Burmese Workers Suspected Of Raping And Murdering Thai University Student In Chiang Mai

[sriracha john]

Burmese Migrant Workers Suspected of Murdering Thai Girl

Police in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, launched a crackdown on illegal Burmese migrant workers following the rape and murder of a Thai university student, allegedly by two Burmese.

Reports in the Thai media said a 22-year-old Burmese construction worker had been arrested in connection with the crime and police were seeking a second man.

The 22-year-old Thai victim, who had been studying business administration at Chiang Mai’s Mae Jo University, was found dead in her dormitory room on February 8. Police said she had been raped and killed on February 7.

A local news web site, www.tnews.teenee.com, said that when news of the murder became known local people, including Mae Jo University students, called for the removal of Burmese construction workers from the area of the university campus.

About 100 illegal migrant workers were arrested by immigration police on Tuesday, a human rights group reported. A Burmese worker at Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar told The Irrawaddy Burmese migrants feared a wider police crackdown.

More than 80,000 Burmese migrants, the majority of them Shan, are estimated to be working, legally and illegally, in Chiang Mai.

- The Irrawaddy / 2009-02-11

[Loaded]

On Thai TV they showed the parents. She phoned her mum three times a day. She is the parent's only child. A very sad story. There will be a big backlash against the local Burmese community because of this imo. There are many angry Thai people. I live around 2 km from Maejo Uni.

[Ajarn]

I would imagine that the Big Story is now history, and that nothing new will be hapening to the Burmese in the news

[thaibkk]

seems the thais seem to accept those illegal if it is to profit from cheap labor

what about campus security...

[MisterMan]

And they know it was a Burmese how? Would be so easy to blame them.

[johna]

Sorry about the victim, but

How convenient that the culprits are Burmese, pity though that they are not Rohingyas??

[Shazza]

And they know it was a Burmese how? Would be so easy to blame them.

MMMMmmmmm.... did he break a light bulb on the way out????? That could help with the inquiry...

[neverdie]

SJ,

Theres no chance of a good news story when you doing the rounds, is there?

[dominique355]

Sorry about the victim, but

How convenient that the culprits are Burmese, pity though that they are not Rohingyas??

Exactly my first thought too. How convenient for the government to find a scapegoat and legitimize their abominable treatment of the Burmese refugees.

[Roby]

What police do against illegal worker and Cie who employ....

[fruittbatt]

What a hideous and callous crime against this young woman. Condolences to her family and friends.

The ethnicity of the perpetrator is irrelevant and sheeting the blame home to a Burmese illegal immigrant is a typically racist response. If the perpetrator were a Thai, his/her ethnicity would not be considered an issue worthy of mention.

[THAILIBAN]

Hmmmm....... a sad sad story indeed..... and a young kid who will never ever have a MOM again.

but I guess the Burmese will experience even more unfair treatment than before here now...... would there be such an outcry , if the murderer would have been a THAI (as usually the case) ?

and when that gay Farang Music teacher was slaughtered by young SHAN men in CM just a few days ago, there was no such protest from the Thai citizens.....

[loburt]

Sorry about the victim, but

How convenient that the culprits are Burmese, pity though that they are not Rohingyas??

Exactly my first thought too. How convenient for the government to find a scapegoat and legitimize their abominable treatment of the Burmese refugees.

So the investigation was carried out by "the government" and it's not possible that a Burmese migrant worker is the culprit?

It's amazing how many people who aren't there already know all the answers.

[Smithson]

What's the bet we have a confession before the results of the DNA test?

[Indra]

Perhaps somebody can provide update about the news, I believe that the accusation is based on certain facts (either breaking a light bulb on the way out or a DNA test)

There is no point of blaming the police before we even know the whole story.

[Vinnai]

Burmese Migrant Workers Suspected of Murdering Thai Girl

Police in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, launched a crackdown on illegal Burmese migrant workers following the rape and murder of a Thai university student, allegedly by two Burmese.

Reports in the Thai media said a 22-year-old Burmese construction worker had been arrested in connection with the crime and police were seeking a second man.

The 22-year-old Thai victim, who had been studying business administration at Chiang Mai's Mae Jo University, was found dead in her dormitory room on February 8. Police said she had been raped and killed on February 7.

A local news web site, www.tnews.teenee.com, said that when news of the murder became known local people, including Mae Jo University students, called for the removal of Burmese construction workers from the area of the university campus.

About 100 illegal migrant workers were arrested by immigration police on Tuesday, a human rights group reported. A Burmese worker at Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar told The Irrawaddy Burmese migrants feared a wider police crackdown.

More than 80,000 Burmese migrants, the majority of them Shan, are estimated to be working, legally and illegally, in Chiang Mai.

- The Irrawaddy / 2009-02-11

Students name? I cant contact someone up there now and I am a bit concerned!

[peacerichard]

Hmmmm....... a sad sad story indeed..... and a young kid who will never ever have a MOM again.

but I guess the Burmese will experience even more unfair treatment than before here now...... would there be such an outcry , if the murderer would have been a THAI (as usually the case) ?

and when that gay Farang Music teacher was slaughtered by young SHAN men in CM just a few days ago, there was no such protest from the Thai citizens.....

it is speculation that they were burmese. i know a maejo student and their reaction in a planned sitin on this crime was focused on the need for a better police investigation. the sit in has not been reported and i am saying no more

on the second point: if you attended the four days of the music teacher funeral you would realise that about 20 farang attended and 130 thai on the last day, about 5 farang and 20 thai on the first 3 days. yes, thais don't protest but equally please do not assume that they all readily blame the shan, the burmese or any other non-thai race. that is just not the case. i do not of course speak for the media

[Africanteacher]

Burmese? Yeah, right!

Amazing how it's so easy to blame the Burmese immigrants. Shame on the article , so ready to point out nationalities just to stir issues. Shame!

So sad about the girl though. Really sad

[kat]

My deepest condolences to the family. This is a heinous crime and I hope the true culprits are caught and brought to justice. I hope that real justice is served, and not just convenient scapegoats that make it easy for the police and everyone involved, including the real guilty party, whomever it may be.

That being said, the Burmese are ALWAYS a convenient scapegoat in Thailand, especially construction workers. It is so much of a stereotype, that Thais always warned me about BURMESE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS in particularly. I've known literally hundreds of Burmese during my 4 years in Thailand, but funnily enough all of the sex crimes that I' ve heard about have been Thai. But, if there are Burmese construction workers anywhere near a crime, according to Thai speculation and Thai thinking, it must be them.

I am just hoping for a real investigation, and a real arrest. I hope that's not asking for too much.

[pacovl46]

And they know it was a Burmese how? Would be so easy to blame them.

that's very easy to answer. thais would "never" do that. so it must have been the poor burmese who just happened to be working close by.

[Gravelrash]

Another terrible waste of a life.

I believe the police just want to be seen to be solving the case, when in doubt or protecting someone influential blame the Burmese. I recall (correctly?) that the murders in Fang were also blamed on Burmese on very suspect evidence, case closed.

Doesn't mean it wasn't them, but it starts to get like the boy that cried wolf.

[Paagai]

Hmmmm....... a sad sad story indeed..... and a young kid who will never ever have a MOM again.

but I guess the Burmese will experience even more unfair treatment than before here now...... would there be such an outcry , if the murderer would have been a THAI (as usually the case) ?

and when that gay Farang Music teacher was slaughtered by young SHAN men in CM just a few days ago, there was no such protest from the Thai citizens.....

it is speculation that they were burmese. i know a maejo student and their reaction in a planned sitin on this crime was focused on the need for a better police investigation. the sit in has not been reported and i am saying no more

on the second point: if you attended the four days of the music teacher funeral you would realise that about 20 farang attended and 130 thai on the last day, about 5 farang and 20 thai on the first 3 days. yes, thais don't protest but equally please do not assume that they all readily blame the shan, the burmese or any other non-thai race. that is just not the case. i do not of course speak for the media

I know some burmese guys who live in the building where this murder took place, they claimed they knew the perpertrators who were Shan and the girl. As always, there was more to the story than reported in the press.

And yes, the result has been a very severe police backlash against Shan in Maejo resulting in a mass exodus. A clampdown on the Shan migrant workers has been getting more intense in the past few weeks in CM with many raids on construction sites and arrests. Apparently motivated by the economic crisis and number of Thais returning North who've lost jobs in Bangkok. The murder of David Crisp, and now this murder have significantly increased police activity. Ironcially, several Shan's I know had moved to Maejo as it was percieved safer than Chang Mai (Chang Peuk/Kamtieng). More info about raids yesterday here

Of course, the BIB have something of a dilema here. The Shan are the source of cheap labour for the many rich Thai's building Condos etc all over CM who depend on cheap Shan labour, preferably illegal as its even chaper. They won't like having their profit margins erroded by having to employ legals or, shock horror, Thais at even the minimum wage!

On the subject of the Shan "tribal" Connection" in the David Crisp murder, this story came from one journalist in BKK who has since published an apology, after his story had gone round the world. See here for more details And here

[mrdome]

It shouldn't matter if the perpetrators are Burmese, Thai, French Canadian with a half Chinese father and a Cherokee grandma or from Mars.

Unfortunately,for the less educated of the world it very much does matter.

[Scott]

My condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

I would hope the police do a thorough investigation, however, since the Rohingyas have caused them to lose face, they will be out to make sure that the world knows that the Burmese are truly BAD people.

[backsoon]

And they know it was a Burmese how? Would be so easy to blame them.

that's very easy to answer. thais would "never" do that. so it must have been the poor burmese who just happened to be working close by.

Sad, sad story. Sorry for the girl. Sorry for her parents, relatives and friends.

Maybe i am not normal, but my immediate thought was ' may some of us, expats, disquise as burmese?'...

Just think,- no problems with immigration, no waste of time on visas, no work permits... Sorry for all of us.

[johnefallis]

Sorry about the victim, but

How convenient that the culprits are Burmese, pity though that they are not Rohingyas??

Exactly my first thought too. How convenient for the government to find a scapegoat and legitimize their abominable treatment of the Burmese refugees.

Legitimizes nothing they do

[wrecker]

Let's assume for one moment that the murderer was indeed Burmese. I would not dare to bet my money on it as these kinds of judgements are often made far too soon and often without real evidence. What sense does it make to demand that all construction workers are removed from the job? They together with the Izan people are doing the jobs, so no work will be done anymore. The backlash towards Burmese workers is nothing new. Burmese workers, mostly Shan, are rounded up at will for many many years. Maybe Angelina Jolie does not even have to visit an refugee camp, she can just visit Chiangmai.

[brahmburgers]

I'm reading this from a computer in Burma. Am sad to hear of such a heinous & cowardly act.

Let's hope the Thai detectives do an uncharacteristically thorough investigation - DNA, hair, and as much scientific analysis as reasonably possible - in an objective manner.

[bkk75]

It shouldn't matter if the perpetrators are Burmese, Thai, French Canadian with a half Chinese father and a Cherokee grandma or from Mars.

Unfortunately,for the less educated of the world it very much does matter.

Less educated? Education has nothing to do with compassion, hated, and level headedness.

North Americans are "typically" well educated but they are just as racist and hateful as any other nationalities.

You want everyone to be treated fairly, then cut out everyone's eyes and ears.

[nyanhtetaung]

My condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

I would hope the police do a thorough investigation, however, since the Rohingyas have caused them to lose face, they will be out to make sure that the world knows that the Burmese are truly BAD people.

hey i'm burmese over here.

btw,it doesn't mean all burmese are bad ....

most of the ppl who r not educated are bad

whatever burmese , or thai

.......

is there any good president in the world???

everybody is bad .. u and me too...

watch ur language