Boat-people accuse Thai police of uncaring treatment

The Cambodia News.Net
Thursday 15th January, 2009

Thai soldiers have forced illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Burma out to sea in rickety boats.

The boats, some without engines, had been used to carry the illegal immigrants from their homelands.

Some survivors, rescued later by Indonesian sea craft, said Thai police had tied their hands and had given them little or no food and water before towing them back out to sea.

Many of the boatpeople are now recovering from acute dehydration on islands off Indonesia.

Thai police and army sources have confirmed that asylum seekers had been pushed out to sea.

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