Koh Tao verdict protests stirred up: Thai govt

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KOH TAO MURDERS
Protests stirred up: govt
The Nation

Govt top leaders want to know if rallies in Myanmar over Kao Tao verdict were manipulated

BANGKOK: -- THE GOVERNMENT yesterday hit out over Myanmar people upset at the Thai court verdict on the Koh Tao murder case, saying the protests in various towns could have been manipulated by bad elements. But people in the neighbouring country continued to demand that the case be reviewed.

"I believe the group that is against the current government and the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] has been behind such demonstrations," Deputy Premier and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

He suspected that this group may want to disrupt the work of the current Thai government.

Thousands of Myanmar people have staged several rallies in their homeland after Samui Provincial Court handed the death penalty to two Myanmar men for killing two Britons on Koh Tao in late 2014.

The rallies were so serious that consular officials at the Thai embassy in Myanmar shut down services this week.

The Myanmar rallies appear to have occurred because of widespread suspicion that the two accused were scapegoats forced to confess to crimes they did not commit. This may have stemmed from intense debate on social media about the case in the year since the men's arrest.

The protests in Yangon, Tachilek and other towns have drawn attention from Myanmar leaders.

Top army commander Min Aung Hlaing sent a message to Prawit |earlier asking for justice and the case to be reviewed for the sake of mutual respect and friendship between the two nations. However, Prawit remained confident that the case would not hurt the bilateral relations.

Prawit, who oversees security affairs, revealed yesterday that he had already instructed soldiers and police to track people who spurred sentiment against the court verdict.

"We will bring them to justice," he said.

The Thai court, however, has maintained that its ruling was based on solid evidence, including DNA traces of the two convicts inside the body of the female victim who was sexually violated and brutally killed.

'They have the right to appeal'

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was furious yesterday when asked about protests in Myanmar against the verdict. "They have the right to appeal, right? Laws all over the world [are] like this… , or Thailand does not have such system," he said. "Doesn't Thailand have the same?"

It was not possible to let convicts go free simply because someone had heaped pressure on the authorities for them, he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said his ministry had asked its Myanmar counterpart to help ensure that the protests do not spiral out of control.

"We have seen that the protests are expanding," he said.

Asked whether someone was trying to take advantage of the situation in fanning anti-Thai sentiment, Don said it was not possible to tell the objectives of all protesters but it seemed that some rallies were organised in an unusual manner.

On the safety of Thais in Myanmar, Don said the situation was not worrying in this regard.

Meanwhile in Myanmar, Taw Phaya, 92, grandson of the last Myanmar king Thibaw, plans to send a personal letter to His Majesty the King urging him to get concerned authorities to review the case.

Taw Phaya said he did not ask for a royal pardon in the letter, but "many people know that witnesses have no strong evidence, so the case should be retried to get the real true facts and the real culprits… Myanmar people and I myself will be thankful for your compassion and Metta (mercy)".

The letter dated December 27 and seen by The Nation will be sent through the Thai Embassy in Yangon today.

A group of Myanmar protesters also called for the National League for Democracy and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who won a landslide victory election last month and is preparing to form a government, to comment on the case.

However Nyan Win, a member of NLD's central executive committee, said the NLD was merely a political party and had no authority at present to do anything.

"We are not the government right now. So we do not have the right to undertake some tasks the government should do. What we can do right now is to urge the Thai government to protect Myanmar nationals as much as possible," he said.

A group of hundreds of Myanmar protesters gathered yesterday at Three Pagoda Pass opposite Sangkhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi province to lodge a petition with a Thai district official, urging that the case be reviewed.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Protests-stirred-up-govt-30275835.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-29

[berybert]

As someone said on face book. Thailand starts a fire then cant stand the heat.

[Nigeone]

Absolute nonsense....If protest were allowed in Thailand then you would see a real issue...These guys are in denial as to there corruption and wrong doing....There is only one reason for the demonstrations and that is the crooked ,dishonest RTP and authorities....Blame anyone bar yourself. This is going to get worse but all it needs for the general to grow some and say enough is enough and the world and his wife would respect him so much more than any happiness program ! And as for rooting out the demonstrators..they really are stupid as that's going to make the situation worse...If they arrest anyone over the protests they will have a bigger backlash than they have already

Edited December 28, 2015 by Nigeone

[jaywalker]

Hypocritical xenophobia, spurred because, well they know why, but they just smile and say it ain't so.

[Squeegee]

"I believe the group that is against the current government and the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] has been behind such demonstrations"

Nobody outside Thailand knows or cares about this idiotic junta. These Thai generals are utterly insignificant. The protests are because nobody trusts Thailand and for good reason.

[taony]

At least they are consistent..... at doing all the wrong things.

[Bluespunk]

"KOH TAO MURDERS: Protests stirred up: govt"

Yep, stirred up by the understandable view that the trial the accused received fell far short of any standards of fairness, justice and truth.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Bluespunk

[DM07]

"KOH TAO MURDERS: Protests stirred up: govt"

Yep, stirred up by the justifiable view that the trial the accused received fell far short of any standards of fairness, justice and truth.

You beat me to it!

I might add: incompetence!

[Aj Mick]

The powers that be thought they could sweep this one under a carpet, and let well connected thugs go on their merry way…… They didn't expect to find a hornets nest waiting for them.

[jing jing]

One of the central characteristics of Thainess is a culturally ingrained avoidance of introspection; one result of this is the inability of many Thais to see themselves as others see them.

The only way they ever become aware of the absurdity of their position is when there is a public backlash, thus threatening them with a loss of face.

In order to save face, they must find a bogeyman, preferably a non-Thai, to take the blame for creating the unpleasant situation in the first place.

[arrowsdawdle]

As someone said on face book. Thailand starts a fire then cant stand the heat.

American Indian build small fire and sit close. Thai Elite build big fire and stand back.

[Denim]

Oh dear , surely the yellow brick road mentality doesn't lead to Thaksins door again ?

Is there anything they wont try to pin on the poor rich bloke ?

[arrowsdawdle]

"KOH TAO MURDERS: Protests stirred up: govt"

Yep, stirred up by the understandable view that the trial the accused received fell far short of any standards of fairness, justice and truth.

Freud's projection defense mechanism seems to be in play in the accusations that dissatisfaction with a Koh Tao kangaroo court is a plot stirred up by political opponents of the elitists and military who stole power in an illegal coup, which incidentally, they stirred up.

[Plutojames88]

Wearing crash helmets and bullet proof vests ....the Burmese patsies were paraded.

Battered and bruised at the re-enactment of the killing people began to question what was going on.

The semen from the body of female victim (lost ) and DNA was destroyed preventing any objection or independent testing.

No verification just here say

In other words in admissible evidence.

Experts doubted it was even concluded correctly in the time frame.

The judge did not think it was relevant that CCTV footage showed men fleeing from the area in clothing that was different to that worn by the Myanmar workers that night

And a forensic expert said the DNA on the murder weapon wasn't the Burmese men.

The Thais will provoke a possible military response the day they execute these men.

It's not just their lives but the disrespect to the nation that everyone knows is a patsy job

Edited December 29, 2015 by Plutojames88

[thesetat2013]

So! Instead of looking harder at a reason why people don't believe STILL, that those Burmy were the killers and STILL believe they were only scapegoats, Prawit has instructed soldiers and police to track them down if they spurred sentiment against the courts ruling and to bring them to justice.

Excuse me! But since when has doubt and disbelief and getting others to see your point of view become a crime so serious that the army and police will hunt you down? What are they afraid of when people speak out against what they think was a travesty of justice? So from now on anything done by the police and courts and army are to be considered gospel and if you speak doubts you become a criminal?

[Plutojames88]

So! Instead of looking harder at a reason why people don't believe STILL, that those Burmy were the killers and STILL believe they were only scapegoats, Prawit has instructed soldiers and police to track them down if they spurred sentiment against the courts ruling and to bring them to justice.

Excuse me! But since when has doubt and disbelief and getting others to see your point of view become a crime so serious that the army and police will hunt you down? What are they afraid of when people speak out against what they think was a travesty of justice? So from now on anything done by the police and courts and army are to be considered gospel and if you speak doubts you become a criminal?

There are US senators and Congress men who think the case was a Crocker ...dare try bite their ass and you will get told where to go.

[chainarong]

I am now quite sure that at least 50% of this administration is on life support you would have to be brain dead to think that people outside of Thailand may be stirred up by trouble makers, the trouble lies within the borders of Thailand the respect the RTP has world wide is laughable anything they say can be taken with a grain of salt their shocking record precedes them and the only reason I am stirred up is because I cannot believe that this current administration are so blind they see only what they want to see................................................................

[taony]

Unfortunately being brain dead and making statements such as this are par for the course here. Its not a new phenomen.

[MaxLee]

Protests stirred up: govt

They underestimate the power of social media. Social media peeps gotta keep it up, while they still can.....

[TomJoad]

Meanwhile, the Rohingya are wondering where all these protestors were last summer...

[IAMHERE]

1. I do not believe these two guys will be executed. They will be handed over to Myanmar as a show of benevolence by the Thai Government. Thailand makes Karma, the guys are freed, the case is put to rest. All is well that ends well. Western sense of justice isn't part of the equation. Some important person(s) get away with murder, happens often all over the world.

[kiwikeith]

Good work Thaw Paya, I hope the letter goes international.

Sad day for Thailand when the very man that overseas a coup to stop corruption threatens peoples right to freedom of speech.

Shame on you.

[MZurf]

One of the central characteristics of Thainess is a culturally ingrained avoidance of introspection; one result of this is the inability of many Thais to see themselves as others see them.

The only way they ever become aware of the absurdity of their position is when there is a public backlash, thus threatening them with a loss of face.

In order to save face, they must find a bogeyman, preferably a non-Thai, to take the blame for creating the unpleasant situation in the first place.

"In order to save face, they must find a bogeyman, preferably a non-Thai..."

Well, in this case they're using the always handy bogeyman in Dubai. Man, that guy does get blamed for a lot - what would they do without him??

[MorristheRunt]

If The Burmese were to be executed, many people would consider it to be state controlled murder!

In a case which has clearly caused many problems and devastated many lives, and most importunately severely damaged the reputation of Thailand, I would have thought even a military government would show a little understanding and sympathy.

At the end of the day tourist money is number one in this country, it maybe wise for the country to a least show a little concern when tourists are brutally murdered, even though most of us know they don't give two f**** about visitors here.

[Bluespunk]

• I do not believe these two guys will be executed. They will be handed over to Myanmar as a show of benevolence by the Thai Government. Thailand makes Karma, the guys are freed, the case is put to rest. All is well that ends well. Western sense of justice isn't part of the equation. Some important person(s) get away with murder, happens often all over the world.

Can you tell me where else in the world the scenario you outline occurs?

[MorristheRunt]

1. I do not believe these two guys will be executed. They will be handed over to Myanmar as a show of benevolence by the Thai Government. Thailand makes Karma, the guys are freed, the case is put to rest. All is well that ends well. Western sense of justice isn't part of the equation. Some important person(s) get away with murder, happens often all over the world.

Totally agree, but alas these guys are going to die.

Too many reputations from very senior Thai's are on the line.

Benevolence would be seen as a loss of face.

[madmitch]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was furious yesterday when asked about protests in Myanmar against the verdict. "They have the right to appeal, right? Laws all over the world [are] like this… , or Thailand does not have such system," he said. "Doesn't Thailand have the same?"

No, Mr Prime Minister. Thailand is not the same as the rest of the world. In many countries the judgement a case like this would be made by a jury and not a judge who may or may not act according to "suggestions" from above or "influential persons".

[jing jing]

Thaksin? He's run away from Thai justice, attempted to incite civil war in the country to promote his own vested interests, been stripped of his Thai passport... what's left?

By his own actions, in fact, he is the perfect bogeyman.

[mrrizzla]

Jesus H Christ.

I suppose the cold weather up in Chiang Mai is Thaksin's fault too eh? He is 'manipulating' the weather with his evil sorcery in order to stir up his native Chiang Maians against the Prayuth happiness regime?

No wonder we don't see the likes of DJJamie on these threads anymore. Even he can't defend this ridiculous administration anymore.

[seahorse]

Their heads are up their own <deleted>.