of quality medical services and violence towards prisoners from prison officials and other inmates is a part of everyday life. Life in prison becomes even more difficult when you are pregnant, or if you bring your children to live with you in prison.

21 September 2007

From September 15 to 17, 2007, an art-exhibition entitled "Experience and Dreams, Drawings by Children in Prison", was hosted at the Cambodian National Cultural Centre in Phnom Penh. The exhibition put on display a collection of expressive drawings by children detained in prison that illustrated prison conditions, their personal impressions of the justice system and their thoughts and future dreams.

29 August 2007

Although Cambodia has seen rapid economic growth in recent years, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world with most of its citizens living in poverty. The reality of poverty is that it is indiscriminate and affects not only adults but also children. This sadly forces many young children to engage in domestic and manual labor to support their families, with a large proportion working under severe conditions.

26 August 2007

LICADHO is organizing a march against child trafficking and sexual abuse in Sihanoukville. The march, themed: "Let's work together to combat child trafficking and sexual exploitation", aims to spread awareness about these forms of abuse and the devastating effects they have on children.