Cambodians flee as Thai junta targets illegal workers

An estimated 135,000 Cambodian migrant workers have deported or fled from Thailand since early this month after the new military government rounded up illegal migrant labourers, an official said Sunday.

"As of Sunday night, Thai authorities have sent about 135,000 Cambodian workers back to Cambodia," Kousoum Saroeuth, governor of Banteay Meanchey province told Xinhua.

The Cambodia-Thailand International Border Checkpoint is located in Banteay Meanchey.

He said some 25,000 workers were sent back to Cambodia Sunday.

"We don't know how many more Cambodian migrant workers will be repatriated from Thailand," he said.

About 300 military trucks and buses are still standing by to bring those workers back to their hometowns free of charge as local authorities and charitable organisations have provided them with food and water, the governor said.

Cambodian Minister of Labour Ith Samheng said Friday that Banteay Meanchey province's Poipet City has more than 200,000 Cambodian labourers, including 80,000 legal migrant workers, who work in Thailand.

He said in order to assist those returnees to find new jobs in Cambodia, the government was preparing a jobs creation blitz to address the influx of labourers.

"If workers do not have skills, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training will offer them training courses, so they will have opportunities to find new jobs," he said.