Ten year old Ny Rithy tearfully hugs his mother farewell before she departs to work in Thailand. The story had a happy ending however, with a local NGO offering her a job close to the pagoda. - Supplied photo
PHNOM PENH: As the number of Cambodians migrating to neighbouring countries in search of economic opportunities continues to increase, the number of children sent to Buddhist monasteries is also increasing, with most of them the children of parents who have headed to Thailand for jobs.
A recent poignant scene which was widely circulated on social media, saw a young novice monk crying as he hugged his mother goodbye before she left for Thailand on June 1.
