Thai murder: fresh concerns about “confessions”

Thursday 06 November 2014

The Burmese government has asked Thai police to reopen their investigation into the murders of Jerseyman David Miller and Hannah Witheridge from the UK after fresh concerns that the suspects were beaten and tortured.

The Burmese Embassy in Thailand is reported to have asked the authorities to reopen the case into the murders, which was closed when two young Burmese men apparently confessed.

But the Thai National Human Rights Commission has expressed reservations about the confessions, and the UK government has sent two policemen to Koh Tao – the Thai diving resort Island where the murders took place almost two months ago – over concerns that the Royal Thai Police had been too quick to pin the blame on migrant workers.

Speaking in Thailand to the Democratic Voice of Burma, lawyer Aung Myo Thant said: “The [suspects] have told the National Human Rights Commission, the lawyers, our embassy team and their parents on each occasion that they were beaten by police. Therefore, we have requested that a special team be formed to re-investigate the case. We presented a formal letter of request to a ministry official.”

An online petition at change.org was handed to Downing Street last month after more than 100,000 people signed up to demand an independent investigation into the murders, and Amnesty International have called for an investigation into claims the two suspects were threatened with electrocution.

The suspects are reported to have retracted their confessions, but the head of the Royal Thai Police has reportedly threatened anyone speculating about the murders with up to five years in jail.