Number of Cambodian working children rises

No comparative figure was given in the report, issued jointly by the Cambodian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"Moreover, many children are involved in the bad forms of child labour such as child trafficking for sexual exploitation and employment as construction workers and household maids," Hun Sen said.

He said however that some forms of child labour, where children helped out in household activities, were useful as they amounted to transfer of knowledge and skills from parents to children. According to the report, half of girls aged 14 to 17 worked, compared with 36 percent of boys.

"The higher rate of economic activity among girls aged 14 to 17 years means that these girls are much less likely than boys, to attend secondary school," it said.

The report said children were working long hours, with more than one-third of child workers aged 10 to 13 working 37 hours per week and two-thirds of workers aged 14 to 17 working more than 40 hours per week.

"Children, like adults, have basic human rights, one of which is to enjoy their childhood without having to worry about earning a living," UNDP resident representative Dominique McAdams said at the launch.