June 1 is International Children’s Day. One third of Cambodia’s population is under age 18.
Article 48 of the Constitution states:
The State shall protect the rights of children as stipulated in the Convention on Children, in particular, the rights to life, education, protection during wartime, and protection from economic or sexual exploitation.
The State shall protect children from any forms of labor that are injurious to their educational opportunities, health and welfare.

However, many children in Cambodia are not receiving the benefits of these rights. Children are being raised in prisons with incarcerated mothers, they are sent to work instead of to school, they are forcibly evicted from their homes due to economic land concessions, and physical and sexual abuse of children continues to be widespread.