Myanmar men appeal against death sentences over British murders in Thailand

[EyeOfRa]

4 minutes ago, xylophone said:

IMO the handshake of a frightened man who is pleased that he has been let go/freed.

Certainly, Sean had been frightened (see video below, which does seem candid). 

 

What is the intention of the "handshake" images, from a Thai point of view, in a culture of theatre?

 

 

[iReason]

Police refuse to answer torture claim

 

“Police handling the Koh Tao murders case have again stood up the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has repeatedly invited investigators to its headquarters to clear up allegations they tortured two Myanmar suspects to confess.”

 

“The NHRC would begin debating whether it should file a complaint against forensic police, Police Region 8 and the Metropolitan Police Bureau after the three departments failed to show up for the fourth time.”

http://www.nhrc.or.th/2012/wb/en/news_detail.php?nid=3376&parent_id=1&type=new

[iReason]

September 19, 2014

"On arriving the day after the murders, the senior police officer on the island assured us,

the culprit could not have been a Thai person."

 

"No Thai could possibly commit such a crime," he said,

forgetting the equally ghastly murder of Welsh tourist Katherine Horton in 2006, by, it turned out, two Thai fishermen."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29262496

[iReason]

 

"The foreign minister warned the media to not dig into suspicious issues in the police investigation of the murder case"

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/media-told-not-to-revive-doubtful-issues-regarding-the-murder-of-british-backpackers-in-koh-tao

[iReason]

The captain of the speedboat, The Happy Duck, that left Koh Tao early on the morning of the murders,

was found hiding in a cave on Koh Samui.

He was interrogated by local police.

 

Seen here, in hand cuffs:

[iReason]

“The court in Koh Samui heard that the senior investigating police chief and his officers did not believe the killer would have taken that boat, which left an hour or so after the estimated time of death of the pair.”

 

"We have the footage, but we never checked it," Police Colonel Cherdpong said.

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1523975/police-never-checked-cctv-after-britons-killed

[iReason]

"I asked whether police checked CCTV footage."

 

"He (the witness) replied no and that police had collected the footage but investigators thought it wasn't relevant"

 

“The pier is close to the beach… and is the main route to and from the resort island.”

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/koh-tao-murder-trail/2003156.html

[iReason]

“In response to the defense team’s repeated calls for access to forensic evidence that the prosecution said links Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo to the rape and murder, police revealed in court that swabs taken from semen found in Witheridge’s body are no longer available because they were “used up” in the original testing, which was conducted privately.”

 

"Only two people were present for the entire process: a police officer and a police doctor; 

there were no photographs of the process, either.” 

 

“When we mentioned this in the court, they quipped that we have been watching too much CSI."

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1436774626

[iReason]

“The chief investigator was speaking after police had summoned the owner of the In touch Bar for questioning after investigators discovered that both victims had visited the bar and had had an altercation before they were found dead.”

 

“Another person summoned was the owner of AC Pub, who local residents say is an influential person and the older brother of the man who owns In touch Bar.”

“Meanwhile a Police source said it was not possible that people on the island did not have any knowledge of what might have happened on the night of the murder, the source said maybe they don't want to talk to police, as they do not want to have problems with an influential group.”
 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-free-bar-owners-and-look-for-ex-village-hea-30243997.html

[iReason]

"People are not talking now on the island," said one source with knowledge of its underworld.”

 

"But they know something about what has happened."

 

“Asked if Koh Tao had a drug problem during a visit had to the island on Saturday, Police General Somyot,

Thailand's top police officer, said: "No, no, no. I can't say that."

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11111532/Thai-island-murder-investigation-hits-a-wall-of-silence.html

[iReason]

 

“A Thai court has heard that the interpreters used…were in fact pancake hawkers who did not properly understand Thai or the suspects’ native Burmese dialect.”

 

“One of the translators, named Ko Ye, admitted to the defense team that he signed a statement confirming what was said during the interrogation even though it was written in the Thai language, which he could not read.”

 

“Wai Phyo said the translator accused him of being party to mob violence against Rohingya in their homeland, he asked me, when the riots started in Burma, where were you? Did you burn down my village?”

 

http://time.com/4005983/koh-tao-murder-trial-interpreters-backpackers/

[iReason]

“Sean McAnna, 25, who is from Glasgow, says he was approached by a group of Thai men in a bar on Sairee beach in the early hours of Monday morning.”

 

”The conversation then took a sinister turn, as the men accused him of murdering fellow British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge, telling him, "You're going to hang yourself tonight - We're going to watch you hang".

 

“Mr McAnna ran away and took refuge in a nearby supermarket, which he was only able to leave once police arrived.”

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11113386/British-backpacker-describes-terror-after-Thai-mafia-death-threat.html

[iReason]

CCTV

3:44 am

4:48 AM

4:51 AM

 

[StealthEnergiser]

27 minutes ago, iReason said:

The captain of the speedboat, The Happy Duck, that left Koh Tao early on the morning of the murders,

was found hiding in a cave on Koh Samui.

He was interrogated by local police.

 

Seen here, in hand cuffs:

 

I wonder if he is still alive.

[iReason]

Mon front row in the crime scene. @10 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaiAXSuvW9g

 

Mon stepping over Police barrier to enter the closed crime scene:

[iReason]

October 16, 2015

 

“Thai police say they have perfected the case file accusing two Burmese migrant workers of murdering British tourists in southern Thailand, after prosecutors initially rejected the case for being “incomplete.”

“State attorneys refused to take up the case earlier this week, citing insufficient evidence and “flaws” in police’s investigation”

“Pol.Maj.Gen. Paween Pongsirin, deputy commander of Region 8 Police, said the case file is now "perfect." 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1413444909&section=12

[iReason]

November 7, 2015

 

"The public prosecutor in charge of the Koh Tao murder case says his team needs more time to work on the investigation before the two Burmese men arrested by police can be tried in court."

 

"Despite police's earlier insistence that the case was “perfect,” Tawatchai Siengjiew, chief of Region 8 Public Prosecutor Office, said today that the investigation is only "80 percent completed."

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1415364373

 

 

Edited September 1, 2017 by iReason

[iReason]

December 2, 2015

 

“Police Chief Somyot Pumpunmuang told journalists then that the police had conducted a “perfect investigation”

 

“Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha backed the police force’s investigation: Stating that the British Government had “no doubts regarding British the murder case”.

 

"But it wasn’t long before a statement from the UK proved that Prayuth’s claim was somewhat inaccurate, with Junior Foreign Minister Hugo Swire stating “there was a real concern in the UK about how the investigation has been handled by the Thai authorities”.

 

http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/2014/12/thailand-detention-of-koh-tao-murder-suspects-extended-for-6th-time/

[iReason]

The RTP directing the crime scene with Banana Pancake Man,

(the  interpreter in dark shirt and tan pants) :

Edited September 1, 2017 by iReason

[greenchair]

4 hours ago, sambum said:

"Now we're all hoping the supreme court will uphold the verdict." 

 

You've gone surprisingly quiet since myself, Island lover and a few others that have their names down as having shown an interest, asked you to tell us who the  "we" is that you refer to? Obviously JLC is one, but is your silence due to the length of time it is taking you to find more people to add to your "we" list?

I have a life. 

 

[007cableguy]

I have a life. 
 

LOL we know it's called the Koh Tao threads!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[greenchair]

22 minutes ago, iReason said:

December 2, 2015

 

“Police Chief Somyot Pumpunmuang told journalists then that the police had conducted a “perfect investigation”

 

“Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha backed the police force’s investigation: Stating that the British Government had “no doubts regarding British the murder case”.

 

"But it wasn’t long before a statement from the UK proved that Prayuth’s claim was somewhat inaccurate, with Junior Foreign Minister Hugo Swire stating “there was a real concern in the UK about how the investigation has been handled by the Thai authorities”.

 

http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/2014/12/thailand-detention-of-koh-tao-murder-suspects-extended-for-6th-time/

You know this is all old stuff that was talked about 2 years ago. 

Just to up date your very old news. Currently, the b2 have lost in two courts with extensive evidence. 

And we are having discussions about the crappy defence that was put up and if the Supreme Court will accept their case. 

[iReason]

"They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they wear bikinis and walk everywhere.”

 

"Can they be safe in bikinis... unless they are not beautiful?"

 

"We have to look into the behavior of the other party too because this kind of incident should not happen to anybody and it has affected our image" Chan-ocha told reporters.

 

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-murders-prime-minister-prayuth-chan-ocha-says-only-ugly-girls-are-safe-bikinis-1466027

[iReason]

“The Thai authorities previously stalled in responding to the UK's request to observe the murder inquiry, but junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha is said to have acquiesced after UK Prime Minister David Cameron personally pressed him”

 

“However, he said that police still have not fully completed the file, despite a statement by police last week to the contrary.”

 

“Police failed to secure the crime scene in the wake of the murder, and have also provided a series of unsubstantiated and contradicting statements to the press.”

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1413790292

[greenchair]

4 hours ago, JLCrab said:

JLC is not one. I have said I would like to see the Supreme Court rule to uphold the verdict, reduce the prison sentence to time served, and deport the B2.

I am shocked and hurt. 

Are you serious. 

Uphold that verdict and yet send them home. 2 years For rapeing that beautiful young lady in the worst possible way that a human being can be raped.

whilst she was alive.  

 No. That's not right at all. 

Let them rot. 

Not a day less than 20 years. 

And plenty of soap in the shower please. 

[nasanews]

If one innocent self is killed unjustly it is like killing all people.

[iReason]

"Under questioning, Pol. Col. Ruangtong contradicted earlier testimony, from another senior police officer, who had said CCTV images of the port area were not checked after the bodies were found, even though any perpetrator may have had time to take the early boat to the mainland."

 

"Police Colonel Ruangtong told the court police had indeed checked the CCTV images from the cameras at the port but they had not shown anything."

 

"Police Colonel Prathoom Ruangtong, who initially took charge of the investigation, after the bodies of the pair were found on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao, last September, confirmed the two Burmese immigrant workers had not been provided with their own lawyers.

 

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/koh_tao_murder_trial_defendents_did_not_have_representation_during_interrogations_court_hears_1_4211590

[EyeOfRa]

Quote

You know this is all old stuff that was talked about 2 years ago. 

 

There are always new readers for "old stuff".

 

iReason is supplying an excellent curation of articles to fill out the background to the current situation.

 

 

[007cableguy]

I am shocked and hurt. 
Are you serious. 
Uphold that verdict and yet send them home. 2 years For rapeing that beautiful young lady in the worst possible way that a human being can be raped.
whilst she was alive.  
 No. That's not right at all. 
Let them rot. 
Not a day less than 20 years. 
And plenty of soap in the shower please. 

You are one sick puppy!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[iReason]

"My experts were able to identify one full DNA profile and one partial DNA profile from the handle of the hoe,” she said. 

 

“However when I placed these two profiles against those provided by the Royal Thai police, said to be from the two Burmese defendants, they did not match.”

 

"She also said that as the bodies were not forensically examined for several hours, it was impossible to assess the prosecution theory that the two murdered Britons had been having sex on the beach."

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11857706/British-backpacker-murder-trial-DNA-on-murder-weapon-does-not-match-accused.html