Thai PM plays down British offer of help in beach murder probe

[Lite Beer]

Thai PM plays down British offer of help in beach murder probe
Bangkok, Thailand. AFP.

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's junta leader on Tuesday said the case against a pair of Myanmar suspects in the murder of two British tourists was "reliable" and an internal issue for the kingdom in an apparent rebuke of a British offer to help.

The comments by the tough-talking former army chief, Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who is also prime minister, come after Britain offered to help with the police investigation, amid deepening concerns over the handling of the probe.

Thai police have charged two migrant workers from Myanmar with the murder of David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, after the tourists' battered bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao on September 15.

But unease over the case has deepened because of reports that the suspects were tortured into confessing -- an allegation Thailand has strongly denied.

"I consider Koh Tao case to be reliable," Prayut told reporters, adding there were several pieces of evidence to charge the migrant workers.

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

"We managed to arrest suspects swiftly even though it seemed impossible at the beginning," he said.

The arrests followed intense scrutiny of Thai authorities, which had been accused -- in criticism led by the British media -- of bungling the investigation in the days after the crime.

On Tuesday Britain's envoy in Thailand met Thai and Myanmar officials in Bangkok to discuss the investigation.

A day earlier, Thailand's top diplomat in London was summoned to hear the UK stress its "real concern" about the handling of the case, which has further dented Thailand's already battered reputation as a tourist paradise.

In a statement junior foreign minister Hugo Swire "reiterated that the UK police stood ready to assist with the investigation and subsequent legal process".

Thai police have said the two Myanmar suspects confessed to the crime and their DNA matched samples taken from Witheridge's body.

Myanmar has also raised fears over the treatment of its nationals.

"We hope Thai authorities will act with balance and accuracy to prosecute the offenders according to the law and not take action wrongly against those who didn't commit the crime," an official from the Myanmar president's office in Naypyidaw told AFP.

The grisly murders on the normally tranquil Thai island delivered a fresh blow to the kingdom's image as a tourist haven after months of political protests that ended in May's army coup.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-10-14

[Artisi]

[bertty]

Sorry ?

"We managed to arrest suspects swiftly even though it seemed impossible at the beginning," he said.

Nobody thought it would be impossible to arrest suspects. Tho it did seem impossible to arrest the wrong suspects.

The more this guy speaks the more clueless he sounds.

[louialive]

"The grisly murders on the normally tranquil Thai island"

The Island is far from tranquil from what I have heard of the place

[Costas2008]

General, I've trusted you up to now.

You are making me to change my mind about your way of thinking and acting.

Be the man that you appeared to be at the beginning.

Don't let people stop trusting you and your judgement.

[Toknarok]

What on Earth would a so called professional soldier know about a criminal investigation and what was reliable or not? The mind boggles.

[draftvader]

Well, he couldn't say "Yes" and you can be sure Britain employs a Thai national or 2 in the civil service so we probably knew that was coming. How many moves ahead is Britain thinking?

[HeijoshinCool]

Priorities in solving this case.

1: keep tourist revenue coming in.

2: face.

3: make sure someone who doesn't matter did it.

4: deny any flaws in case.

5: justice and the truth or at least an acceptable form of both to ensure 1-4 happen.

6: well number 1 at the very least.

.

1. Face

2. Face

3. More Face

4. Even more Face

5. Get out of my face.

[HeijoshinCool]

Well, he couldn't say "Yes" and you can be sure Britain employs a Thai national or 2 in the civil service so we probably knew that was coming. How many moves ahead is Britain thinking?

.

In dealings with Thailand, based on a month of silly comments, one would suffice.

But I suspect it is several.

[changnaam]

Nice, bet the world media will have a few questions for you in Italy.

You can come here and empty your wallets , but what goes on in Thailand stays in Thailand. We will not take any responsibility for your welfare.

The risk is yours!!

Edited October 14, 2014 by changnaam

[ratcatcher]

[AGareth2]

setting himself up nicely for Italy

[NeverSure]

So, how many cheerleaders on here still think that corruption on high levels is gone?

Does anyone think that a certain color of shirt has consistently been favored, and another color of shirt chased down for various things?

Where are those people who think that this is the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Do some people still think there will be fundamental change, or is it becoming apparent that it's just the other side in charge now?

[T_Dog]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

[Neeranam]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

Can you imagine the UK allowing Thai help in their country?

Or what about the US lol

[TheCruncher]

"We managed to arrest suspects swiftly even though it seemed impossible at the beginning," he said.

Looks like at least he was smart enough to not add the word THE before SUSPECTS, as that would have given his sentence a completely different meaning.

[NeverSure]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

Can you imagine the UK allowing Thai help in their country?

Or what about the US lol

If another country wanted to see the evidence they would be welcome in the US. Can't say about the UK. But the investigation would be transparent, expertly done, and there would be nothing to hide.

ALL of the evidence would also become public at the trial.

This is about something to hide and it's being hidden from Burma who is complaining and from the UK who is complaining. If the Thais really have proof they need to show the world because they are quickly losing all credibility. Period.

Edited October 14, 2014 by NeverSure

[Neeranam]

"We managed to arrest suspects swiftly even though it seemed impossible at the beginning," he said.

Looks like at least he was smart enough to not add the word THE before SUSPECTS, as that would have given his sentence a completely different meaning.

I think it would be up to the translator because in Thai there would be no use of the word 'the'.

[jdinasia]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

Can you imagine the UK allowing Thai help in their country?

Or what about the US lol

If another country wanted to see the evidence they would be welcome in the US. Can't say about the UK. But the investigation would be transparent, expertly done, and there would be nothing to hide.

This is about something to hide and it's being hidden from Burma who is complaining and from the UK who is complaining. If the Thais really have proof they need to show the world because they are quickly losing all credibility. Period.

Oh????

Gitmo comes to mind.....

Edited October 14, 2014 by jdinasia

[MJP]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

Can you imagine the UK allowing Thai help in their country?

Or what about the US lol

If the request had come through diplomatic channels I think the UK would, definitely. Don't know about the US, but most likely.

[NeverSure]

That statement is rather telling and almost threat-like:

"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our issue, is our issue," he said of British offer of help.

Can you imagine the UK allowing Thai help in their country?

Or what about the US lol

If another country wanted to see the evidence they would be welcome in the US. Can't say about the UK. But the investigation would be transparent, expertly done, and there would be nothing to hide.

This is about something to hide and it's being hidden from Burma who is complaining and from the UK who is complaining. If the Thais really have proof they need to show the world because they are quickly losing all credibility. Period.

Oh????

Oh YES. In the US the accused have a right to an attorney at government expense if they can't afford one. The defense attorney would have a right to "discovery" meaning a right to see all of the evidence before the trial. The defense would have a RIGHT to independent expert witnesses who would have a RIGHT to samples of the evidence for independent testing.

The defense attorney would have the RIGHT to determine who his expert and independent investigators and witnesses would be, and if he had offers from places with more expertise than he could muster, he could use them.

He could drill down as far as needed and the government would have to cough up anything he wanted before trial.

It's called a right to discovery.

Thailand's system STINKS of secrecy and corruption.

Edited October 14, 2014 by NeverSure

[dcutman]

OK! before anybody else says another word, can the accused at least talk to a lawyer.

Re edit: FOR #$#$ SAKES

Edit: !!!!!

Edited October 14, 2014 by dcutman

[AGareth2]

I fear this could blow up into an international diplomatic incident

[givenall]

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me too

[Neeranam]

Oh????

Oh YES. In the US the accused have a right to an attorney at government expense if they can't afford one. The defense attorney would have a right to "discovery" meaning a right to see all of the evidence before the trial. The defense would have a RIGHT to independent expert witnesses who would have a RIGHT to samples of the evidence for independent testing.

The defense attorney would have the RIGHT to determine who his expert and independent investigators and witnesses would be, and if he had offers from places with more expertise than he could muster, he could use them.

He could drill down as far as needed and the government would have to cough up anything he wanted before trial.

It's called a right to discovery.

Thailand's system STINKS of secrecy and corruption.

Reminds me of the OJ Simpson, case

[Changoverandout]

I and a lot of other posters here had high hopes that after quite a few 'quick fixes' the General/PM was indeed going to be the new broom to clean out all the corruption and filth from Thailand including the BIB.

Unfortunately the new broom is the same as the old broom with a change of head and handle.

(apologies to Trigger in OFAH) :-)

[laolover88]

It is considered admirable for a captain, or even an admiral, to go down with his ship.But for a General to go down with a corrupt and incompetent provincial Police force? Makes no sense. When US citizens are killed abroad the US rightly requires an input. The man is unravelling the good things he has supposedly tried to do. He has an international face, now with egg on it, as well as a Thai one. Given the byzantine nature of Thai politics he may well be juggling with grenades and far from as secure as might be thought.

[jdinasia]

I fear this could blow up into an international diplomatic incident

IMHO I rather doubt it

[dcutman]

The General is shooting for a record breaking low high season. I guess saving face has more value than all else.

[smokie36]

The General is shooting for a record breaking low high season. I guess saving face has more value than all else.

Having pissed off the UK government I expect this fiasco will be featuring heavily in news reports around the world for some time to come.

Has the prosecutor given the go ahead yet??