Thailand says it has no policy to sweep out illegal migrants

Thailand's junta has denied that it is pursuing a "sweep and clean" policy of driving illegal foreign workers out of the country, despite mass departures by fearful Cambodians since the military took power last month.

The International Organisation for Migration estimates more than 100,000 undocumented Cambodian men, women and children have fled Thailand amid fears of a crackdown on illegal labour since the May 22 coup. Yesterday Cambodia said the exodus had topped 160,000.

The military's ruling National Council for Peace and Order insists Cambodians are leaving of their own accord. But Chem Choda, a Cambodian recently returned from Thailand, where he had been working illegally on a construction site in a Bangkok suburb, told a different story.

He said soldiers came to his workplace on Friday and talked to the Thai manager, who then told the employees all Cambodians working illegally must return home by order of the military.

"When I first heard this from the owner, I felt OK, I didn't feel scared or afraid," the 20-year-old said. "But when I saw the soldiers approach me, I felt scared. I decided then to go with them straight away, without complaint."

He said the soldiers did not mistreat him, and took him to a railway station, from where he was transported to the border.