Myanmar men plead not guilty to murder of British tourists on Koh Tao

[SOTIRIOS]

..illegal entry...for good measure.......???

...I guess the fact that they were hired and living in a workers' camp....has no bearing or reflection on his employers....

....or is that also something taboo ......to suggest .......or talk about......

[RBOP]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Men accused of Koh Tao murders plead not guilty

KOH SAMUI: -- Koh Tao murder defendants Zaw Lin/Wai Phyo (Win) have plead not guilty to all charges against them including conspiracy to commit murder, rape and illegal entry to Thailand. A report in Reuters states “Thanu Akekachote, a lawyer representing the pair, told Reuters. “It is my understanding that the court wants to speed this up given its impact on tourism and international relations.”

It has also been reported that the court are now awaiting documents from the UK government to see if the parents of the victims will jointly enter the prosecution or not. The Samui court also made a preliminary appointment for considering evidence Koh Tao case documents on 25th February 2015.


-- Samui Times 2014-12-08

@atomicalandy

IMPORTANT: Koh Samui court PM session suddenly changes preliminary appointment for considering Koh Tao case evidence 25th Feb to 26th Dec.

Follow the tweet. There is no creditability of the date changed, yet.

Edited December 8, 2014 by RBOP

[jdinasia]

I want to spit out that humble pie I ate. I cannot fathom that these two, acting alone, killed David and Hannah. They may of had some involvement (well, being ordered to be involved) and told that they would be protected.

Evidence tampered with to make it look that way. Let's see how it unfolds in court.

So, back to the conspiracy theories, I see.

Exactly who's fingerprints were on the murder weapon, because somebody had to have held it ?

Dunno, do you? Do you know if there were any? Was the handle of the hoe conducive to lifting fingerprints?

[jdinasia]

..illegal entry...for good measure.......???

...I guess the fact that they were hired and living in a workers' camp....has no bearing or reflection on his employers....

....or is that also something taboo ......to suggest .......or talk about......

AFAIK they were not living in a workers' camp.

Employing illegal labor can be fined.

[jdinasia]

Thailand knows Burma cannot fight back diplomatically, that's why they are pushing case rapidly. Only solution is all Burmese labors should leave Thailand immediately for 3 months, so that all resorts and hotels should close down during the high season.

That is actually a god idea, would leave a lot of Thai organizations in a spot of trouble, but what would the Burmese do for three months with no income?

Think being charged with illegal entry is a little over the top.

If they are innocent, sure hope it gets proven and they get released with a full apology and compensation

Actually the idea of a boycott of Thailand by the Burmese is silly. Plenty of other foreign labor would be happy to fill the gap.

If they are guilty, what would you want?

[joebrown]

How can they possibly plead not guilty to the charge of illegal entry? They are ILLEGAL migrant workers, aren't they? Is their lawyer on yaba too?

I thought that was strange too.

You may not be aware that in the Samui archipelago there are/were a few thousand illegal immigrants working in the tourist industry. Those that are 'allowed' to work by their employers do so on the basis that they have to register with the local police and pay 500bht per month to them for the privelege. Each illegal person is given a record card onto which the police place a stamp for each month paid. Apparently the stamp/receipt for last Sepember was a turtle emblem. Illegal immigrants using motorcycles have to pay even more! Maybe the lawyers for the B2 told them to plead not guilty to the illegal immigrant charge on the basis that whilst they did not have a visa, they were registered with the local police and a form of 'contract' existed whereby a benefit was received as a result of payments made? My information about this is from a previous TV OP under the title 'Koh Tao's Other Little Secret...Police Extortion' which featured as a thread in on 5.10.2014.

[Commerce]

The two poor boys are from Rakhine State in NW Myanmar and so can be called Myanmar workers, as they are Myanmar nationals.

Ethnically they are Arakanese. (They do not look like Bengalis) and they speak Arakanese.

Myanmar is now the correct name of this country as it reflects the breadth of ethnic diversity more than the name Burmese, (representing a single tribe; Burman) does. One day the Brits and the US will have to accept this.

A common misuse of the word Myanmar is using it as the name for the national language. i.e. I speak Myanmar. Thats like saying, 'I speak Thailand'. The national language of Myanmar is Burmese.

KOH SAMUI: -- Two Myanmar workers……

I know that people from Burma are Burmese and that Burma is now Myanmar. But I don’t like the phrase Two Myanmar workers that continually appears in the press. So what can they be? Does Myanmarese work? Or Myanmarian? Myanmarish?

Anything else work?

Two Myanmar workers – don’t like it – am over it.

What?

Two Brits; two British men; Two Americans; two Yanks, Two frogs; Two French men; and so forth.

What is wrong with two Myanmar workers? You prefer Myanmese workers, or Burmese workers?

Myanmarian? Myanmarish? Jeez, you must go through some kebabs, or smoke them.

http://www.myanmar.cm/lifestyle/traditional-foods.html

http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-people/

You might just find they are called Myanmar, with the British sub-script Burmese used more often. However, as mentioned by the previous poster, they are not Myanmarese nor Myanmarish - that's ludicrous.

As for the Brits or US being called Arkanese or Burmese one day.... nope - I don't think we'll ever accept that!

[mojorison]

I want to spit out that humble pie I ate. I cannot fathom that these two, acting alone, killed David and Hannah. They may of had some involvement (well, being ordered to be involved) and told that they would be protected.

Evidence tampered with to make it look that way. Let's see how it unfolds in court.

So, back to the conspiracy theories, I see.

Exactly who's fingerprints were on the murder weapon, because somebody had to have held it ?

Dunno, do you? Do you know if there were any? Was the handle of the hoe conducive to lifting fingerprints?

Fingerprints?? Don't be ridiculous, Thais don't use them... fingerprints are totally unreliable.

[joebrown]

..illegal entry...for good measure.......???

...I guess the fact that they were hired and living in a workers' camp....has no bearing or reflection on his employers....

....or is that also something taboo ......to suggest .......or talk about......

AFAIK they were not living in a workers' camp.

Employing illegal labor can be fined.

You seem to be 'in the know' about what happens on Koh Tao. Can you or any of your business friends there provide the names (and there must be plenty of them) of bars, hotels etc who have been prosecuted for employing illegal immigrants?

[atyclb]

How can they possibly plead not guilty to the charge of illegal entry? They are ILLEGAL migrant workers, aren't they? Is their lawyer on yaba too?

and if they were told/ led to believe their status working is perfectly legal by the thai business owners / employers then ofcourse they can plea not guilty . let the business owners testify.

[CharlieH]

"bating" posts removed

[joebrown]

One can only imagine the extreme agony being felt in the TAT office right now. I bet the news of the B2's 'not guilty' plea went down like a lead balloon. Just think of all the tourist baht at risk as a result of the trial being prolonged and not as wished, concluded today.

Edited December 8, 2014 by joebrown

[Neeranam]

Thailand knows Burma cannot fight back diplomatically, that's why they are pushing case rapidly. Only solution is all Burmese labors should leave Thailand immediately for 3 months, so that all resorts and hotels should close down during the high season.

Don't say that. There's the danger that the roti sellers might go as well.

[jdinasia]

One can only imagine the extreme agony being felt in the TAT office right now. I bet the news of the B2's 'not guilty' plea went down like a lead balloon. Just think of all the tourist baht at risk as a result of the trial being prolonged and not as wished, concluded today.

Actually, having the trial will likely help return the UK backpackers. Other nationalities seem not to have diminished.

Still plenty of British heading there but apparently less than before.

[recycled]

Of course they plead not guilty.

But they are, and Thai court will nail them.

And hopefully after a pathetic outburst such as that you may be on borrowed time.

[thailandchilli]

One can only imagine the extreme agony being felt in the TAT office right now. I bet the news of the B2's 'not guilty' plea went down like a lead balloon. Just think of all the tourist baht at risk as a result of the trial being prolonged and not as wished, concluded today.

Actually, having the trial will likely help return the UK backpackers. Other nationalities seem not to have diminished.

Still plenty of British heading there but apparently less than before.

Still plenty of British heading there but less than before. Where does it state that exaclty

Edited December 8, 2014 by thailandchilli

[Anthony5]

If they were involved and knew they did it, and that a confession would probably almost certainly have got them a life sentence and possibly even freedom in say 15 to 20 years when they were still relatively young... I am almost sure they would have confessed.

Ever heard about double or quit?

Edited December 8, 2014 by Anthony5

[geronimo]

At the risk of closing this exhausting thread, no one outside of the real perpetrators know what really happened.The Thai court will reach a verdict and that will be the end of it as far as the law is concerned. The rest is mere speculation.

[Dogmatix]

Thailand knows Burma cannot fight back diplomatically, that's why they are pushing case rapidly. Only solution is all Burmese labors should leave Thailand immediately for 3 months, so that all resorts and hotels should close down during the high season.

Don't say that. There's the danger that the roti sellers might go as well.

No they are stateless Rohingya and might not be able to get back into Burma.

[Krataiboy]

They're holding up the carpet and getting ready to sweep.

[ChiangraiTony]

Well, we are now entering into a new phase of this case. All the speculation, and conspiracy theories up to this point can now be silenced or at least placed on hold. Especially since we all know now that the victims families are requesting that we wait for all the evidence before making our voices heard. For myself, out of respect for the families of the victims, I will not engage in any discussions pertaining to this tragic situation except for when it enters the court system.

The entities or groups such as CSI LA which has been very focal on Facebook, I wish they would all exhibit more respect for the families.

At this point if they want to do something constructive maybe they can research and find out more about the defense team. Who exactly is representing the two young men that are accused. Maybe the background of the defense team. What cases have they previously had, their experience. If we knew more about them it might enlighten us a bit more going into this trial. I would suspect that they would have to be very good at what they do. I hope they are.

[bangkokfrog]

Sensible to plead not guilty as there might still be a chance that the prosecution case unravels, if not here, in the appeal or supreme courts, if they can survive that long. If they pleaded guilty, there would be no guarantee of avoiding the death penalty, as in the case of the SRT worker who confessed to raping and murdering the little girl on the train but was sentenced to death anyway.

If there are sentenced to death and it is confirmed by the Supreme Court, it is unlikely it would be carried out, given all the investment projects Thailand is hoping to do in Burma. However, death row prisoners are kept in even more ihumane conditions than the rest, in chains 24 hours a day.

I am skeptical about the investigation, the police forensics and the peosecutor's teport but hope for a fair trial,whether they it or not. If they did it, which I doubt, it would seem very unlikely that they did it alone.

I agree with your sentiment, but am not sure about justifying not pleading guilty because of the train rapist who pleaded guilty but was still sentenced to death. He is Thai and not an embarrassment to the Thai police and judicial system. I doubt he will ever face the needle. However, if this case should lead to a conviction and death sentence, I would not be surprised to see the poor guys put to death rather quickly to sweep the whole foul smelling case under the carpet.

[rmacee]

What is this about ??

[Dogmatix]

The first hearing to review evidence has been brought forward 2 months to 26 Dec, which seems to suggest a plan to fast track this case like the trial of the two fisherman in the same court for raping and murdering Katherine Horton in Koh Samui, instead of letting it drag on for years like the trials of the Thai policemen who murdered Vanessa Ascott and Leo del Pinto.

I don't think anything will be reported before the conclusion of the trial but, if it is indeed fast tracked, we should find out soon enough what was the 'powerful and convincing' evidence of the 2B's guilt that was disclosed to the families by the plods before the trial. Could it be that their finger prints were actually found on the hoe and that there is conclusive scientific evidence to prove that the hoe did actually inflicted David's injuries, or, even more pertinently, that the 2B's DNA matched that found in sperm samples found in the post mortem in the UK without needing to rely any of the Thai police's own DNA testing? Perhaps there is some damning evidence that has not been disclosed publicly yet but the Thai police weren't shy about broadcasting all the evidence and theories they had throughout the investigation and none of it sounded convincing at all, while their own forensics are suspect, as Khunying Pornthip, the new head of the CSI stated.

We'll see but I suspect things will go quiet now until the end of the case. If there is a conviction that leaves any loopholes in the evidence, then there will be years of appeals, assuming the 2B survive and can still get lawyers to defend them on a pro bono basis, after the case has slipped from the public eye. Even if the 2B are guilty they deserve a fair trial which is usually difficult for poor Thais without connections at the best of times but they are not even Thai and have the entire establishment pitted against them.

[ffaarraanngg]

Well, we are now entering into a new phase of this case. All the speculation, and conspiracy theories up to this point can now be silenced or at least placed on hold. Especially since we all know now that the victims families are requesting that we wait for all the evidence before making our voices heard. For myself, out of respect for the families of the victims, I will not engage in any discussions pertaining to this tragic situation except for when it enters the court system.

The entities or groups such as CSI LA which has been very focal on Facebook, I wish they would all exhibit more respect for the families.

At this point if they want to do something constructive maybe they can research and find out more about the defense team. Who exactly is representing the two young men that are accused. Maybe the background of the defense team. What cases have they previously had, their experience. If we knew more about them it might enlighten us a bit more going into this trial. I would suspect that they would have to be very good at what they do. I hope they are.

Its all good the family saying that, but this is now about 2 people about to get hung on what must be one of the most bungled cases I've ever seen.

And for them to come out and make that statement just before a trial is truly staggering and will obviously prejudice the trial.

Irony is CSILA and social media has caused the government to panic and arrest anyone, these 2 look to be the unlucky sods.

Edited December 8, 2014 by ffaarraanngg

[Dogmatix]

Well, we are now entering into a new phase of this case. All the speculation, and conspiracy theories up to this point can now be silenced or at least placed on hold. Especially since we all know now that the victims families are requesting that we wait for all the evidence before making our voices heard. For myself, out of respect for the families of the victims, I will not engage in any discussions pertaining to this tragic situation except for when it enters the court system.

The entities or groups such as CSI LA which has been very focal on Facebook, I wish they would all exhibit more respect for the families.

At this point if they want to do something constructive maybe they can research and find out more about the defense team. Who exactly is representing the two young men that are accused. Maybe the background of the defense team. What cases have they previously had, their experience. If we knew more about them it might enlighten us a bit more going into this trial. I would suspect that they would have to be very good at what they do. I hope they are.

It has already entered the court system.

[kaorop]

One can only imagine the extreme agony being felt in the TAT office right now. I bet the news of the B2's 'not guilty' plea went down like a lead balloon. Just think of all the tourist baht at risk as a result of the trial being prolonged and not as wished, concluded today.

Actually, having the trial will likely help return the UK backpackers. Other nationalities seem not to have diminished.

Still plenty of British heading there but apparently less than before.

if you know such things shouldnt it be "here" rather than "there"

do you declare your stance on this matter to western tourist or expats?

someone of such strong convictions would surely be true to themselves.

to easy, just way to easy

[jdinasia]

One can only imagine the extreme agony being felt in the TAT office right now. I bet the news of the B2's 'not guilty' plea went down like a lead balloon. Just think of all the tourist baht at risk as a result of the trial being prolonged and not as wished, concluded today.

Actually, having the trial will likely help return the UK backpackers. Other nationalities seem not to have diminished.

Still plenty of British heading there but apparently less than before.

if you know such things shouldnt it be "here" rather than "there"

do you declare your stance on this matter to western tourist or expats?

someone of such strong convictions would surely be true to themselves.

to easy, just way to easy

Nope. "here" is Nakhon Nayok. "there" is Koh Tao.

"A few hundred yards away along Sairee beach, the main tourist drag on the Thai holiday island, life continues as normal. Business, says a French man running a dive shop – much of Koh Tao’s tourism is based around diving – is actually busier than expected for the monsoon season. “After the murders you did notice that there were fewer people for a bit. But it was only really the British that stayed away. With everyone else, they didn’t even really notice.”

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/23/briton-thailand-murder-hannah-witheridge-david-miller-mystery-mafia-fear

[jdinasia]

Well, we are now entering into a new phase of this case. All the speculation, and conspiracy theories up to this point can now be silenced or at least placed on hold. Especially since we all know now that the victims families are requesting that we wait for all the evidence before making our voices heard. For myself, out of respect for the families of the victims, I will not engage in any discussions pertaining to this tragic situation except for when it enters the court system.

The entities or groups such as CSI LA which has been very focal on Facebook, I wish they would all exhibit more respect for the families.

At this point if they want to do something constructive maybe they can research and find out more about the defense team. Who exactly is representing the two young men that are accused. Maybe the background of the defense team. What cases have they previously had, their experience. If we knew more about them it might enlighten us a bit more going into this trial. I would suspect that they would have to be very good at what they do. I hope they are.

Its all good the family saying that, but this is now about 2 people about to get hung on what must be one of the most bungled cases I've ever seen.

And for them to come out and make that statement just before a trial is truly staggering and will obviously prejudice the trial.

Irony is CSILA and social media has caused the government to panic and arrest anyone, these 2 look to be the unlucky sods.

I disagree with you, but am curious. How will the statement "obviously prejudice the trial"?

[CharlieH]

off topic removed