The refugees had planned to march to Bangkok but were blocked by Thai police and soldiers

On Friday some 5,000 refugees marched out of the Huey Nam Khao camp in Thailand's Petchabun province, in an effort to bring attention to their claims for asylum.

About 2,000 of the refugees have now reportedly agreed to return to Laos, some of them saying they had been offered $500 per family from the Laos government - the equivalent of half a years' wage.

But the remaining 3,000 have refused to move, and are demanding urgent help from the United Nations' refugee agency.

They say they cannot return to their communist homeland because they risk being tortured or killed by the Laos military – claims rejected by Laos officials.

The refugees, including men, women and children, had hoped to march 350 km to the capital, Bangkok, to plead with the United Nations for help.

But they were blocked after walking less than 10km by a barrier of Thai police and soldiers.

Injured

The refugees say they have been treated as prisoners for the past four years

The Hmong say they have been living like prisoners for the past four years.

They have staged a series of hunger strikes and several have threatened to kill themselves, but their pleas have gone largely unnoticed.

Last month several huts in the camp were burned down after the refugees were told they would not be resettled in the United States.

The Thai government recently signed an agreement with Laos to send more than 7,000 Hmong back home, saying they are illegal migrants.

It has barred the UN refugee officials from entering the camp to issue refugee certificates.

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