According to Culture One of the long-standing customs of Cambodian culture is to prohibit children from expressing their opinion when adults are talking. Most adults consider children who express their opinions to be vain and the elders feel that allowing children to participate in discussions is a nuisance, according to Eang Nha, an official of the local human rights organization Licadho. The punishment that accompanies the act of speaking out discourages children from expressing themselves, he added. Many children said they were not brave enough to talk to visitors who come to their home or others whom they meet outside. I am afraid.
Visitors don t want to talk with a child.
Mom Thany, a senior adviser at Save the Children Norway, said some parents do not allow their children to ask questions, so the children have to learn to do things by themselves by imitating actions performed by their neighbors. Knowledge gained through imitation is not as good as knowledge gained from curiosity of wanting to know something and finding out by asking questions, she said. She added that in school, despite having education program on child-centered leaning methods, the practical implementation of the program has not been applied by all teachers. She said during public ceremonies, children are allowed to participate but under strict control of adults. Some parents interviewed by the Bamboo Shoots said to allow children to express opinions while they are discussing something is a big nuisance.