PHNOM PENH - Cambodian children's rights continue to be infringed on despite improvements in recent years, new reports and experts say ahead of Children's Day in Cambodia on Saturday.

The KidsRights Index, published in May, ranks Cambodia 128 out of 181 countries on children's rights. The report, which looks at indicators that include health, education and children's protection, finds that economic growth does not lead to better implementation of children's rights.

The kingdom scored worse than neighboring Thailand, (ranked 14), Vietnam (ranked 57), and Laos (ranked 112), and scored only slightly better than Myanmar (ranked 133).

Huy Khy, Save the Children's senior policy advocacy adviser, said although significant progress had been made in the legal framework for the protection of children's rights, implementation remained fragile.

"Despite this remarkable progress, children in Cambodia are still experiencing a number of challenges and needs related to learning, protection, health, and participation," he said in an email to VOA.