A group of more than 500 Bangladeshis and stateless Rohingyas set sail in Bangladesh to travel to Malaysia back in December 2008. They were hoping to find better jobs and make a new life for themselves there.

But, Thai authorities caught them at sea and detained the group. The asylum seekers claim they were brutally treated at the hands of Thai military for eight days.

29 Bangladeshis are still being held in the International Detention Center in Thailand. Their family members are worried about them.

[Nurun Nahar, Mother of Detainee]:
“I asked my son not to go. But he did not listen to me, now he is suffering so much in Thailand.”

The asylum seekers say Thai authorities later pushed them out to sea in four boats without engines.

[Furuqul Alam, Former Asylum Seeker]:
“The Thai navy abandoned us there in the high seas and after 12 days of floating in the sea we reached near the Andaman Islands. During this time 16 people on the boat died and three others also died after we landed, all due to a lack of food and drinking water.”

The Indian navy rescued them near the Andaman Islands.

According to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, out of 583 on board, only 380 survived.

The Thai prime minister says his government is conducting an investigation into the matter.

[Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thai Prime Minister]:
"We have the policy to push the refugees back based on a standard we have. So far, there is no problem but once we receive the information, we will investigate the situation.”

Rohingyas are an oppressed Muslim minority mainly from Burma, and asylum seekers from Bangladesh.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 230-thousand Rohingyas now live in Bangladesh. Most have fled from northwest Burma after decades of abuse and harassment at the hands of its military rulers.