Myanmar's ambassador to Thailand Win Maung appointed the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) Wednesday to launch an appeal in a higher court for two migrant workers sentenced to death last week for murdering a pair of British tourists.
The meeting between the envoy and Thai lawyers took place at the LCT headquarters in Bangkok while the Thai embassy in Yangon remained closed over security concerns for its staff as protests against the Thai court verdict continued in various parts of Myanmar.
"We're taking this case to the Appeal Court. It's the only chance that we can hope for," the ambassador said through an interpreter, adding that he hoped the Appeal Court would give this case a fair trial.
The Samui Provincial Court last Thursday found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, guilty of raping and murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23, and killing David Miller, 24, on the southern island of Koh Tao in September last year.
The verdict prompted immediate protests in Myanmar, with many believing the two young men are scapegoats and did not receive a fair trial.
Agreeing to take on the case, LCT president, Dej-udom Krairit, said the council has set up three teams of lawyers to work on the case and would ask for an extension of a deadline to appeal as there are many details in the case that its lawyers need to work on before submitting the appeal.
According to the court process, an appeal request must be submitted within 30 days from the Court of First Instance reading its verdict.
"We will do our best as the two convicts have assured us they are not guilty," he said adding that the appeal hearings and verdict could take at least a year.
Mr Dej-udom called on existing or potential witnesses to provide new evidence to the LCT proving that the defendants are not guilty, which will assist their efforts in reopening the case.
The Myanmar government has offered to fund the council for working on this appeal, but the LCT does not take money for pro bono cases, said the LCT chief.
In Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin met Wednesday with Thai ambassador Pisanu Suvanajata to discuss the issue, saying he was interested in a proposal by Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to have Myanmar legal experts observe the appeal process in Thailand, the Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement quoted Wunna Maung Lwin as saying Myanmar authorities will keep a close watch on the protests to prevent untoward situations.
Also Wednesday, about 20 Myanmar villagers in Phaya Tong Su, bordering Kanchanaburi, gathered again to demand an answer from Thai authorities after the protesters earlier asked them to respond to their doubts over the court ruling.
It was their third demonstration in five days after the controversial verdict on Dec 24, that has caused widespread protests both in Myanmar and some other locations abroad, including the Thai embassy in Canberra, Australia.
Authorities in Myanmar have closed-off the Phaya Tong Su checkpoint for five consecutive days as a direct result of the protests.
They are not allowing Thai nationals to enter the country over fears for their safety.
