Mum of British backpacker murdered in Chiang Mai hits out at Foreign Office

[webfact]

Mum of murdered backpacker Kirsty Jones accuses Foreign Office of putting diplomacy ahead of her quest for answers
But Sue Jones insists she hasn't given up hope her daughter's killer can be found
BY DARREN DEVINE

LLANFILO: -- The mum of murdered Welsh backpacker Kirsty Jones says the Foreign Office has refused to release all the documents they hold about her death.

Sue Jones, from Llanfilo, near Brecon, in Powys, says officials have consistently prioritised good relations with authorities in Thailand where Kirsty was murdered, over her quest for answers.

She made a Freedom of Information request to the Foreign Office in 2013 for all documents relating to her daughter’s death.

Mrs Jones says she was told when she applied they would not release material that could jeopardise or hurt relations with Thailand.

And the documents that eventually came back saw names deleted.

Full story: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/mum-murdered-backpacker-kirsty-jones-9312696

-- Wales Online 2015-05-25

[clockman]

Disgusting, but not surprised. It is called diplomacy!

[DavisH]

Die in Thailand - don't expect answers and don't expect justice.

[z42]

The uk has absolutely no balls and it is sickening to see. Thoroughly ashamed a good citizen must suffer multiple times because of it

[Asiantravel]

So not wanting to hurt or jeopardise relations with Thailand is given more importance than serving the needs of its citizens and taxpayers who actually pay the salaries and pensions of these people?

[clockman]

There is a well known suspect! he must have paid off the BIB?

[clockman]

We are now lickspittles to third worlds!

[daiwill60]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Seems the newspaper spiced it up a bit. As they do.

“I did get the majority of the stuff. Some of the things were taken out and quite a few names were deleted.”

(She would have know the names anyway; police seems to have done a good job keeping her informed, which she also acknowledges in the article.)

Edited May 25, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai

[MockingJay]

Let's hope that this one results in s###strom of unimaginable proportions for Thailand, that eventually will spread over to other similar incidents such as the two slaughtered and raped Koh Tao backpackers and the boy on that same dump of an island who was murdered but the incident ruled a suicide, just recently. What an atrocity to refuse the mother of a murder victim to learn the truth. Thailand's officials in charge should be ashamed of themselves! But given the typical Thai self-centeredness and the Thai self-righteousness, they might just gurgle any signs of remorse down with a bottle of Sang Som...

Edited May 25, 2015 by MockingJay

[Krenjai]

What can the Brits do? Even if they know ALL THESE INVESTIGATIONS are one big cock-up? They cannot question every murder case and PROVE that the Thai-investigators were lying cheating manipulating to save face, or can they? Should they? I am sure that if the Brits wanted to, they could have collected DNA samples of the B2 and compare with Hannah's body and PROVE beyond any doubt this was (is) indeed a cover up...

This Chiang Mai murder I haven't followed that much but the situation will be similar and probably the perpetrators are known..........and also here the Brits could do a lot more, should they? If the Brits would do what every human being would expect, CLEAR UP THESE MURDERS, the UK & Thailand would indeed collide big time and foreign relation will get beyond sour.

So Money Talks and BS walks, or shoud we say Money Talks and Mon & Co walks..........

YIKES!! What a country (countries)

[ghworker2010]

what a load of bullocks. Grow a pair...

Take this to the tabloid media and the foreign office will cave into pressure and release the information.

[Beetlejuice]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

I had exactly the same thoughts. Have the British team of police that visited the island made any positive statements regarding the murders yet?

If British citizens die abroad, the families should be informed not to expect any support from Britain, because business has priority over justice.

In Thailand there are too many mysterious deaths and murders of foreigners going unsolved. I have heard of cold cases, but these murders have reached absolute point zero degrees.

It is good that the mother of Kirsty refuses to lay down in defeat and let the case fade away into oblivion.

If anyone does have any information regarding the said murder, I urge them to do the right thing, and come forward

[stephenterry]

I think Mrs Jones should move on. Nothing will bring back her Kirsty, and there's zero chance (in today's Thai society) any Thai man will be arrested and convicted. Easy to say, not so easy to do - and I despise the FCO for not making waves with their Thai counterparts.

Same will happen with the Koh Tao murders (if not already) - it makes me sick to think the FCO is from the same homeland as me. Spineless jerk-offs.

[Shiver]

Geez, can you imagine the pain of losing your daughter, and being unable to even begin to look for closure due to diplomatic shirt and tie <deleted>?

As Shakespeare is alleged to have written "a plague on both your houses".

[Baerboxer]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

I agree with you on some points. Nothing to do with not having balls - all to do with "seeing the bigger picture, guarding the country's relations etc" as they like to put it. In other words individual citizens ain't worth rocking the boat for; unless you happen to be one of the elite of course.

Australia - wind and piss but little action. Not seen them doing anything about the poor Aussie lad badly assaulted by the Chinese-American rich kid thugs, or the lack of progress in their trial. US - didn't do much about their citizen hacked to death by a nutter Taxi driver, or the guy stabbed by the angry band. Other EU countries the same, very little response to their citizens being murdered. Possible exception is Japan - they seem to try and do something.

I believe the police here are more competent than some give them credit for. But, they are also highly corrupt and political. I'm sure they have a very strong idea who murdered this poor lady, and who murdered the poor couple on Koh Tao. Whether they will do anything about it is another matter. It's not about serving justice, it's about bribery, favors, position, connections and making the most of any situation that is presented.

How much information the police forces in the UK involved with these murders is anybodies guess. Because despite being a democracy, with freedom of speech and freedom of information laws, that only means what the government will allow.

Meantime watch your back here and be careful - your country won't.

[Baerboxer]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

I had exactly the same thoughts. Have the British team of police that visited the island made any positive statements regarding the murders yet?

If British citizens die abroad, the families should be informed not to expect any support from Britain, because business has priority over justice.

In Thailand there are too many mysterious deaths and murders of foreigners going unsolved. I have heard of cold cases, but these murders have reached absolute point zero degrees.

It is good that the mother of Kirsty refuses to lay down in defeat and let the case fade away into oblivion.

If anyone does have any information regarding the said murder, I urge them to do the right thing, and come forward

Spot on. Governments and countries are board of directors and businesses nowadays. Business takes precedence over everything. Some being more immoral than others, but very little actual morality or sense of justice.

When you read crap like this, makes you proud to be British. Neither Conservative, Labor or coalition governments have done anything to change it; or are likely too.

[shirtless]

These day diplomats are to busy building up contacts for when they leave the service they dont want to rock any boats cause it could affect their future income they are really pathetic

[Baerboxer]

what a load of bullocks. Grow a pair...

Take this to the tabloid media and the foreign office will cave into pressure and release the information.

You think a still grieving Welsh farming family, even with media support will get much change out of any British government? Good luck with that.

As for Thailand, they've stonewalled the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on grand theft, fraud and murder of prominent citizens. Do you think they'll be bothered about a few British newspapers or TV channels? Simply block their websites and ignore them.

Getting the full information released would help, especially the names deleted. But the first time they're used over here - wham! Defamation charges will start flying, even from the guilty.

[shirtless]

These day diplomats are to busy building up contacts for when they leave the service they dont want to rock any boats cause it could affect their future income they are really pathetic

[DaveinAsia]

The uk has absolutely no balls and it is sickening to see. Thoroughly ashamed a good citizen must suffer multiple times because of it

Agreed. Perhaps another 5 years of Tory 'leadership' will encourage Britons to stand up against these scumbags.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/05/13/greatest-threat-free-speech-comes-terrorism-claiming-fight/

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Maybe it's because they know who did the deed...therefore it's obstruction of justice.

[BudRight]

In the legal systems of many countries, covering up murder is accessory after the fact. The foreign office is complicit by that standard.

[Beetlejuice]

I think Mrs Jones should move on. Nothing will bring back her Kirsty, and there's zero chance (in today's Thai society) any Thai man will be arrested and convicted. Easy to say, not so easy to do - and I despise the FCO for not making waves with their Thai counterparts.

Same will happen with the Koh Tao murders (if not already) - it makes me sick to think the FCO is from the same homeland as me. Spineless jerk-offs.

That`s a ludicrous statement.

If this were my daughter I would be fighting for answers and justice until the day I die. Obviously the tragic Kristy can never be resurrected and brought back, but there can be no absolute closure and inner peace for this lady until the perpetrator/s have been brought to justice. Somewhere out there is someone or people that have taken a life and ruined the lives of others for all eternity,

If I were to come into information that brought justice and closure for the family I would be in there without hesitation and not take the £10000 reward offered. My assistance would come from within, not for financial gain. As a father of 3 children myself, my heart aches for this lady and hope she will continue to find the inner strength to archive justice for the precious Kirsty Jones.

[sambum]

"And the documents that eventually came back saw names deleted."

I wonder why that is? To protect the innocent guilty, perchance?

[shaurene]

Try go through the world court, or the EU courts for the information.

Bloody discusting that they will not release the official papers to you, you have a 100% right to know. Keep trying.

Best of luck

[dirtycash]

Disgusting, but not surprised. It is called diplomacy!

second that !!! absolutely discracefull discusting behaviour from all parties involved.

[aslimversgwm]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

Yes it is exactly the same, as you surmised. I have twice fried to get the Met police's report on their 'observations' made in Koy Tao and been fobbed off similarly. Also tried under the Freedom of Information Act directly to the Met police authority. Their response: I must contact my local police (i.e. the Thai cops) for them to ask for its release! Are they mad?! Or just as corrupt?

[wabothai]

what a load of bullocks. Grow a pair...

Take this to the tabloid media and the foreign office will cave into pressure and release the information.

so, what do you suggest?

[neilyboy]

Yes and no doubt the same is happening in respect to the Koh Tao murders. The British Government has no excuse however. I wonder what the Austrailan Government would do if it were their citizens , apparently they don't pussy foot and khaowtaow to diplomatic courtesies if Oz citizens are affectd by lawlessness and or corruption over here. As said previously, UK Diplomatic corps , NO BALLS

I am Australian i would hope and except them to do something, i am sure the current government of Australia would but i am not sure about the previous Government.