Koh Tao: British tourist murder suspects confess to human rights commissioner

[taony]

The cigarette butts with their dna found on the beach is part of the strong evidence against them. Now these boys were both very drunk from beer and wine. Were are the bottles that these two drank from I wonder?

After they raped and committed the murders they went and pick up the bottles ?

And left the hoe right there....

[SupermarineS6B]

Well, i think we all know whats' going on here, but what's worrying me is, considering the powers to be and their obvious lack of logic and compassion, i sincerely hope that all posts on Thai visa are confidential and untraceable: otherwise there will be a long que of "Undesireable" aliens at the airport...........

[JohnThailandJohn]

So far I've just been reading these posts without commenting, but Coconuts Bangkok have reported that the Burmese have recanted their confessions. Haven't seen about this anywhere else?

While interesting it is appears based on an article from a Myanmar paper and contradicts or at least exaggerates some of what other who were at the meeting said happened. While I don't doubt the police were rough with them to get the confession, they say they had bruises all over their bodies and this interview is days after the confessed and did the reenactments in short shirt not showing any bruising. I don't know Coconuts but seems a lot of the articles that get re-posted here from them are tabloid type reporting. See below as one comparison to what other news outlets are reporting.

Lawyer Aung Myo Thant said the pair, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, from the Arakanese town of Kyaukphyu, told a Burmese embassy legal team they had murdered English tourists

Speaking to DVB on Monday, Kyaw Thaung, a representative of the Myanmar Association in Thailand, who attended the interview with the defendants, said, “We went to the prison [on Koh Samui] and were allowed to meet with the two freely. They confessed to committing the crime under the influence of alcohol.

https://www.dvb.no/news/koh-tao-murderers-were-tortured-says-burmese-embassy-lawyer-burma-myanmar/44781

[Suffinator]

This situation is easy to resolve... let the British conduct an independent investigation and test the DNA. If the RTP have nothing to hide and truly want to restore any faith then allowing such should not be an issue. Only those who have something to hide wouldn't allow an independent investigation.

[Cardiff1963]

Well a statement like that, anywhere else in the world would probably bring an instant mistrial.

Pure heresay

[Fred Flinstone]

So if true …how many of these illegal lunatics *are on the loose ?

I am reading" Burmese worker in Thailand murdering westerners ?"

Surely , thats right>….Its what they are saying?

Illegal Burmese did it?

And they pay off cops there?

Thats got more international ramifications- as international concerns of those two Brutal murders on BrIts- and confessions highlight the threat….

Thousands of them?

*(just on that Island)

Maybe they should go back to the "real killers""

[Cardiff1963]

Well a statement like that, anywhere else in the world would probably bring an instant mistrial.

Pure heresay

[POPSKI82]

Beer and wine?

Migrant workers?

Is wine cheap on Koh Tao?

I know in Bangkok the cheapest wine is about 350 Baht a bottle. Surely these people won't spend a days wage on a bottle of wine.

For people down here wine is the same as spy classic, red, black.

weak as pxss and a girlie drink I have honestly never seen any asian male drinking this stuff and it is not relativley cheap either. Wine in 7/11 is 299 for mont clair, or lately Berri Estates which is stronger, never seen a poor Asian bloke drinking this either. Asian males drink mainly leo and any spirit they call whisky, it would be more convincing if they had said lao khow

Maybe in addition to being murderers and rapists they lie too. Because God knows the case comes down to the public needing to know before the court case begins the type of alcohol they consumed, where they consumed it and what they did with their empties.

Ignore the actual evidence including the DNA and repeated confessions to their own advocates and focus on complete utter BS details of things that have not been shared, at least at this point.

It would seem as though you are trolling the hell out of these pages Big-Gay-J.

Your witty, insightful, intelligent and well constructed, colourful prose are such a delight for us all to read, but seem not to actually address either the "QUOTE" you are replying too, nor reflect the general consensus of what the majority would consider to be required of a person with an ounce of interest in communicating a rational idea, rather spouting a generic contentious statement to acquire a desired effect.

Also, try reading what you have written before you post it; it would save us all having to decipher the appalling quality of your discourse.

Regards,

The 99%

[shanahan]

@ ChiangmaiThai: Don't waste your time with posters like thaijohnthailandjohn and the stuttering Dodo! Whatever you write, they will not take off their blinds and look at anything else but the RTP claims and the official statements made regarding the DNA samples. You hurt them best by completely ignoring them since their posts will (unquoted and unanswered) remain somewhere in the masses of other, more useful posts. If you get in a fruitless bitchfight with them, all you do is waste your time and energy and kind of "promote" their shallow minded and superficial posts by copying them all over the thread. Less is more! Keep up the good work and stay the way you are! Peace!

He continues with biased and repetitive prattle, and seems to believe that his relentless persistence is breaking TV members down with the likes of this:

"Nothing is going to help the doubt in some people's mind ever and others just need to let more time pass and calm down. Many are already seeing they were led astray but theories spread as fact later turned out to be BS."

"While many have backed off and are coming to terms that these two are guilty."

What does he base these two quotes from?

He fires off "these are the facts". Only a court of law can determine if they are facts. The facts I can see so far is that two lovely people have been violated and murdered in the most horrific way.

TJT I have not noticed that people have "backed off" and every Thai I have spoken to do not believe the case's current conclusion.

To TJT's credit he has been civil.

[mrtoad]

No surprise that this statement was made this morning, after the trashing that The BIB got in the International press yesterday. I see the BIbpologists are back out again this morning as predicted, sucking on the teet of every small piece of disinformation their heroes release.

The investigation and the process has been contaminated from day one, and the treatment and alleged mistreatment of suspects and witnesses is of a massive concern.

[Emster23]

Beer and wine?

Migrant workers?

Is wine cheap on Koh Tao?

I know in Bangkok the cheapest wine is about 350 Baht a bottle. Surely these people won't spend a days wage on a bottle of wine.

For people down here wine is the same as spy classic, red, black.

Where are all the left over empties if they had been drinking all night (remember they got there about 11pm and supposedly played guitar for 3 hours or more). Maybe they are evironmentally aware and put them in the nearest garbage bin lol

The lack of empties and garbage strewn about crime scene is conclusive proof the perps could not have been Thai! Somehow they missed that cigarette butt. Thai police should have checked any rubbish bins near crime scene, but if like typical beach here, there probably weren't any......

[Yann55]

quote : The commissioner, Mr Prinya Sirisarakan (...)

Thai name. Enough said.

[JohnThailandJohn]

This situation is easy to resolve... let the British conduct an independent investigation and test the DNA. If the RTP have nothing to hide and truly want to restore any faith then allowing such should not be an issue. Only those who have something to hide wouldn't allow an independent investigation.

The case is not about pleasing those who question things, it is about proving the case in court. The timing for an independent test and the results of such a test will be during trial and at their lawyers discretion and they will decide the best place, considering their client;s interests, to have the tests done.

Police Corruption and abuse are another issue and should be looked into and addressed. None of which is going to be fixed by the UK doing a test before trial to help the public try the case. This case like all others needs to be decided in a court of law and if any false evidence submitted then it is for their legal team to present and for the people to demand reform and punishement .

Somewhere along the line people have got the impression this case needs to be tried before the public before it can be tried in court.

Besides, few who have their mind set-up are going to believe a UK test if it is not to their liking and will just say that Thais gave bad samples to be tested.

[taony]

quote : The commissioner, Mr Prinya Sirisarakan (...)

Thai name. Enough said.

Exactly what happened to me when I was reading the article. After a few paragraphs I said to myself, this sounds like BS. Went back to the top and saw the name. Now it made sense!

[boomerangutang]

.....even though a human rights group has already agreed to provide lawyers.

'agreed to provide' is not synonymous with 'been allowed to provide.' A Human rights comissioner is part of Thai officialdom, so how trusted can his statement be? Did he twist words? How willing is he to sinc his statements with other Thai officials who achingly want that sort of statement?

If the Burmese suspects didn't do it, which they claimed yesterday, then it looks as though there are some deep reasons why the Burmese may continue to be vacillating in what they say. It's not outlandish if Thai interrogators had threatened to hunt down and kill their entire family if they didn't toe the line. Stranger things have happened in these sorts of scenarios.

The torture allegations and such are actually smoke screens to try and keep the media (and others) from looking at the bigger issues: That bona fide suspects have been let off the hook, evidence has been tampered with, misinterpreted, and flat-out missed. Along with that, evidence has been mishandled and very likely stifled if it doesn't fit with the frame-up scenario which Thai officialdom dearly wants everyone to believe. Just the mistakes regarding the murder weapons would be enough, by themselves, to have any objective judge throw the whole case out.

[toybits]

All of the skepticism of the police is very telling of the amount of trust the public has for that institution. I find this very sad. But that is not isolated to this country. Other countries have this problem as well.

[JohnThailandJohn]

.....even though a human rights group has already agreed to provide lawyers.

'agreed to provide' is not synonymous with 'been allowed to provide.' A Human rights comissioner is part of Thai officialdom, so how trusted can his statement be? Did he twist words? How willing is he to sinc his statements with other Thai officials who achingly want that sort of statement?

If the Burmese suspects didn't do it, which they claimed yesterday, then it looks as though there are some deep reasons why the Burmese may continue to be vacillating in what they say. It's not outlandish if Thai interrogators had threatened to hunt down and kill their entire family if they didn't toe the line. Stranger things have happened in these sorts of scenarios.

The torture allegations and such are actually smoke screens to try and keep the media (and others) from looking at the bigger issues: That bona fide suspects have been let off the hook, evidence has been tampered with, misinterpreted, and flat-out missed. Along with that, evidence has been mishandled and very likely stifled if it doesn't fit with the frame-up scenario which Thai officialdom dearly wants everyone to believe. Just the mistakes regarding the murder weapons would be enough, by themselves, to have any objective judge throw the whole case out.

The Sunday Nation October 5, 2014 1:00 am

A team of lawyers has been sent to help the two migrant Myanmar workers being charged with murdering two British tourists and raping one of them on Koh Tao, a prominent activist for the rights of migrant workers said yesterday.

The move came amid concerns that the arrested men may not be the real culprits.

Andy Hall, the activist for the rights of migrant workers in Thailand, tweeted yesterday that he was sending a team of lawyers to see the two Myanmar workers charged.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Rights-group-arranges-lawyers-for-Myanmar-men-30244775.html

[AndySilverfox]

When the re-enactment was performed, I did not see the very small Burmese accused man dragging a struggling 80kg body accross the sand to the waters edge. So it was a partial re-enacment with a plasticdustpan as the "weapon". How about the forensic report to match the garden hoe with the injuries? It looks like it would be impossible to make those sharp and deep injuries with a rusty old hoe. There are so many gaps in this case, it is just ridiculous. It would make a very saleable film, but of course the outcome would be far different. What is the history of the accused men? Have they led a peacful and trouble free time in Koh Tau? No reports of crime or violence ? These along with forensic evidence is what a proper investigation would include, not just a "witch hunt" for itinerants that are easily blamed. Maybe they are the culprits, but it certainly has not yet been proven.

[boomerangutang]

This situation is easy to resolve... let the British conduct an independent investigation and test the DNA. If the RTP have nothing to hide and truly want to restore any faith then allowing such should not be an issue. Only those who have something to hide wouldn't allow an independent investigation.

The case is not about pleasing those who question things, it is about proving the case in court. The timing for an independent test and the results of such a test will be during trial and at their lawyers discretion and they will decide the best place, considering their client;s interests, to have the tests done.

Police Corruption and abuse are another issue and should be looked into and addressed. None of which is going to be fixed by the UK doing a test before trial to help the public try the case. This case like all others needs to be decided in a court of law and if any false evidence submitted then it is for their legal team to present and for the people to demand reform and punishement .

Somewhere along the line people have got the impression this case needs to be tried before the public before it can be tried in court.

Besides, few who have their mind set-up are going to believe a UK test if it is not to their liking and will just say that Thais gave bad samples to be tested.

You sounds like you're in the breast pocket of Thai officialdom, if not actually one of them (or connected to the headman's family/friends). There are only a relatively few people in Thailand who believe the case has been handled well and the Burmese are actually guilty, and those people are the top echelon of the army and police brass, and a few like yourself.

If you had a choice, you'd probably like to go back to the point, a few days ago, where the cops said, "the suspects have not requested a lawyer, so they won't have one." and have the case freeze from that point on.

To assume that a Thai judge or jurist is going to go counter to the thousands of pages of evidence provided by officialdom is naive at best. No matter that much of the so-called 'evidence' is either tainted, planted or contrived. And just as sad (for the scapegoats), the most likely suspects aren't even suspects any more, because they're connected to a very rich and powerful island family, or they're cops.

[Fred Flinstone]

So if true …how many of these illegal lunatics *are on the loose ?

I am reading" Burmese worker in Thailand murdering westerners ?"

Surely , thats right>….Its what they are saying?

Illegal Burmese did it?

And they pay off cops there?

Thats got more international ramifications- as international concerns of those two Brutal murders on BrIts- and confessions highlight the threat….

Thousands of them?

*(just on that Island)

Maybe they should go back to the "real killers""

[boomerangutang]

.....even though a human rights group has already agreed to provide lawyers.

'agreed to provide' is not synonymous with 'been allowed to provide.' A Human rights comissioner is part of Thai officialdom, so how trusted can his statement be? Did he twist words? How willing is he to sinc his statements with other Thai officials who achingly want that sort of statement?

If the Burmese suspects didn't do it, which they claimed yesterday, then it looks as though there are some deep reasons why the Burmese may continue to be vacillating in what they say. It's not outlandish if Thai interrogators had threatened to hunt down and kill their entire family if they didn't toe the line. Stranger things have happened in these sorts of scenarios.

The torture allegations and such are actually smoke screens to try and keep the media (and others) from looking at the bigger issues: That bona fide suspects have been let off the hook, evidence has been tampered with, misinterpreted, and flat-out missed. Along with that, evidence has been mishandled and very likely stifled if it doesn't fit with the frame-up scenario which Thai officialdom dearly wants everyone to believe. Just the mistakes regarding the murder weapons would be enough, by themselves, to have any objective judge throw the whole case out.

The Sunday Nation October 5, 2014 1:00 am

A team of lawyers has been sent to help the two migrant Myanmar workers being charged with murdering two British tourists and raping one of them on Koh Tao, a prominent activist for the rights of migrant workers said yesterday.

The move came amid concerns that the arrested men may not be the real culprits.

Andy Hall, the activist for the rights of migrant workers in Thailand, tweeted yesterday that he was sending a team of lawyers to see the two Myanmar workers charged.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Rights-group-arranges-lawyers-for-Myanmar-men-30244775.html

Let us know if/when they've been ALLOWED unfettered access to the defendents in a standard lawyer-client scenario. Also, suspect #3 is being kept incognito. Obvious reason: Thai officialdom doesn't want him to be aware of any legal rights. Also, he's been scared/beaten in to giving the type of 'evidence' officialdom wants. They don't want any interference with their frame-up.

[JohnThailandJohn]

All of the skepticism of the police is very telling of the amount of trust the public has for that institution. I find this very sad. But that is not isolated to this country. Other countries have this problem as well.

Agree 100% -- And even Corrupt Police do often arrest the right people.

Clearly this is a case that has brought this issue to the forefront which is a good thing but the conspiracy folks are going to have this backfire on them if they keep up with nonsense theories. Demanding answers because of mistrust is one thing ... coming up with off the wall theories that keep getting proved wrong only to come up with more bizarre ones only takes time away from officials doing their jobs to address and makes the doubters look foolish and wrong.

Great to address issues of police corruption and abuse and apply pressure for reform but idiotic theories is not doing this. At the start it brought light to the vast mistrust, now it just is making people look foolish and wrong and when it turns out these guys are guilty will just prove in officials minds they were right and the theorists were wrong. So stop trying to try this case in the court of public opinion before it has even got to trial as that is not the way things work and is not helping anything or anyone. Simply being vocal that you cannot believe the evidence because Police cannot be trusted is sufficient .... no reason to go off with all these BS theories whose only purpose it to make the theorist feel smart or avoid the reality that this was almost certainly not a Thai or rich Thai who committed this horrible crime.

[emilymat]

Beer and wine?

Migrant workers?

Is wine cheap on Koh Tao?

I know in Bangkok the cheapest wine is about 350 Baht a bottle. Surely these people won't spend a days wage on a bottle of wine.

.....or the most expensive fags in 7/11

[love1012]

I read all the doubters here who are certain these two young men are scapegoats .

Why bother , let them go free , drop the case altogether , lest every suspect be deemed a scapegoat .

ATF

It will have been David's sperm in a condom , but nobody dares to suggest the young couple were having sex on the beach when they were attacked .

Your Thai police said they werent!!

[love1012]

Facts being ignored, like Sean as a key witness (or perhaps even accessory to murder) not being detained, the two men who chased and threatened Sean, the 8 or 9 push dagger wounds on David's head and neck, the fact that the Burmese guys needed to be told where to stand and what exactly to do during the reenactment as well as the fact that the accused do not describe a fist/knife fight with David before he was drowned, no explanations about how Hannah would be held quiet while David is being slaughtered, etc. should wake up not only this human rights commissioner, but the whole world.

What happens? Nothing! A petition, yeah... That petition will end up in a drawer somewhere of a useless and corrupt official and that's the end to it. Let's face it: Unless the parents speak up, nothing will change and they will fry those Burma kids alive.

Now let me say this: If any author would write a crime novel with the official RTP story being his story line while making the mistake of leaving all those other (above mentioned and more) question marks open, he would not sell one single book and critics would rip the author apart in mid air - he sure would never sell a book ever again and would be a subject to endless ridicule amongst the worldwide community of book authors and publishers. Think about it!

The pungent stench of this f#%&ed up invstigation make my eyes water and makes me lose faith in humanity.

You can't just state stuff as fact or facts being ignored because you believe them to be true.

I also have my own questions about this case and I don't think it's over yet.

You state as a fact that David has push dagger wounds when the pathologist states should they have been push dagger wounds there would have been marking to the bone below and there wasn't. I'm sure the pathologist is better qualified to make this statement and I'm sure he is aware that there will have been someone checking when David was sent home.

Really there are so many people on here twisting what is been said to suit their own idea of what happened. We only have the information supplied to us by the police and some from the media (which has not always been consistent)

One other point please leave the parents alone!! They are grieving.

How do YOU know there were no marks onthe bone - can you provide a link to corroners report and show proof that it was done fairly? How do you know there should be marks to the bone - people dont have bones under their jaw on this planet - maybe they do on yours!!

[love1012]

Beer and wine?

Migrant workers?

Is wine cheap on Koh Tao?

I know in Bangkok the cheapest wine is about 350 Baht a bottle. Surely these people won't spend a days wage on a bottle of wine.

For people down here wine is the same as spy classic, red, black.

weak as pxss and a girlie drink I have honestly never seen any asian male drinking this stuff and it is not relativley cheap either. Wine in 7/11 is 299 for mont clair, or lately Berri Estates which is stronger, never seen a poor Asian bloke drinking this either. Asian males drink mainly leo and any spirit they call whisky, it would be more convincing if they had said lao khow

Maybe in addition to being murderers and rapists they lie too. Because God knows the case comes down to the public needing to know before the court case begins the type of alcohol they consumed, where they consumed it and what they did with their empties.

Ignore the actual evidence including the DNA and repeated confessions to their own advocates and focus on complete utter BS details of things that have not been shared, at least at this point.

Why? - YOU concerntrated on bullshit since September 16th!! And tried to make us believe your trumped up evidence that you dont have threads to as well!! Go and polish your shoes for the next tea money collection!!

[Prbkk]

All of the skepticism of the police is very telling of the amount of trust the public has for that institution. I find this very sad. But that is not isolated to this country. Other countries have this problem as well.

Agree 100% -- And even Corrupt Police do often arrest the right people.

Clearly this is a case that has brought this issue to the forefront which is a good thing but the conspiracy folks are going to have this backfire on them if they keep up with nonsense theories. Demanding answers because of mistrust is one thing ... coming up with off the wall theories that keep getting proved wrong only to come up with more bizarre ones only takes time away from officials doing their jobs to address and makes the doubters look foolish and wrong.

Great to address issues of police corruption and abuse and apply pressure for reform but idiotic theories is not doing this. At the start it brought light to the vast mistrust, now it just is making people look foolish and wrong and when it turns out these guys are guilty will just prove in officials minds they were right and the theorists were wrong. So stop trying to try this case in the court of public opinion before it has even got to trial as that is not the way things work and is not helping anything or anyone. Simply being vocal that you cannot believe the evidence because Police cannot be trusted is sufficient .... no reason to go off with all these BS theories whose only purpose it to make the theorist feel smart or avoid the reality that this was almost certainly not a Thai or rich Thai who committed this horrible crime.

Yes, a horrible crime. that point is not in dispute. However, the high level of skepticism is born of long experience and many, many cases of "fit-ups" in Thailand. In the absence of the kind of question raising on social media you choose to deride, none of the additional information would have come to light. That genie can't be put back it the bottle: there will always be legitimate concern that this has been a tainted process and will be an unsafe verdict unless there is international confirmation of key aspects of the case. It is deeply troubling.

[spidermike007]

Some of my recent posts on this travesty, which seem as relevant as ever:

What is the real moral to this story? Well, one of them is that we are not going to see any meaningful change, to the fabric of Thai society. Many of us were incredibly hopeful that we would see some positive changes. And I think it is quite possible that Prayuth, and his top guys have their hearts in the right places, and want to see this change take place. Many expats, and many Thais really want to see progress, and want to see this country moving forward into this century. Yes, we will see some land crimes solved, and some illegal beach vendors removed. But, in terms of dealing with the massive corruption issues, the kind of power guys like the headman of Koh Tao have, and their ability to abuse that power, and positive changes at an institutional level, and at a national level, where it really counts, many of us now doubt it will happen. This case proves, that many are still above the law, and even the Army cannot touch them. That is the devastating moral to this story. A very disappointing outcome indeed.

This is simply a disinformation campaign, aimed at the ignorant. They have found the killer or killers. They have made a conscious decision not to charge him. They know who he is. They have CCTV footage of him following the victims out of the bar. They have eyewitness accounts of the incident that provoked this. The headman is simply too rich, too powerful, and nobody feels compelled to rock that boat, including the Army. It is very disappointing to alot of people here in Thailand and worldwide, to find that the Army does not really want to rock the boat, and upset the status quo. Very disappointing. Very disconcerting. A real shame. Some things never change, I guess. Looks like that crime infested, drug infested island is going to stay the same forever. Little progress there. Nobody in power wants to see change. It is going to take a very powerful force in Bangkok, if anything there is ever going to change.

[epicstuff]

I have little doubt police may have roughed these guys up or at minimum deprived them of some of their rights but have nearly no doubt (only doubt is the court has not ruled yet) they have the right guys. Also have no doubt if these suspects were Thai (especially rich) that many of the posters outraged over the abuse of their rights would be screaming for more of their blood.

Police shouldn't abuse any suspects or anyone even rapist murderers but the evidence is just beyond overwhelming against these guys and their DNA samples can be got again by these lawyers and human rights people they confessed and then compared to the DNA results from the crime scene.

The way this is going to go down seems fairly predictable ..... these guys are going to please guilty and do everything in their power to downplay how monstrous their behavior was by saying they were drunk, didn't mean to kill them and so on in hopes of not receiving the death penalty

That sound a bit lame, you reckon peoples view of the murder and the offenders would differer depending on the suspects nationality . , So everyone on TV who voices concern about how the investigation has been conducted is bias against Thais????? that make little sense to me. and I doubt even an uneducated Burmese worker expects to be let off light with the excuses "we were probable a bit drunk"

whether this is a true confession or not, it doesn't excuse the way the investigation has been conducted and the conflicting versions that have consistently arisen and the doubts that causes, now it has to verified by the appropriate agencies, UK experts etc . Even a confession now could be tainted from treats of further abuse to them or family or perhaps they have just thrown the towel in and have given up the will to go on

Maybe they did do it, but the parents of the victims and the public will never be able to fully accept or believe justice was done, not to mention the possibility that some innocent people suffer for the benefit of some nasty piece of work who may still be free to commit further crimes and if that is the case will feel even more invincible than before.. ,, so it is in every-bodies interest to just make sure 100%, cross check and verify every little detail. not just take the word of the authorities .

[BangkokHank]

From the original article:

"Meanwhile, Ms Pornpen Kongkachornkiat, director of Cross Cultural Foundation and a member of the subcommittee of the National Human Rights Commission and a representative of foreign migrant workers’ network called on Mr Paibul Artchavananthakul, Koh Samui public prosecutor, to follow up the case against the two Myanmar suspects, Win and Sorin.

She said that she felt relieved that the case was proceeding in accordance with procedures."

By "in accordance with procedures", I assume she meant "blaming it on a couple of hapless Burmese laborers".