Koh Tao Murder: Rights Agency Threatens Legal Action Against Police

[Lite Beer]

Koh Tao Murder: Rights Agency Threatens Legal Action Against Police

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK – A top human rights official has threatened to prosecute Thai police if they refuse to explain the alleged torture of two Burmese men accused of murdering a pair of British tourists.

Niran Pitakwatchara, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said police failed to show up for a hearing about their alleged torture of the two murder suspects, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun.

Zaw and Win were arrested several weeks after David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found murdered on the resort island of Koh Tao in southern Thailand on 15 September. Police intially said the two migrant workers confessed to killing the Britons, but the pair later recanted their confessions, which they told their lawyers were obtained under duress.

According to Niran, the NHRC summoned police to explain the allegation at a hearing today, but police refused on the grounds that any testimony given to the rights commission may affect the ongoing murder investigation.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1415024472

-- Khaosod English 2014-11-03

[JOC]

This is going to be interesting!!

Popcorn and coffee ready!!

[JetsetBkk]

Just keeps getting better and better.

[JOC]

Some brave people in the NHRC!! Wonder if the Chief of Police are going jail them for 5 years as well?? Together with all the social media posters!!

They are going to build new jails!!

[Thaifever]

Wow, this is getting interesting. I wonder how far up the tree the monkeys have climbed. I hope the tree gets shaken hard enough for those at the top to fall as well.

[z42]

Well according to the chief of police at the DNA test for Nomsod apparrently the investigation is complete. But now it is conveniently "ongoing". What is worse than a shambles? Because this is exactly that :/

[Patje]

The plot thickens .... Maybe a movie in the future ?

[z42]

Some brave people in the NHRC!! Wonder if the Chief of Police are going jail them for 5 years as well?? Together with all the social media posters!!

They are going to build new jails!!

Maybe they'll get sent to Koh Tao as punishment

[peptidebomber]

Why are they still in jail?

Have they been officially charged with a crime yet?

Apart from being Burmese.

Edited November 3, 2014 by peptidebomber

[seajae]

how many times can these buffoons shoot themselves in the foot and still think they have a strong case against these 2 boys. If we could be shown actual evidence and not the made up crap they keep spraying around now people might start to listen but with all the allegations and retractions, bullsh*t dna tests etc this will never end in anything but a heap of sh*t.

[JOC]

>According to Niran, the NHRC summoned police to explain the allegation at a hearing today, but police refused on the grounds that any testimony given to the rights commission may affect the ongoing murder investigation<quote

More police BS!! Hold the hearing behind closed doors!!

So far all the leaks in this case have come from the police!!

Edited November 3, 2014 by JOC

[iReason]

Now we're talkin'...

These buffoons went about business as usual, but this time the eyes of the world are upon them.

And there is not One man with a spine or consciense amoung them to stand forward.

The game is afoot...

[JOC]

Instead of cleaning beaches and moving street-vendors, isn't it time for the army to stop acting like kittens in this case??

If for nothing else, to save whatever is left of the tourist-industry!!

[KunMatt]

Why are they still in jail?

Have they been officially charged with a crime yet?

Apart from being Burmese.

I believe that are charged with conspiracy to rape and murder, and 2 counts of being a Burmese (by Chief Wiggum).

[JOC]

For the first time ever the RTP are being challenced, first by social media and now by NHCR.

Hope their house of cards will come tumbeling down!!

If I am enjoying it?? You bet, every second of it!!

[z42]

Nobody rational is surprised by this development, but for the rtp cheerleaders this additional story certainly is a badge of dishonour that is hard to defend.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/544156-ombudsman-royal-thai-police-found-to-be-most-corrupt/

I anticipate the UK coroner inquest in January. These stories must be so painful for all the families caught up in this despicable crime. My sympahies are with them. I hope they can get some closure and some adequate justice out of this farce.

[RustBucket]

Strange how one minute they claim the investigation is complete and in the hands of the prosecutors, the next they claim the investigation is 'ongoing'. Obviously when it suits them.

My advice for the NHCR is to go to every international human rights agencies such as the UN, Amnesty International etc and get it put on the record.

I would also be promoting the 'fully independent' retesting of the two suspects, using pressure from these international agencies, the British government and the UN.... Really turn the screws on Prayuth. Possibly push the UNHRC to request they carry it out.

Prayuth is probably terrified it will get to that stage. he really doesn't need the heat.

[sweatalot]

Strange how one minute they claim the investigation is complete and in the hands of the prosecutors, the next they claim the investigation is 'ongoing'. Obviously when it suits them.

My advice for the NHCR is to go to every international human rights agencies such as the UN, Amnesty International etc and get it put on the record.

I would also be promoting the 'fully independent' retesting of the two suspects, using pressure from these international agencies, the British government and the UN.... Really turn the screws on Prayuth. Possibly push the UNHRC to request they carry it out.

Prayuth is probably terrified it will get to that stage. he really doesn't need the heat.

"I would also be promoting the 'fully independent' retesting of the two suspects"

and the other suspects,too

[Mooner]

This crime seems like one that won't go away and rightly so.

Let's hope we get some justice

[z42]

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Strange how one minute they claim the investigation is complete and in the hands of the prosecutors, the next they claim the investigation is 'ongoing'. Obviously when it suits them.

My advice for the NHCR is to go to every international human rights agencies such as the UN, Amnesty International etc and get it put on the record.

I would also be promoting the 'fully independent' retesting of the two suspects, using pressure from these international agencies, the British government and the UN.... Really turn the screws on Prayuth. Possibly push the UNHRC to request they carry it out.

Prayuth is probably terrified it will get to that stage. he really doesn't need the heat.

"I would also be promoting the 'fully independent' retesting of the two suspects"

and the other suspects,too

The original sample is dubious in what it could show because of the personnel who collected it at source. Concerns were raised by Pornthip among others about why forensic pathologists weren't called on scene to collect DNA.
DNA at this point poses more questions than it does give answers at this point. Any investigation should moce towards witness testimony and CCTV now. Unsurprisingly the AC bar is legally entitled to withold any CCTV from the bar that night. It can only be requested and can't be demanded. The snippets of CCTV surely can have their contents cleaned up as part of the "ongoing" investigation. oh sorry i was dreaming theer for a minute

[manxninja]

They probably did the crime tbh.

[Bung]

I'm confused. Is the investigation complete then or is it still ongoing? The police are saying two different things now!

[JoeLing]

Threatens legal action? So what if they don't turn up on the 12th November?
Threaten them again that if they don't turn up on the 19th or the 26th or the
30st of November, they will threaten them again with legal actions?

Sounds to me just like the usual threats of a government agency.
Probably nothing will come from it other than some of the NCHR
people being sent to some inactive posts

[englishoak]

Where were NHRC at the beginning of all this ? nowhere to be heard or seen thats where, it is subservient to the system.

Its good they have found some guts to say something but the moment the International Human rights eye moves away the NHRC will go silent again.

I guarantee there will be no case or charges brought by the NHRC against anyone. Period

[jabis]

They were originally arrested for illegal entry - so they will face charges no matter what - so there is still ~a month + some days they can be detained legally without prosecuting - but looking at how the case has gone, I'm placing my bets on mistrial/deportation.

[NongKhaiKid]

Doesn't the NHRC realise the BIB won't talk to them about the case, the only ones the BIB communicate with is the media.

[thesetat2013]

Where were NHRC at the beginning of all this ? nowhere to be heard or seen thats where, it is subservient to the system.

Its good they have found some guts to say something but the moment the International Human rights eye moves away the NHRC will go silent again.

I guarantee there will be no case or charges brought by the NHRC against anyone. Period

Does it really matter if they get a case made against them for not showing to give testimony?

In the worlds eyes the RTP are contradicting themselves with theur reasons for not going to that hearing. The world is going to automatically think they have something they are hiding about how they obtained their confessions.

With the UNHRC commission already breathing down their necks about slavery in the fishing industry and that industries and the Govs claim it was cleaned up only to have 3 men turn up in the sea 2 days ago will should have people up in arms. This is only icing for the cake now..

By not going the RTP are showing the world their guilt wether guilty or not

[chainarong]

The more the RTP run the more it will look like a set up , their reputation and brand name (Like banks) is sh!!t, so the more cooperative they are the less it will place them in bad light, after all if the case is strong enough it will stand any sort of scrutiny.

[Thanatta]

how many times can these buffoons shoot themselves in the foot and still think they have a strong case against these 2 boys. If we could be shown actual evidence and not the made up crap they keep spraying around now people might start to listen but with all the allegations and retractions, bullsh*t dna tests etc this will never end in anything but a heap of sh*t.

Yes You get it! But why it is easy to solve most suicide-cases? Just take the precise Spy-videos from the sattelites to see who was at the site at the time.

They clean easely the video-tapes from the ........ No police anymore seen!

[webfact]

Moves to remove police from Koh Tao murder probe
Chanikarn Phumhiran,
Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Human Rights Commission will discuss next week what action should be taken after police again failed to answer a summons related to the much-publicised murders on Koh Tao.

Despite the summons, police failed to come before an NHRC subcommittee last week and also yesterday.

The subcommittee's chairman Dr Niran Pitakwatchara, who is also an NHRC commissioner, yesterday said he would raise this issue with other commissioners during their meeting on November 12.

"By law, we can lodge a complaint with police against those who ignore our summons," Niran said.

His subcommittee is looking into an allegation that two suspects, both Myanmar nationals, were tortured into confessing to the killing of two British tourists on Koh Tao.

The brutal crimes took place in mid-September, with the two Myanmar suspects being arrested amid speculation they might have been scapegoats.

The parents of the suspects are now in Thailand trying to seek help from various authorities, including the NHRC, as they believe their sons are innocent.

With help from various authorities, the parents yesterday called on the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to take over from police the probe into the murders of the two Britons.

Surapong Kongchantuk, who heads a panel extending help to the Myanmar suspects, said given that police were now a party to the conflict with the suspects who accused them of torture, the police should not be in charge of investigating the case anymore.

DSI chief Suwana Suwanjuta said her department would look into the parents' petition and decide later as to whether this case should be treated as a special one.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Moves-to-remove-police-from-Koh-Tao-murder-probe-30246902.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-04