Myanmar pledges efforts to keep anti-Koh Tao verdict protests under control

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Myanmar pledges efforts to keep anti-verdict protests under control
OLAN LERTRUDTANADUMRONGKUL,
NATTHAPAT PHROMKAEW
THE NATION

Thailand reassures neighbour Thai Koh Tao murder sentences can be appealed.

BANGKOK: -- MYANMAR'S foreign minister has assured his Thai counterpart that he will do his best to rein in his compatriots' anger over the death sentences given to two Myanmar migrants involved in the Koh Tao murder case.

"I have already spoken to Myanmar's foreign minister, who has expressed understanding about the Thai judicial process and realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one," Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday.

He added that he had told his counterpart that Myanmar could provide legal advisers to the defendants.

Last Thursday, the Samui Provincial Court convicted the two Myanmar men of killing two Britons on Koh Tao in 2014 and sentenced them to death. Since the verdict was delivered, thousands of Myanmar people have been staging rallies in their country.

"I hope this situation doesn't lead to violence, because it will do no good to Thailand or Myanmar," Don said.

Asked whether protests in Myanmar were organised, Don said he could only hope that nobody had tried to manipulate the situation and caused it to get out of hand. However, he said, it was rather unusual to see the protests spread to several areas.

Yesterday, about 100 people gathered in Koh Song on the Myanmar side of the border to protest against the court ruling.
General Thawip Netniyom, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said he didn't understand why people were protesting against the Koh Tao case in Myanmar, adding that his agency was trying to find out if someone had purposely organised the rallies.

Thawip also pointed out that the judicial process was running its course and the defendants could take the case to the Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court if they were not satisfied.

"I don't see any need to stage protests now," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Myanmar authorities were not pressuring the government, and had simply asked authorities to take care of the case.

"Court verdicts are based on evidence," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Myanmar-pledges-efforts-to-keep-anti-verdict-prote-30275902.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-30

[rkidlad]

Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't say for sure that these two boys are innocent, but this case stinks.

If this is a clear cut case, show us all and we will shut up.

I don't care what the culture is. You never accept wrong.

[JeremyBowskill]

"who has expressed understanding about the Thai judicial process and realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one,"

the verdict was final as soon as they blamed whitey, it didn't work and they moved on to the next best thing.

[EyesWideOpen]

"I have already spoken to Myanmar's foreign minister, who has expressed understanding about the Thai judicial process and realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one," Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday."

[Briggsy]

Yet again, Thai ministers speak on behalf of foreign governments. This has become a very bad habit.

[z42]

I especially like this part "Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Myanmar authorities were not pressuring the government, and had simply asked authorities to take care of the case.

"Court verdicts are based on evidence," he said"

Yes they are based on evidence, but that same evidence is contradictory and in terms of the DNA, the source material can't be traced to its origins and verified by any lab indepenedent of the police. So the evidence really does not prove anything in the eyes of many

[yellowboat]

The Burmese have every right to complain. The only way to achieve fairness in a politically charged environment is to make noise.

[stickylies]

Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said that the Burmese are considering changing their currency into Thai baht and making passa Thai the national language. They also agreed giving back Shan state to Thailand as well as the southern area around Marid which used to be Siamese territory.

[joebrown]

Every time the PM or other Ministers speak about the Samui court verdict they say it's all part of the judicial process.....

"Thawip also pointed out that the judicial process was running its course and the defendants could take the case to the Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court if they were not satisfied".

Does this mean that the 24th December verdict is really immaterial and there is the chance that a higher court will act in a more 'judicial' way. If so, why waste the time and money on the Samui trial?

[murphya33]

"who has expressed understanding about the Thai judicial process and realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one,"

the verdict was final as soon as they blamed whitey, it didn't work and they moved on to the next best thing.

You have proof of this of course? I mean you wouldn't be just throwing it out there as fact if its not. That would make you as bad as "them".

[Norvid 1950]

Bizarre case from start to (un) finish ?

[oneday]

Oh, I do so hope the Myanmar MFA is actually lying just so Thailand is appeased. I hope they are doing as little as possible to quell the protests.

[Dogmatix]

General Thawip Netniyom, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said he didn't understand why people were protesting against the Koh Tao case in Myanmar, adding that his agency was trying to find out if someone had purposely organised the rallies.

I think he is right. The best way to start would be by tracking down and interrogating the people who organised the rallies outside the US embassies in bangkok.

[Dogmatix]

Burma's army chief, who recently complained to Prayut about the verdicts, should be the man to suppress the demonstrators who are expressing the same views as him.

[Srikcir]

"Myanmar's foreign minister ... realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one"

FM Don may not really appreciate Myanmar's foreign mininster Wunna's grasp of the current Thai judicial process.

Like Thailand's military government, the rulings of the Myanmar courts have not always been independent of the military government. The NCPO Interim Charter provides that NCPO directives have constitutional authority and can override any judicial ruling.

So what FM Wunna understands is that Prayut ultimately decides (as if he hasn't previously) the fate of the two convicted men. But that is not a very diplomatic pronouncement. But it would be honest to place total responsibility for the future of the accused on Prayut.

[Dogmatix]

Oh, I do so hope the Myanmar MFA is actually lying just so Thailand is appeased. I hope they are doing as little as possible to quell the protests.

The Burmese FM has simply made a diplomatic response to say he respects the Thai justice system and understands that the verdict is not final. But even though it was wrongly reported in the Thai media at first that the Burmese ambassador, who represents the FM, said he agreed with or accepted the verdict, he later clarified that he did not accept the verdict, while still respecting the Thai justice system (presumably excluding the Samui court - LOL).

The Burmese FM will be gone soon and replaced with an NLD nominee. It's more important to watch what the Burmese army chief says, since he will have the power to appoint the ministers of interior, defence and border security in the new government. Protests at the border in areas under Tatmadaw control could not happen without his approval and he has given a clear thumbs down to the verdict.

[Dogmatix]

Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't say for sure that these two boys are innocent, but this case stinks.

If this is a clear cut case, show us all and we will shut up.

I don't care what the culture is. You never accept wrong.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. None of us can say for sure that the Burmese are innocent but the case presented in court was very leaky, plus the fact that investigations into other possible suspects were aborted early on without good reason. A lot of reasonable doubt remains. We can't say for sure if the prosecution failed to present more compelling evidence because either they or the police were too incompetent to do so, or because the Burmese are innocent and such evidence didn't exist.

[maingmoom]

General Thawip (pronounced Twerp ) Netniyom said he didn't understand why people were protesting against the Koh Tao case in Myanmar. Well I can tell him why. It's because the people are very angry with this verdict and they want to see proper justice. In my opinion this wont have been done until these two boys are freed.

[maingmoom]

General Thawip (pronounced Twerp ) Netniyom said he didn't understand why people were protesting against the Koh Tao case in Myanmar. Well I can tell him why. It's because the people are very angry with this verdict and they want to see proper justice. In my opinion this wont have been done until these two boys are freed.

[JeremyBowskill]

"who has expressed understanding about the Thai judicial process and realised that this recent court verdict is not a final one,"

the verdict was final as soon as they blamed whitey, it didn't work and they moved on to the next best thing.

You have proof of this of course? I mean you wouldn't be just throwing it out there as fact if its not. That would make you as bad as "them".

Do I have proof they tried to blame whitey then moved on to these fellas??? Yes it was reported everywhere, with a nice high up copper saying how "it could never be a Thai" in the middle.

Oh you mean am I a court appointed judge or lawyer reading all the evidence and coming to a conclusion? Quite obviously not bellwiff, as that would be in breach of my current visa status and Thai labor laws.

[kiwikeith]

I especially like this part "Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Myanmar authorities were not pressuring the government, and had simply asked authorities to take care of the case.

"Court verdicts are based on evidence," he said"

Yes they are based on evidence, but that same evidence is contradictory and in terms of the DNA, the source material can't be traced to its origins and verified by any lab indepenedent of the police. So the evidence really does not prove anything in the eyes of many

I can't understand why people are protesting said the general, Well general it's called democracy, freedom of speech, and misscariage of justice.

The evidence does no longer exist and what was presented was a one page report that was crossed out and partly hand wrtten with unexplained corrections which the DNA expert Mss Taupin from Australia, who was denied testomony said was not a report that any court should accept.

So do not the Prime minister and all involved in the case understand this and that this bungled case is outrageous and that people are allowed to have a say and not be threatened as conspirators against the government.

The protestors are crying out for justice to be seen and not covered up, this is what the Burnese government and people want, not only them but many world wide are outraged by this .

Calling protestors conpsiritors against the government who are plainly outraged is a dictatorship that is undemocratic.