Nekkid Kids

I was watching a whole flock of young kids play naked in the dust in Siem Reap. Tumbling around with just the occasional bit of clothing, shrieking in the sunshine, it was like a perfect moment of childhood. And it made me realize that that isn't something I see too much anymore. I can't even recall seeing my family's kids nekkid (bar the extremely rare diaper change by this itinerant great-auntie) never mind a stranger's.

Children, and their exploitation are a big, big issue in Cambodia. Hey, whenever I thought of the place prior to coming here, my associations went like this: Angkor Wat. Pol Pot. Paedophiles (Gary Glitter). And there is no doubt it's a huge, huge problem here.

But I am happy to say that the government is starting to make some moves...Hotels are listed as 'Child Safe' - no one under 16 can stay in a hotel unless they are accompanied by an adult with passports proving they are family. And any hotel caught with an under-age kid onsite loses their licence to host foreigners (by far the most lucrative side of any hotel trade)..

Koh Kong remains the biggest paedophile hangout in the world - but publicity and the new fancy Thai-Cambodian highway running right through it with bus after bus of far more savoury and bigger spending 'normal' tourists is shining one hell of a big spotlight on the place.

Posters and handouts and rewards for reporting perverts and hotel programs and street kid hostels and education and awareness and so on, it's really good to see. But I do recall spending an awful lot of time bare assed as a kid, and I am sad that that's not cool anymore. I wish kids everywhere could run around nekkid, and be safe, cause that is really, really cool to see..