Takeo-October 10, 2009, at meeting hall of Sla commune, Samraong district, Takeo province, a monthly meeting was held by Sla Commune Council, at which the commune children representatives were authorized to attend. A child, named NOU Kuoy, representative of the commune children, in the meeting, proposed two billiard tables in the village that made some students did not going to school because they were addicted to billiard game.

When they lost the game they felt worried and they wished to bring back their money so they did not go to school. The same thing, when they won the game they were happy to continue to play until school time was out. Regarding this issue, the children representative requested to the commune council that it was no need to close down the house operating the billiard game because it was the business to earn the living by the homeowner. However, should the said house be closed down it shall be secretly opened.

The children representative only requested that the authorities call the homeowner of the game house to enter into contract that if the children or youths who were student to go to play billiard game at his/her house, he/she shall explain those students that they should go to school and shall not allow them to play. To response to this request, some members of the meeting were of the opinion that the game house shall be completely closed because sometimes it only prevented the students from going to school but also caused many other social problems.

Moreover, the police officers stressed that the said house had been closed down for several times but after a while it had been opened. Regarding this issue, the police officers were not entitled to arrest the owner of game house to tutor or imprison because no law stipulate that the operation of such game is the crime. Moreover, the report from the residents could not provide competency to the police officers to intervene this issue unless the complaint was lodged against this issue.

Therefore, the authorities requested the children representative that the written complaint shall be lodged against any issues in the society so that the authorities were easy in take legal measures. At the same time, one of the seven commune council members agreed to the request by the children representative and said that the request was the best way to deal the problem. He understood that it was the social issue so that the complaint shall not be filed, the authorities shall intervene when they were informed of this matter by the children.

However, the authorities though that they could not close down the livelihood business, the best resolution was that the business owner shall be invited to enter into a contract and educate him/ her. On the other hand, the children who did not go to school as well as the gangster children, the blames shall be put on the guardians and the children themselves.

The commune council with Mr. CHEY Son as the chairman concluded that the meeting shall be held three times a month among of the commune council, teacher representatives, monks, children and all youth in the commune and the children’s guardians in order to educate them to go to the good path. On the other hand, all the school principals shall disseminate the education to the students at the time they obeyed the national flag. Whereas, the commune child or monks, when the traditional rituals were held, shall help cooperate in disseminate the education through the public-address system to the children and youths in order them to conduct themselves properly.

The child NOU Kouy expressed the pleasure as the issue he raised was interested by the meeting and discussed for resolution. He also thanked to the National Commissariat for Development of Cambodia with Mr. CHE Thuok as the Executive Director who coordinate in the invitation of children representatives to attend the meeting of the commune council. The monthly meeting held by the Sla commune council, the commune clerk read each chapter of the internal regulation of the commune council to the members of the meeting at which the seven members of the commune council, the commune chief representative, monks, health department, school principals, and approximately 30 of the commune residents who were present in order to be informed.

Besides the request by the said child, the last agenda of the monthly morning-meeting, the other agendas shall cover the commune development such as the dissemination of the campaign towards the elimination of the gangster children, the registration for election voting to the eligible persons, the dissemination of vaccination of tetanus to women age from 15 years old to 45 years old, the report on results of the implementation of the commune intensification program, the report form the representatives of school, hospital and the police officers on so on. The meeting was concluded in a happy, respectful and sodality environment.