Cambodian government warns students of Valentine's Day perils

A Cambodian man buys Valentine's gifts along a street in Phnom Penh on February 14, 2012. - AFP/File / Tang Chhin Sothy

Phnom Penh (AFP) - Cambodia's government has hit out at Valentine's Day, warning students against losing the "dignity of themselves and their families" in a note sent to schools across the country.

Valentine's Day has become something of a favourite among young people in many Southeast Asian countries in recent years, with bunches of red roses and heart-shaped chocolates cropping up in stores and on street stalls each February.