Cambodian Navy rescues two Thai and five Cambodian "slaves"

The Cambodian navy rescued two Thai nationals and five Cambodians after they jumped from a fishing boat alleging they had been forced to work 24 hours a day with no pay since July, police said Tuesday.

Sam Saroeun, the immigration chief of the port city of Sihanoukville, 240 kilometers from the capital, said the men claimed they would rather drown than be slaves any longer and jumped ship from the unidentified vessel Sunday.

'They saw land and they jumped,' he said.

The five Cambodians came from various provinces, but police did not know what areas the Thais had originated from, Sarouen said.

'The Thais were escorted back to the Thai border so they could go home,' he said by telephone. 'All of the rescued men were very weak.'

Cambodian authorities said they were investigating the incident, but warned Khmers that they made themselves vulnerable to abuse, kidnap and trafficking if they entered neighbouring countries illegally searching for work.