POIPET, CAMBODIA
Rounded up by Thai authorities or simply afraid of violence, thousands of Cambodian workers and their families left Thailand on a mass exodus.
Unprepared, authorities and relief organizations struggled to keep up providing aid to returnees at Cambodia’s Poipet border. “The first days were sad, the trucks unloaded them as if they were rubbish”, a shop owner remembers. “There was nobody here to help them”.
As heavily packed trucks and buses continued to pour from the Thai side unloading thousands of men, women and children, authorities on the Cambodian side redirected the confused returnees to army trucks and police buses to be taken back to their provinces.
“We would never have gone to Thailand if we could find work here”, 23 year-old Samnang protests while he climbs up an army truck bound for his homeland in Siem Reap province. Along with his three sisters, Samnang left Cambodia to pick corn in Thailand over a year ago. Now back home, they fear not to find any work. “If the government lets us, we will go back to Thailand”, one of his sisters affirms.
While water, food and information booklets were distributed among returnees; some NGOs controversially provided religious literature as part of the new life orientation packages.
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Thousands of workers are driven in Thai trucks to the Cambodian border town of Poipet. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
By the hundreds, Cambodian workers arrive in Thai trucks to Poipet. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
A Cambodian soldier directs new arrivals to army trucks that will transport them to their respective provinces. Thousands of workers and their families have returned to Cambodia fleeing the Thai Coup. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Cambodian workers and their families arrive by the hundreds in Thai trucks to the Cambodian border town of Poipet. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Women and children arrive to Poipet in a Thai immigration truck. Thousands continue to return to Cambodia fleeing the Thai Coup. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
A Thai immigration truck unloads workers and families returning to Cambodia. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
“We would have not gone to Thailand if we could find work here”, says a young man on his return back to Cambodia. Thousands of workers have returned to Cambodia fleeing the Thai Coup. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Cambodian workers arrive in trucks from Thailand to Poipet. Everyday, thousands continue to return to Cambodia fleeing the Thai Coup. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Returnees find transportation back to their provinces in army trucks and police buses organized by the Cambodian government. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
A man carries his belongings on his return to Cambodia. Daily, thousands of people continue to return from Thailand fleeing the Coup. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Workers and their families returning from Thailand are transported in army trucks back to their provinces in Cambodia. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
Besides water, food and information booklets on immigration, Christian literature is distributed by NGOs to returnees. Poipet, Cambodia. June 17, 2014. Cambodia ©Erika Pineros
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