Koh Tao murder: Police 'willing' to probe abuse of Burmese suspects

[webfact]

Koh Tao Murder: Police 'Willing' To Probe Abuse of Burmese Suspects
By Khaood English

SURAT THANI — A senior Thai police officer has promised to investigate the claim that police abused Burmese migrant workers while interrogating them about the murder of two British tourists in southern Thailand last week.

"If there is an allegation of police officers committing wrongful acts, we are willing to investigate the matter," said Pol.Maj.Gen. Suwat Chaengyodsuk, a deputy commander of Metropolitan Police Bureau leading the investigation into the murders.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Suwat was responding to a report by Irrawaddy, which alleged that police beat two Burmese migrant workers while interrogating them about the murder of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge.

Scores of Burmese workers on Koh Tao island have been rounded up and questioned by police since the bodies of Mr. Miller, 24, and Ms. Witheridge, 23, were found on one of the island's beaches on 15 September.

Police collected DNA samples from many Burmese workers on the island following speculation that Burmese migrants were responsible for the murder, though police have yet to produce any evidence to support the suspicion.

"We feel like we are not safe as there are no people to help us," a Burmese worker named Soe Min Htet told the Irrawaddy. "Here, our citizens are vulnerable to unfair treatment and are always looked down upon."

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1411724768


-- Khaosod English 2014-09-26

[JOC]

So the Thai police are going to investigate themselves!!

And ofcourse it is going a fair and open investigation?? Wonder if they are going to beat those suspects as well??

Before I have finished typing this post, the case is probably closed because lack of evidence!

Thai police and violence, in a peaceloving and Bhuddist country, ofcourse not!!

[Cuchulainn]

Yeah, right. Yawn.

[SPB65]

If Myanmar develops in the right way hopefully these migrant workers can return home and earn a living there without having to endure the condesending treatment, abuse and woeful living conditions they get in Thailand. I've always found Burmese workers to be friendly, courteous and often more service minded than theThais they work for. Many speak English better than their Thai "superiors" but without all their privileges. There must come a point when for many they will get a better life at home and who would blame them to leave ? With fewer Cambodians and Burmese to do Thailand's dirty work this country is heading for serious labour problems, and it's not as if they don't deserve it.

[coma]

The Thai police assigned to this case are boiling my pi$$. Part of me now wants the perps to be Thai just to stick it to these undesirable grubs.

[MJP]

The Thai police assigned to this case are boiling my pi$$. Part of me now wants the perps to be Thai just to stick it to these undesirable grubs.

No! We want the perps to be found guilty beyond reasonable doubt based on correctly obtained evidence.

I do not care what nationality they are.

I know you do too.

[ratcatcher]

If Myanmar develops in the right way hopefully these migrant workers can return home and earn a living there without having to endure the condesending treatment, abuse and woeful living conditions they get in Thailand. I've always found Burmese workers to be friendly, courteous and often more service minded than theThais they work for. Many speak English better than their Thai "superiors" but without all their privileges. There must come a point when for many they will get a better life at home and who would blame them to leave ? With fewer Cambodians and Burmese to do Thailand's dirty work this country is heading for serious labour problems, and it's not as if they don't deserve it.

Your wish may come true sooner than you think. It will not be many years before the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea will be open for tourism with pristine swimming and diving (one can only hope) and hopefully these 'second class" Burmese may find good quality jobs free from the casual abuse by the Thais. I wish them well.

[TV7]

Very lttle in the British media now about this case, there is a missing 14 year old girl in London now occupying the news agenda, not to mention the imminent UK bombing attacks on IS in Iraq. So the Thai police may have succeeded. Yet another murder/rape of a foreigner where the real killers are not charged and the case gets closed.

[iReason]

"If there is an allegation of police officers committing wrongful acts, we are willing to investigate the matter"

"Willing" are ya?

I would think you are obligated.

"We feel like we are not safe as there are no people to help us," a Burmese worker named Soe Min Htet told the Irrawaddy."

"Here, our citizens are vulnerable to unfair treatment and are always looked down upon."

The Buddhist way...

[seajae]

strangely enough they did admit it may be a thai that did it but then they went out of their way to make sure that they didnt really do proper dns testing on any thai suspects, the head man had a record dna result from urine and blood and that was it, his sons testimony was accepted with n o dna proof to show that he was not involved , they simply accepted that thais dont lie to cover up murderers. The bib have turned this into another thai murder farce and they wonder why everyone else in the world looks down on them. Maybe if they let the fbi do the testing people might start to believe them but at this stage it simply looks like one huge cover up to save face.

[J Bradley]

BREAKING NEWS

Koh Tao police offers one million baht cash if evidence proves they are implicated in abuse of Burmese suspects

[AJBangkok]

This seems to be a pattern on kho Tao. It you're accused of doing anything wrong offer 1mln baht to anyone that can prove it.

Where do local community police find 1,000,0000 baht in cash.

[DaddyWarbucks]

If Myanmar develops in the right way hopefully these migrant workers can return home and earn a living there without having to endure the condesending treatment, abuse and woeful living conditions they get in Thailand. I've always found Burmese workers to be friendly, courteous and often more service minded than theThais they work for. Many speak English better than their Thai "superiors" but without all their privileges. There must come a point when for many they will get a better life at home and who would blame them to leave ? With fewer Cambodians and Burmese to do Thailand's dirty work this country is heading for serious labour problems, and it's not as if they don't deserve it.

Your wish may come true sooner than you think. It will not be many years before the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea will be open for tourism with pristine swimming and diving (one can only hope) and hopefully these 'second class" Burmese may find good quality jobs free from the casual abuse by the Thais. I wish them well.

Yes, another pristine archipelago open for exploitation by mass tourism.

Can't wait.

[metisdead]

A post containing overly derogatory comments toward Burmese people has been removed.

[ChrisY1]

Tragic.....going nowhere.....Thai media on the hush-up.....and the cops don't seem to care any more....

[balo]

It is quite possible that the mafia or shoild we say local police tried to blame the murders on burmese workers and the same guys tried to make Sean McAnna a scapegoat.

[taony]

Willing? That's very nice of them.

We are in the end game here. Two weeks on, they've delayed enough, pretended enough. The media is moving on to other stories. Sadly there will be no justice for these two poor souls and history will repeat itself before too long in another part of this country.

[WhizBang]

"We feel like we are not safe as there are no people to help us," a Burmese worker named Soe Min Htet told the Irrawaddy. "Here, our citizens are vulnerable to unfair treatment and are always looked down upon."

Welcome to Thailand. Now you know how we 'rich' farang feel.

[englishoak]

BREAKING NEWS

Koh Tao police offers one million baht cash if evidence proves they are implicated in abuse of Burmese suspects

So the KT police feel as confident as the Poo yai challenging anyone to find they are implicated in anything ?

Exceedingly arrogant and seems to be a new trend here...

It also means there is more money in rewards to find a wrongdoing in either the police or an influential family than there is to find or catch the murderers.... how sick is that ?

Pathetic.

[josephbloggs]

BREAKING NEWS

Koh Tao police offers one million baht cash if evidence proves they are implicated in abuse of Burmese suspects

So the KT police feel as confident as the Poo yai challenging anyone to find they are implicated in anything ?

Exceedingly arrogant and seems to be a new trend here...

It also means there is more money in rewards to find a wrongdoing in either the police or an influential family than there is to find or catch the murderers.... how sick is that ?

Pathetic.

Incorrect. I think you'll find that J Bradley just "hilariously" posted in big letters to make it look like a real news story. It isn't. My gosh he's such a wag.

[josephbloggs]

"We feel like we are not safe as there are no people to help us," a Burmese worker named Soe Min Htet told the Irrawaddy. "Here, our citizens are vulnerable to unfair treatment and are always looked down upon."

Welcome to Thailand. Now you know how we 'rich' farang feel.

Are you serious? A bit of double charging in national parks, an occasional taxi who won't use the meter. Are you seriously comparing that to how Burmese are treated here?

[Thai at Heart]

Oh please.

[LanceGringo]

There's absolutely no way this case is going to get solved now, I have given up on these jokers in charge of the investigation. I feel sorry for the families and loved ones of the victims, because basically the ENTIRE Thai police set-up has done everything in it's power to make sure that the truth and the killers are never revealed.

And the owner of AC Bar should be chained up and beaten mercifully until he is prepared to confess everything he knows, because I believe he knows a great deal about what happened that night.

[petercool]

One post removed for slur under this forum rule

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[Tokay]

I'm sure this will work out to the advantage of the migrant workers who were abused and spilled the beans. Sounds like another butt kicking is about to commence.

[tonbridgebrit]

If Myanmar develops in the right way hopefully these migrant workers can return home and earn a living there without having to endure the condesending treatment, abuse and woeful living conditions they get in Thailand. I've always found Burmese workers to be friendly, courteous and often more service minded than theThais they work for. Many speak English better than their Thai "superiors" but without all their privileges. There must come a point when for many they will get a better life at home and who would blame them to leave ? With fewer Cambodians and Burmese to do Thailand's dirty work this country is heading for serious labour problems, and it's not as if they don't deserve it.

Your wish may come true sooner than you think. It will not be many years before the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea will be open for tourism with pristine swimming and diving (one can only hope) and hopefully these 'second class" Burmese may find good quality jobs free from the casual abuse by the Thais. I wish them well.

Well, I hope Burma does develope, and indeed, we will eventually see the mass movement of Burmese people back to Burma. However, I doubt it will happen.

The junta in Burma wants to hold onto power forever, and basically, the main reason why only a small bit of foreign investment has gone into Burma for the last few decades will carry on being a reason.

Also, Burma (as in the Burmese government and the people themselves) I think, is simply not interested in setting up massive red-light districts that cater for foreigners. Now, Thailand has NOT got a problem with having a vast stack of tourists turning up in Pattaya and Phuket, so basically, I think tourism in Thailand will survive intact.

As for "fewer Cambodians and Burmese to do Thailand's dirty work", well, I think it will be good for Thailand ! Thailand's businesses (mainly owned by Chinese-Thais) will see their migrant workers go away, and they will have to pay Thai people 500/600 baht per day to work, instead of 200/300 baht per day to cheap foreign migrant workers. I doubt they will refuse to pay good wages and then close their hotels because of no staff, all they will do is bump up their room prices or make a smaller profit, bearing in mind Pattaya and Phuket will always recieve a mass of tourists.

[WhamBam]

A Thai maze with one entrance and no exit.

Blame the Burmese, blame the Farang.

Face and corruption leads to incompetence and lies as we are led around this never ending maze.

Beat up a few Burmese along the way, threaten other foreigners and cast doubt and insincerity throughout.

Yes, welcome to the Thai maze.

[ratcatcher]

There's absolutely no way this case is going to get solved now, I have given up on these jokers in charge of the investigation. I feel sorry for the families and loved ones of the victims, because basically the ENTIRE Thai police set-up has done everything in it's power to make sure that the truth and the killers are never revealed.

And the owner of AC Bar should be chained up and beaten mercifully until he is prepared to confess everything he knows, because I believe he knows a great deal about what happened that night.

".....chained up and beaten mercifully....."

I'm sure you meant to say "unmercifully" however a merciful beating would probably be 300 lashes with a wet noodle?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Will the police blame this alleged torture of suspects rumor on social media as well or will they close down Khaosod?

[Tazwa]

BREAKING NEWS

Koh Tao police offers one million baht cash if evidence proves they are implicated in abuse of Burmese suspects

So the KT police feel as confident as the Poo yai challenging anyone to find they are implicated in anything ?

Exceedingly arrogant and seems to be a new trend here...

It also means there is more money in rewards to find a wrongdoing in either the police or an influential family than there is to find or catch the murderers.... how sick is that ?

Pathetic.

Moderator- are there no rules regarding posting messages in large fonts/ capitals?