Myanmar duo to enter pleas Monday

Myanmar duo to enter pleas Monday

The two Myanmar suspects in the murders of two British tourists on Koh Tao in September are due to enter their pleas in court on Monday.

Koh Samui prosecutor Paiboon Achawananthakul said the pair will be taken from a prison on the island to Koh Samui Provincial Court at 9am on Monday.

Mr Paiboon was speaking after forwarding the 1,000-page investigation report into the murder of David Miller, 24, and the rape-murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, to the court Thursday.

He said prosecutors indicted Zaw Lin, 21, on five counts - premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offence, rape, illegal entry into Thailand and staying in the country without permission.

Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun: Will enter formal plea Monday

Win Zaw Htun, 21, was indicted on the same charges with the additional count of stealing Miller's mobile phone.

Mr Paiboon said prosecutors do not feel under pressure from the public in handling the case.

"We must be able to answer the public's doubts over whether the indicted persons are the real culprits," Mr Paiboon said.

Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, whom police earlier said had confessed to the murders, later retracted their confessions, saying they had been tortured by police into admitting the crimes.

They retracted their confessions after lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) visited them on Oct 21.

The suspects alleged that a Myanmar translator provided by police had kicked one of them in the chest repeatedly to force them to confess.

Speaking about the torture allegations, Thawatchai Saengjaew, chief of the Public Prosecution's Region 8 Office, said no injuries had been found on either of the suspects while lawyers were also present when the interrogations were carried out via interpreters.

A legal coordinator from the Myanmar embassy, Min Oo, said embassy staff are concerned about the handling of the case and the suspects' welfare.

He said Thai officials failed to inform embassy staff of events in advance, causing them trouble in following up when and what steps were to be taken.

His comments came after prosecutors turned up at the court to submit the investigation report before 1pm, which was their appointed time, ahead of the arrival of Myanmar embassy officials, the suspects' lawyers and the media.

Following the court indictments, the embassy will seek bail for the suspects and discuss with the LCT how to fight the case, Min Oo said.

"The suspects have confirmed they are innocent and they did not murder the two tourists," Min Oo said.

Tun Tun Htike, Win Zaw Htun's father said in Myanmar's commercial capital, Yangon, that his son was not a murderer, but has been locked up like a criminal.

"I want the Thai government to capture the real criminal. Knowing my son is in jail makes me suffer terribly. If I could take his place I would," he said.

Nakhon Chomphuchat, head of their Thai legal team, also said: "This case is not fair ... they were migrant workers so witnesses do not dare to testify [for the defence]."

He also said the legal team will fight as best it can although it has not seen the prosecutors' evidence.

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