webfact Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Myanmar military chief weighs in on Koh Tao murder caseThe Nation Buddhist monks and others congregate on the platform of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon yesterday to advocate for the release of two Myanmar men who were recently sentenced to death in the Koh Tao murder case, in a protest against the verdict of the Thai judgeThai officials say death sentences are not final, as protests loomBANGKOK: -- MYANMAR'S military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday called for a review of the Koh Tao case in which two Myanmar men were sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers. The verdict had angered his compatriots in the neighbouring country."The commander expressed his respect for Thailand's judicial process while stressing the need to avoid a situation in which the innocent rather than the convicted were wrongly punished," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.Last Thursday, a Samui court found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun, both 22, guilty of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, |24, on Koh Tao in September 2014. Witheridge was also sexually violated.People have demonstrated across Myanmar since the verdict claiming that the two men were scapegoats.Min Aung Hlaing also expressed a belief that justice would be assured because of the mutual respect and friendly relations between the two countries, the Myanmar paper reported.The message came with New Year's best wishes from the Myanmar top commander to Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Armed Forces Supreme Commander Sommai Kaotira.It's very rare for leaders in Nay |Pyi Taw to express grave concern |over the plight of ordinary citizens abroad.A spokesman of the Courts of Justice said the death sentences for the double homicide and gang rape were not yet final."It is still possible to appeal the verdict," Suebpong Sripongkul said."Even after the final ruling comes out, the defendants can seek a Royal pardon." The decision was based on evidence and the summary was now available for everyone to view in both Thai and English, he said.Pol General Dejnarong Sutticharnbancha, National Police spokesman, said the public could have confidence in Thailand's judicial process because there were effective checks-and-balances mechanisms."We work based on the principles of transparency and fairness," he told a press conference held by investigators, forensic officials and doctors to boost public confidence in the police investigation and evidence-gathering process. Pol Colonel Prachum Ruangthong, superintendent of Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, said public prosecutors had asked police to improve the investigation report three times before accepting it."We have handled the case very carefully," he said.He denied reports that the defendants were tortured into confessing and rumours that police had relied on the interpretation services of a |man who had conflicts with the defendants."Those reports are groundless. Doctors have examined the defendants' physical health and there |is no sign of torture," he said.Despite Thai authorities' moves to ease tensions over the guilty verdict for the two Myanmar migrants, more protests against the sentences were planned.An official at the Thai-Myanmar coordination centre in the Ranong-Kawthoung border area said Myanmar people would stage a rally tomorrow.Thousands of people have gathered in front of the Thai embassy in Yangon and at border checkpoints since the verdict to express their disappointment and demand that Thailand review the case.Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Myanmar-military-chief-weighs-in-on-Koh-Tao-murder-30275784.html-- The Nation 2015-12-28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCFC Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trogers Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. ? money is needed to conduct a war... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btunes Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "no torture"??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oziex1 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Even when the courts hand down the verdict it is open to interpretation when an angry mob appears. In this case I hope mob rules prevail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayboy Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Imagine having a justice system so untrustworthy and disfunctional that even the Burmese are protesting about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuaBS Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. ? money is needed to conduct a war... They could cut the gas to Thailand....no electricity ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. again........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Imagine having a justice system so untrustworthy and disfunctional that even the Burmese are protesting about it. ""The commander expressed his respect for Thailand's judicial process while stressing the need to avoid a situation in which the innocent rather than the convicted were wrongly punished," Now there is a Face-balancing act worthy of Thai/Myanmar relations. Very diplomatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttthailand Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Due to the screwed up RTP investigation and all the miss information I for one am not sure if they are innocent or guilty. But if they are guilty and are given a Pardon just to quiet the crowds it would be another travesty of justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelticBhoy Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Elephants at dawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnsy Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "Thailand's judicial process" I don't think you can use those words in the same sentence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneday Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "...The decision was based on evidence..." What evidence do they mean? Do they mean the missing evidence that was never collected. Do they mean the mis-handled evidence, the shoddily documented evidence? Do they mean the evidence withheld from the defense? Or do they mean the evidence that could not be collected off the hoe, but the CIFS chief, Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, said there was sufficient DNA to test and they did and it was not a match to the defendants? Do they mean THAT evidence? Yeah, OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillian Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Due to the screwed up RTP investigation and all the miss information I for one am not sure if they are innocent or guilty. But if they are guilty and are given a Pardon just to quiet the crowds it would be another travesty of justice. Right, due to scewed up RTP investigation.... Even if they are guilty, their process should be fair and transparent right from the beginning. Or are two victims not enough ? Do they have to sacrifice another two young lives for face savings sake ? My guess: the real killer(s) is(are) still at large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweatalot Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Regarding Koh Tao law suit "We work based on the principles of transparency and fairness," Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bung Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "Pol General Dejnarong Sutticharnbancha, National Police spokesman, said the public could have confidence in Thailand's judicial process because there were effective checks-and-balances mechanisms.We work based on the principles of transparency and fairness," he told a press conference held by investigators, forensic officials and doctors to boost public confidence in the police investigation and evidence-gathering process. Pol Colonel Prachum Ruangthong, superintendent of Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, said public prosecutors had asked police to improve the investigation report three times before accepting it." Bwahahahahaha. Do they actually believe this stuff themselves? I'm so happy that in this case at least the RTP are being held up to scrutiny and not able to just ride roughshod over peoples lives to make a quick conviction or worse, to cover for rich and powerful people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatsujin Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) Due to the screwed up RTP investigation and all the miss information I for one am not sure if they are innocent or guilty. But if they are guilty and are given a Pardon just to quiet the crowds it would be another travesty of justice. Protecting the guilty is what they are doing: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run "The police have arrested a suspect in the murder of two British tourists in Koh Tao and are still hunting for a second suspect who has escaped into Bangkok. Eighth Region Police Command commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen identified the first suspect as Mon. He is the brother of a village headman in Koh Tao. Edited December 28, 2015 by metisdead Edited as per fair use policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowsdawdle Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "no torture"??? Can you imagine the defamation or even worse, e.g., mysterious blood disease death or unexpected suicide, if any doctor caused the RTP to lose face? Medicine has little or nothing to do with facts in the Sakdina culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowsdawdle Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Regarding Koh Tao law suit "We work based on the principles of transparency and fairness," Terms on the script they were told to say and no journalist in LOS would dare ask them to define those terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nowisee Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 The Burmese do not need to invade thailand, they just need to leave and it will collapse. No one to do all the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainarong Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Myanmar have a point , and one wonders just how many cases the RTP have screwed up with un professional conduct and the use of scape goats over the past 3 decades and just how many have been executed then found to be not guilty , I'm still trying to find out who will be charged over the imported luxury car part fiasco from three years back................................................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realenglish1 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 No evidence of torture Give me a break This is standard fair for Thai police. They have a reputation for this type of interrogation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. ? money is needed to conduct a war... Well, some of the 60 or so generals that have been running the country for decades would have the option of returning some of the multi billions each took from the nation. Added up, it would be enough to accomplish just about anything. But, I doubt their level of patriotism would rise to that level. That would require selflessness, on the part of swine, and power hungry thieves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlindMagician Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thai officials says the death penalty verdict is not final...now we see the first shift towards opening a door for face saving. It's the usual screw up, feel a backlash of opinion, adjust or uturn but slowly over a controlled period if time...same old same old. But in this case, it might lead to one improvement for the innocent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslimversgwm Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 "...The decision was based on evidence..." What evidence do they mean? Do they mean the missing evidence that was never collected. Do they mean the mis-handled evidence, the shoddily documented evidence? Do they mean the evidence withheld from the defense? Or do they mean the evidence that could not be collected off the hoe, but the CIFS chief, Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, said there was sufficient DNA to test and they did and it was not a match to the defendants? Do they mean THAT evidence? Yeah, OK Exactly so - very well put - summarises all that was wrong with the so-called 'investigation' in nice, short, punchy sentences! Well said sir!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddyjoe41 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 very well put exactly to the point,and without a doubt,if the powers that be can read it they would LIKE.?not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Songlaw Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. ? money is needed to conduct a war... The phrase, "bloodless takeover" comes to mind. A very real possibility. And it shouldn't tax anyone's coffers unduly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRun Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Oh dear! If Burma invades, Thailand is going to get stuffed. ? money is needed to conduct a war... They could cut the gas to Thailand....no electricity ! They may also have leverage in that PTTEP have concessions in Myanmar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuanku Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Due to the screwed up RTP investigation and all the miss information I for one am not sure if they are innocent or guilty. But if they are guilty and are given a Pardon just to quiet the crowds it would be another travesty of justice. Protecting the guilty is what they are doing: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run "The police have arrested a suspect in the murder of two British tourists in Koh Tao and are still hunting for a second suspect who has escaped into Bangkok. Eighth Region Police Command commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen identified the first suspect as Mon. He is the brother of a village headman in Koh Tao. What happened to Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docno Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thai officials says the death penalty verdict is not final...now we see the first shift towards opening a door for face saving. It's the usual screw up, feel a backlash of opinion, adjust or uturn but slowly over a controlled period if time...same old same old. But in this case, it might lead to one improvement for the innocent. True - but this one has gone so far down the road (or off the rails) that it will be near-impossible to turn it fully around. Now we have a judge and legal process that will need to admit 'error' if the two Burmese are exonerated... before it was only the police. Too many egos involved now. I really don't know if these two are guilty or innocent, but the best outcome for them I can see at this time is a prison term rather than the death penalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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