Hundreds of Cambodian workers who refused to work at a Thai seafood factory after the deaths of two men in a violent brawl on Monday have been offered employment at another factory, their spokesman said yesterday.

Workers’ representative Phan Chem said the factory, Siam International Food Company in Thailand’s Songkhla province, had promised to provide about 600 workers alternative employment within the company.

“The manager told us that in three more days, Cambodian workers will be moved to a new factory, which is about 10 kilometres away,” he said.

About 800 Cambodian workers refused to return to Siam International after a brawl involving hundreds of Cambodians and Burmese, some with weapons, broke out near the factory.

Cambodian Sar Seiha, 19, from Prey Veng, and a Burmese man were killed during the clash, and others were injured, Phan Chem said.

About 200 of the 800 workers had already fled the factory, which employs more than 1,000 Burmese, for employment elsewhere in Thailand, he said.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok had offered money to several Cambodians who needed medical treatment as well as to the family of Sar Seiha to pay for his cremation two days ago.

“Thai police are still investigating this case so they can arrest the murderers,” he said.

Sok Chamnan, director of Any Rita Manpower Company, the company that workers said sent them to work at Siam International, could not be reached for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Meas Sockhea at [email protected]