Portrait of girl holding two textiles for sale at Siem Reap

A pre-adolescent girl holds a brown cloth over her shoulder and a printed blue one over her right forearm. Both cloths appear to be printed examples of local batik designs. The girl's brow is furrowed in concentration as she looks towards her right, perhaps in the direction of a customer. The brightly colored new textiles the girl is selling contrast sharply to the worn blouse she is wearing. Cambodia has been an especially poor country since the civil wars and brutal Communist Khmer Rouge rule of the 1970s. As in many other parts of Southeast Asia, young children usually begin work at an early age to help support their families. A place such as Siem Reap, which draws foreign tourists coming to visit the ancient temples at nearby Angkor, draws families into the marketing of handicrafts attractive to travelers.