The two monks - Nang Pong and Vom Vong, both 19 - gave up their monastic lives on Thursday after the chief monk at their temple accused them of secretly courting the girls in violation of Buddhist precepts, 'The Cambodia Daily' reported.

The teenage girls earlier had been told to leave the monks alone, deputy district police chief Yung Sam was quoted as saying. Ninety per cent of Cambodia's 13 million people are Buddhist.