Cambodian Prime Minister urges to end violence against children

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Tuesday called for the end of violence against children and advised the authorities to pay attention to the rights of all children.

"It is crucial to work together to protect children from violence and drug abuse because these issues could cause serious impact on human rights, society and people's well-being, especially children," he said during the celebration of the June 1st Children's Day.

Held at the Grand Theater on the Diamond Island here, the event was participated by some 3,000 people who are officials, diplomatic corps, development partners, child-related organization representatives, teachers, students and children.

Natascha Paddison, deputy representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Cambodia, said the celebration of the Children's Day was to reiterate commitment to protecting, respecting and realizing the rights of all children.

"Violence against children is everywhere and in every country in the world. But often, violence is invisible, occurring within the community, behind closed doors, to harming children and affecting their well-being," she said. "Violence against children is preventable when people come together and state that violence is unacceptable."

Meanwhile, she commended the Cambodian government for making remarkable progress in protecting the rights of all children.

It is estimated that the Southeast Asian country has 5.48 million children aged below 18, representing 41 percent of the country's population.

According to a government survey on the violence against children in 2013, about 53 percent of all children in Cambodia experienced at least one incident of physical violence prior to the age of 18 by an intimate partner, parent, adult relative, or community member.

The survey estimated that the minimum economic loss of health consequences of violence against children in Cambodia totalled 161 million U.S. dollars in 2013, accounting for 1.06 percent of the country's GDP.

Source: XINHUA