Thursday, 12.6.2008: In 2009, ILO Will Assist Child Scavengers with Health Problems

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 564

“Phnom Penh: A technical advisor to the International Labor Organization [ILO], Mr. M.P. Joseph, said that from 2009 to 2020, ILO will implement a project assisting child scavengers with heath problems who are in the worst forms of child labor.

“Some years ago, ILO focused on children who were in the worst forms of child labor by assisting them to attend school, so that they can be free from this serious labor. In this project, ILO cooperates with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.

“The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Ms. Prak Chantha, said that in Cambodia, 1.5 million children are child laborers, among whom 250,000 children are in the worst forms of child labor. She added that in the first step from 2001 to 2004, more than 4,000 children were taken out from the worst forms of child labor. In the second step from 2004 t0 2008, 18,000, children were taken out from the worst forms of child labor, which was more than the goal set by ILO to assist 16,000 children.

“Mr. M.P. Joseph said that in the third step from 2009 to 2012, ILO will assist in helping child scavengers with their health problems, because previously, ILO has assisted children who are in the worst forms of child labor by helping them to attend school, but ILO had not implemented any heath project for those children yet. Children who are in the worst forms of child labor are those who work at brick kilns, those who are house servants, those children working at salt fields [see an old, 13 May 2005, related report here], at rubber plantations, and those who are child scavengers.

“The elimination of child labor is complicated and it relates to the children’s education. However, in many countries, including in Cambodia, children who are not cared for regularly have no access to go to school. Many poor families do not have the possibility to pay for school fees and for other learning materials at schools. Those families depend on children to help find income for the whole family; and such work is more important for them than the children’s education.

“If those families can send their sons or daughters to school, they choose their sons, while daughters mostly lose the opportunity to go to school.

“Mr. M.P. Joseph said that the removal of children from all forms of child labor is very important in developing the country, because children are very important resources, and if children cannot attend school, the country will not develop.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1665, 12.6.2008

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Thursday, 12 June 2008

Cambodge Soir, Vol.1, #36, 12-19.6.2008

• IMF: Cambodian Economic Growth Is 7% in 2008
• Youth Want Political Parties to Put Youth’s Problems among Their Priorities

Deum Ampil, Vol.2, #72, 11-17.6.2008

• Phanimex Company Is Accused of Using Armed Forces to Remove Land Markers of Ou Andoung, where Villagers Having a Dispute with Sok Kong Company [Prek Pra Commune, Meanchey District, Phnom Penh]

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1665, 12.6.2008

• In 2009, ILO Will Assist Child Scavengers with Health Problems
• During nearly Four Months, Almost 200 Girls and Women Were Sexually Abused [according to ADHOC]
• [Mr. Dam Sith’s] Lawyer Chuong Chougy: Warrant to Detain [the editor-in-chief of Moneaksekar Khmer] Mr. Dam Sith Did Not Have His Name
• In 2010, Cambodia Will Host Military Exercise of the UN and of Cambodia [said Prime Minister Hun Sen]

120 People Died and 97 Survived in a Plane Crash While Landing in Sudan

Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6369, 12.6.2008

• Those Who Have Degrees Have No Jobs while Some Institutions Lack Human Resources [this is a topic raised in a meeting at the Council of Ministers on 10 June 2008]
• Khmer Children in the United States Gather to Lean to Read and Write Khmer
• Nepalese King Left the Royal Palace and the Monarchy Came to an End [11 June 2008]

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3484, 12.6.2008

• Embassies of Important Countries [the United States, Germany, France] Are Worried about Political Situation in Cambodia before the Election [and warn they will not send their election observers to Cambodia if Mr. Dam Sith is not released]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4613, 12.6.2008

• Methane Company [phonetic] Plans to Create Bio-Energy in Cambodian Rural Areas [to get electricity for citizens]
• Sam Rainsy and Dam Sith’s Wife Visited Dam Sith at Prey Sar Prison
• Mangrove Forest in Chranouk Commune Is Being Destroyed [to get land for rice farming – Kompong Chhnang]

Have a look at last week’s editorial: Realizing that energy problems are not simply oil problems – so what shall we do?

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