Koh Tao Murders: Thai Authorities Deny 'Scapegoat' Allegation

[Lite Beer]

Koh Tao Murders: Thai Authorities Deny 'Scapegoat' Allegation

By Khaosod Eng.



BANGKOK — Thai authorities are insisting that they have not pinned the murder of two British backpackers on "scapegoats" in an effort to wrap up the controversial investigation.

This week, police arrested two Burmese migrant workers and paraded them in public as the culprits behind the gruesome murder of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, on Koh Tao island last month.

Thai police have been under immense pressure to solve the killing of the two British backpackers, with authorities worried that the grisly murder could further damage the country’s ailing tourist industry.

According to police, the Burmese workers confessed to sexually assaulting Witheridge and murdering her and Miller on 15 September. Police also insist that their confession is backed by DNA tests and CCTV footage in the area.

"Don't say they are scapegoats,” said deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan when a reporter asked whether he was confident that the Burmese suspects were not being framed.

“The police are doing their job. If the police hear your accusation, they will be sad," Gen. Prawit said.

Yesterday, over 100 police officers led the two suspects, identified as Saw and Win, to the beach where Miller and Witheridge's bodies were found to "re-enact" their alleged crime.

"The two suspects confessed that they are the perpetrators, so I brought them to re-enact their crime to insist that everything is in accordance with [legal] procedures. There has been no coercion or fabrication," said Thailand's chief of police, Somyot Pumphanmuang.

However, he admitted that the two men were not given access to lawyers during their interrogation. He said the suspects did not ask for lawyers because they decided to confess on their own.


Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412420090


-- Khaosod English 2014-10-04

[ukrules]

Nobody believes any of this.

[bigjules007]

Don't make them sad?

[Costas2008]

“The police are doing their job. If the police hear your accusation, they will be sad," Gen. Prawit said."

Sad, may be, but not ashamed for what they have done.

[bigjules007]

Make available the missing cctv footage and then people will have to agree! If they have nothing to hide invite the U.k in to do an investigation and go over the evidence, this will appease everyone and show that they really do have the correct people in custody!

[transam]

Just get England to confirm the DNA tests with their own system...Easy confirmation to stuff...

[Cuchulainn]

..........“The police are doing their job. If the police hear your accusation, they will be sad," Gen. Prawit said.............

Pathetic beyond words!

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Disgusting.

[Anthony5]

“The police are doing their job. If the police hear your accusation, they will be sad," Gen. Prawit said.

I guess all families involved will be a little more than sad if it is revealed that the suspects are framed.

[JOC]

Ofcourse we believe you!!

[Johnsen]

Yes we must not make the police sad.... Oh my lord give us an <deleted> break please. I am absolutely lost for words.. Oh to be the poor relatives of the deceased.. Unimaginable...

[JOC]

"The police will be sad"

What about the parents of the two victims, I guess they are "sad" too

Just like the relatives of the two young scapegoats, who came to Thailand to make a living, and ends as sacrifice-lambs!

Honestly the picture in the OP makes me ashamed to live here!!

[scorecard]

And of course the two 'suspects' fully understand the legal aspects of the interrogation process, the ramifications of confessing therefore no need to seek legal representation, etc. Very very doubtful. Disgusting to say the least.

[bigjules007]

Why haven't any lawyers come forward and offered there services to these guys. Come on people im sure there is someone out there following these ridiculous events who will want to do the right thing and defend these poor blokes.

[Commerce]

“The police are doing their job. If the police hear your accusation, they will be sad," Gen. Prawit said.

I wonder if that could be construed at a threat? Possibly, at all?

Wai, and lean the head, look guilty, or more hot water on your goolies!

[bigjules007]

Why haven't any lawyers come forward and offered there services to these guys. Come on people im sure there is someone out there following these ridiculous events who will want to do the right thing and defend these poor blokes.

Oh I forgot where we were,and who the accused are, no money, no status, no hope!

[taony]

They will be sad? Do they ever think to themselves "why are they always asking us these questions"? Shouldn't that make them want to do things even more carefully? At least to avoid them getting sad!

[DLock]

Pretty sure the RTP are going to be sad for a while yet.

...this is not going to go away soon and there are still plenty of open questions to be answered.

[Neilly]

However, he admitted that the two men were not given access to lawyers during their interrogation. He said the suspects did not ask for lawyers because they decided to confess on their own.

I wouldn't mind knowing how long it took them to decide to confess in their nice little soundproofed safe house

[northernjohn]

It is natural for the police to deny it.

Just as it is natural for many Falong's to admit the police did any thing rite.

Back home we would call it a Mexican stand off.

Except this time the police have DNA.

the sad part about the whole thing is the continues publication of it to just further the sorrow of those who knew them and loved them.

It happens all over the world. Just occasionally the media picks it up and keeps waving it in the face of the people who have lost loved ones.

[NeverSure]

GREAT!

All the social and international media is getting to them.

[ffaarraanngg]

Yes we must not make the police sad.... Oh my lord give us an <deleted> break please. I am absolutely lost for words.. Oh to be the poor relatives of the deceased.. Unimaginable...

Or to be those that have been set up.

[ffaarraanngg]

It is natural for the police to deny it.

Just as it is natural for many Falong's to admit the police did any thing rite.

Back home we would call it a Mexican stand off.

Except this time the police have DNA.

the sad part about the whole thing is the continues publication of it to just further the sorrow of those who knew them and loved them.

It happens all over the world. Just occasionally the media picks it up and keeps waving it in the face of the people who have lost loved ones.

Back home this would be thrown out of court in an instant.

[Soutpeel]

However, he admitted that the two men were not given access to lawyers during their interrogation. He said the suspects did not ask for lawyers because they decided to confess on their own.

or the fact that they couldn't, because they speak very little Thai ?

This is the bit i really struggle with, all this confession stuff, if they speak very little Thai, therefore presumably they don't read or write Thai, but the confession and written statement must in Thai, there has been no mention of a translator provided etc, so could we say they don't know what they "admitted" to

so where are we ?

Two suspects who don't speak Thai very well

No lawyer who would obviously speak / read /write Thai and would understand what they have signed

No mention of a translator

And one would suspect none of the BiB speak Burmese

[shimizu]

It seems as if about 99% of all posts at the TV Forum do not believe, those guys are the real culprits, and many of the Thai websites don't believe it either. There is even a Facebook (CSI LA) page dedicated to debunk most so called evidence. My question is, if there will be serious inquiry by Amnesty International or other reputed NGOs?

[bigjules007]

It seems as if about 99% of all posts at the TV Forum do not believe, those guys are the real culprits, and many of the Thai websites don't

believe it either. There is even a Facebook (CSI LA) page dedicated to debunk most so called evidence. My question is, if there will be serious inquiry by Amnesty International or other reputed NGOs?

Lets hope so, but I dont think its likely. Its not the first time this has happened in Thailand and it wont be the last.

[Soutpeel]

It seems as if about 99% of all posts at the TV Forum do not believe, those guys are the real culprits, and many of the Thai websites don't believe it either. There is even a Facebook (CSI LA) page dedicated to debunk most so called evidence. My question is, if there will be serious inquiry by Amnesty International or other reputed NGOs?

funny enough just read this quote on of the other threads

"Even though he lives in the US, the Thai guy that runs CSI LA has been contacted by family members of the chief with threats to stop enabling people to get involved with the case.. or else"

[elektrified]

However, he admitted that the two men were not given access to lawyers during their interrogation. He said the suspects did not ask for lawyers because they decided to confess on their own.

or the fact that they couldn't, because they speak very little Thai ?

This is the bit i really struggle with, all this confession stuff, if they speak very little Thai, therefore presumably they don't read or write Thai, but the confession and written statement must in Thai, there has been no mention of a translator provided etc, so could we say they don't know what they "admitted" to

so where are we ?

Two suspects who don't speak Thai very well

No lawyer who would obviously speak / read /write Thai and would understand what they have signed

No mention of a translator

And one would suspect none of the BiB speak Burmese

Some of the Thai police (at least in Chiang Mai) can speak Burmese but as I understand it, these defendants speak a dialect that is not very common.

[JOC]

Oh the irony!!

For the last couple of weeks the hang-them-high-brigade has been out in full force here on Thaivisa.

Now the police has "solved" the case and the very same posters come out in full force to defend the alleged culprits.

I am not saying, that the police has got it right, actually I doubt it very much, BUT IF. THat would be quite ironic, wouldn't it?

[BigRick]

Amazing how money CSI/Legal rights/Sherlock Holmes types we have on these threads. So let me get this strait unless its a Thai person the truth only involves a cover up? So an illegal(mobile) transient(Mobile) worker could never have done such a thing it makes more sense that some big shot is going to crap where he eats. Makes sense to me! So a lot of you are being Burmese apologists and Thai haters because you hate the place so much. The % of those guys being the killers are a lot higher than some of the retarded ideas people have about who did it. How dumb do you have to be if you do not understand unless these guys jerked off into a cup you will be hard pressed to plant semen. If the DNA matches they get a CLUE its called a D N A test any of you people ever take a science class? It really eliminates a lot of potential suspects because its >DNA<. I see the biggest groups of people piping off are English Thailand should let the English do the police work? Ohhh my bad I thought this was Thailand! But then again these are the same people who think Amanda Knox murdered her roommate in a Satanic sex orgy sacrifice. Can't be the transient AFrican who had DNA evidence all over the place including you guessed it Semen.