Saturday, 8 March 2008

World adoption of Cambodian children down by 15% in 2007

March 08, 2008

International adoption of Cambodian children decreased by 15 percent in 2007 compared to 2006 due to more strict censor by the government, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodian Daily said on Saturday.

A total of 249 Cambodian children, 104 girls and 145 boys, we readopted by foreign parents in 2007, compared to 294 children, 143 girls and 151 boys, in 2006, said Keo Borentr, director general of technical affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"We need to find adoptive parents locally first because the living conditions and family economy of the Cambodian people have improved," he was quoted as saying.

Cambodian orphanages' capacity for orphans has also improved over the years, he said.

In 2007, parents in Italy adopted 164 children, those in Austria 31 and those in France 19, he added.

Adoption of Cambodian children has become ever popular since United States movie star Angelina Jolie adopted a Cambodian boy years ago. The boy has lived a happy life with her in New York with frequent global media exposure.

Source: Xinhua

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