THAI GOVERNMENT SENSITIVE.
POLICE KEEP SHTUM
MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA UNDER THREAT
The Burmese Government today made an official request to Thailand to open a new investigation into the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on the holiday island of Koh Tao – after police point blank refused to answer allegations of torture.
The move came after Thai prosecutors again sent the investigation file back to police investigators to clarify issues.
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| Confusion during a Thai police reconstruction |
Lawyer Aung Myo Thant told the Democratic Voice of Burma that the Burmese Government had requested the Thai Ministry of Justice begin the controversial investigation again – particularly now that there were credible complaints that the two 21-year Burmese suspects had been forced to confess under torture.
The statement came after the various police investigation teams involved in the hunt for the killers of Hanna, from Great Yarmouth and David from Jersey, refused to turn up for questioning at the offices of the National Human Rights Commission.
DVD reported Aung Myo Thant as saying: ‘The kids [Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun] have told the Thai human rights commission, the lawyers, our embassy team and their parents on each occasion that they were beaten by police,” he said.
“Therefore we requested that a special team be formed to reinvestigate the case. We presented a written letter of request to a ministry official.”
Thailand’s military government and police have however remained intransigent on the issue.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha has even gone on record to describe the investigation as a text book one. He said Thai police and Scotland Yard read from the same text books and Scotland Yard officers said they were pleased with the way the investigation was handled.
Scotland Yard has made no comment. But the British Foreign and Commonwealth has expressed concern at allegations of torture and corruption, and Scotland Yard may have DNA issues.
The National Human Rights Commission, which currently does not have powers to prosecute as its rights under the 2007 constitution were abolished when the army abolished the constitution, has suggested the Department of Special Investigations – the DSI – Thailand’s FBI take over.
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| David of CSI LA |
These moves are likely to be resisted or even simply dismissed.
The loss of face which would result if Thailand’s DSI came to a different conclusion might be unbearable for the Thai authorities to stand.
Thailand’s media have been warned to be careful what they publish about the police.
As a result many people have turned to the social media for their news and one Facebook page run by a young Thai businessman called David out of California is a favourite.
The page CSI LA has repeatedly come up with the claims that a ‘mafia’ type family on the island, and at least three of its employees were to blame.
Few people it appears believe that it was the diminutive young Burmese workers, one of almost angelic appearance, who were to blame.
Authorities are reported to be tracking posters to the CSI LA site.
1. Loss of face is inconceivable to a Thai
2.Thailand is a a sovereign state. Its laws and customs prevail over international opinion
3 Not mentioned obviously but rather important: Thailand owns a significant amount of western debt. And "he who pays the piper….."
(You can google the figures but be aware that the debt is netted off against currency deposits that the Thais make in sterling and dollar) :
Well as CSI LA recently reported, in the days after the murders it was the police themselves who fingered the bar manager and 'a person who had fled to Bangkok' as major suspects. At first the person was said to have fled over-night to Bangkok but later it was changed to he was always in Bangkok. This is why people are suspicious. The police claimed they had suspects then all of a sudden there was a shift to the Burmese kids much later. Then of course there was the other numerous claims from the taxi driver being asked to finger people to the blood stained jeans etc.
Why wouldn't people be sceptical given the history the Thai police have of beating people and arresting scapegoats. The jails are full of patsies and lackeys but short on masterminds and bosses.
And very next day, 24th Sept the police general Panya who made those claims was transferred out and the cop who oversees Phuket was brought in. Phuket-a bastion of justice and law enforcement. O U T R A G E O U S
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run/
( note the article was amended to state questioned, not arrested in the case of Mon.)
Yes indeed, he claimed the case was a lock and those two were captured on CCTV. Now CSI LA is copping brickbats for showing how similar that kid is to the person captured on video. Just for the record this was what was said. –
## "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."
"He was arrested after evidence which police collected were examined and proved he was involved, he said."
"He also said another suspect is also a son of that village headman. But he has already to Bangkok."
"He said both suspects were captured by CCTV cameras and the police have gathered enough evidence to implicate them in the murders."
So what the hell is going on? Was this senior policeman lying? Why was he booted off the case?
How can you say both suspects were captured on video one minute and later change that? Was that kid on the island that night or not? This looks like Kirsty Jones all over again.
The police general made this comment-
"He also dismissed any suggestion of local mafias or influential people that could twist the investigation with promise that local influence would pose no obstacle to the police investigation."
He seems to have got that part very wrong……………
Wondering if Suspect 1's presence in the crime scene that morning was designed to explain away any foot prints or DNA that might turn up. That fact alone should null and void the results of the " investigation" so far. U N B E L I E V A B L E
Are they finally free ?
Many posters on Facebook CSI have had accounts suspended for " invalid name" until they provide ID to facebook, which I have done and was reinstated. I refuse to intimidated that I cannot have a conversation about who other that Zaw and Win may have attacked and/ or murdered Witheridge and Miller. No one has been indicted, the case is a steaming turd and under former laws now suspended by martial law, could not have been sent back three times by the prosecutor to police for tweaking. Outrageous is what that is. Drop the charges.
I am tired of hearing Thai ministers and police heads moan incessantly about how the nation's reputation will be tarnished. Reputations are earned, and the authorities deserve every single bit of criticism directed at them right now. They also mention tourism revenues a lot as something to be protected above all else, well something matters a bit more than that in the global community. Will Thailand grow up and join the world or become an isolated state renown for injustice?
Quite why it would be an unbearable loss of face if there was another investigation, say, by the DSI, which established the Burmese were wrongly arrested, is mystifying. Everyone with even the most passing of knowledge of this case knows the boys didn't do it and the Thai police have framed them because of political expediency. Whether the Courts join the police in this farce remains to be seen.
If you think losing face is "mystifying" then you don't understand how Thais and others in the Far East think. I don't like it but I understand it.
Where I'm from there are people who sensitivities have to be coddled and great pains taken to not embarrass them.
We call them children.