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Burmese men accused of killing Britons in Thailand withdraw confessions
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(5 months later)
Two Burmese men accused of killing the British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on a Thai holiday island have retracted their confessions, according to their lawyers, adding further confusion to an investigation that has attracted widespread criticism.
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The retractions come amid growing diplomatic concern that the two accused may have been abused during interrogation. Thailand’s human rights commission said it would launch an inquiry into allegations of police torture.
The bodies of Witheridge, 23, and Miller, 24, were discovered on 15 September by cleaners on a beach on Koh Tao, an island in the south of Thailand famous for its diving. Postmortem examinations showed both suffered severe head wounds and Witheridge was raped.
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The gruesome murders have dented tourism, which generates almost 10% of gross domestic product, at a time when Thailand is still under martial law after a military coup.
Police said this month that Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21 and from neighbouring Burma, had confessed to the murders and that their DNA matched samples taken from Witheridge. The announcement came despite the fact that the two had yet to appear in court to face any charge and speak for themselves.
On Wednesday, Nakhon Chompuchat, part of the Lawyers Council of Thailand legal team representing the pair, said: “They both retracted their confessions and have signed a document that was accepted by the public prosecutor.”
Nakhon added that he was concerned about conditions in prison where the men are being kept on the nearby island of Koh Samui. “They have heavy chains around their ankles 24 hours a day which is how convicted prisoners are kept in Thailand, but they are not convicted prisoners.”
The inquiry has been dogged from the outset by contradictory statements by officials. Police were widely accused of bungling the investigation, including chasing the wrong leads and failing to seal off the crime scene quickly enough, and pressure grew for them to solve the crime quickly.
The Thai prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has defended the investigation. “No one would dare catch the wrong person,” he said earlier this month.
Police deny the men were tortured during interrogation and said they were being well looked after in prison. The national police chief, Gen Somyot Poompanmuang, has also defended the investigation, calling it a “perfect job”.
The parents of Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin arrived at Bangkok’s Don Muang airport on Wednesday from Myanmar to a scrum of reporters. Tun Tun Htike, Win Zaw Htun’s father, held a picture of Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, as tears rolled down his face. Lawyers say the families will visit their sons on Thursday.
