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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/02/thai-men-british-backpackers-hannah-witheridge-david-miller-appeal
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| Burmese men accused of killing British backpackers appeal for witnesses | Burmese men accused of killing British backpackers appeal for witnesses |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Two men arrested for the murder of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on a Thai holiday island have written a letter appealing for any witnesses to come forward who might help their case. | Two men arrested for the murder of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on a Thai holiday island have written a letter appealing for any witnesses to come forward who might help their case. |
| The message from Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 21-year-old Burmese migrant workers arrested a fortnight after the double murder, came as their lawyer said they were specifically seeking assistance from friends of Witheridge and Miller who were also on Koh Tao at the time and might know what happened. | The message from Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 21-year-old Burmese migrant workers arrested a fortnight after the double murder, came as their lawyer said they were specifically seeking assistance from friends of Witheridge and Miller who were also on Koh Tao at the time and might know what happened. |
| “Their friends should know many things about this to prove the true situation,” Nakhon Chompuchat, the leading Thai human rights lawyer representing the men, told the BBC. | “Their friends should know many things about this to prove the true situation,” Nakhon Chompuchat, the leading Thai human rights lawyer representing the men, told the BBC. |
| Separately, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo hand-wrote an open letter during a court hearing on the adjoining island of Koh Samui on Tuesday. Reports from Thailand had suggested they would face formal charges, but they were remanded in custody again until later this month. | |
| The men insist they had nothing to do with the murders, while rights groups have expressed concerns about the Thai police investigation. The suspects were initially said to have confessed, only to retract this saying they had been tortured by their interrogators. | |
| The pair spoke to the Guardian at their previous court appearance on Koh Samui last month, insisting on their innocence and passing a letter requesting help from the families of Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and Miller, 24, from Jersey. | |
| The new letter, distributed by their legal team, reads: ‘We both wish to request anyone who perhaps can assist to be a witness in our case or has evidence about the crimes we are suspected of to urgently come forward and introduce yourselves to our lawyers and share your information with our defence team. | The new letter, distributed by their legal team, reads: ‘We both wish to request anyone who perhaps can assist to be a witness in our case or has evidence about the crimes we are suspected of to urgently come forward and introduce yourselves to our lawyers and share your information with our defence team. |
| “This will really assist us in our defence and ensure justice is done for us, our family and the family of the victims. Please don’t be scared to assist us at our time of need. May you all be happy. Thank you. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo.” | “This will really assist us in our defence and ensure justice is done for us, our family and the family of the victims. Please don’t be scared to assist us at our time of need. May you all be happy. Thank you. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo.” |
| Chompuchat told the BBC that some witnesses were scared to come forward, and reiterated the defence team’s request to view information gathered by Metropolitan police detectives who went to Thailand to review the investigation. | Chompuchat told the BBC that some witnesses were scared to come forward, and reiterated the defence team’s request to view information gathered by Metropolitan police detectives who went to Thailand to review the investigation. |
| While Thailand’s chief of police and the country’s military-appointed prime minister, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, insist police have arrested the correct culprits, there are numerous concerns about the case against the men, also including worries about the collection of DNA evidence apparently linking them to the scene and prior cases where Thai police have wrongly blamed Burmese migrants for high-profile crimes. | |
| Prosecutors have sent back the police file several times asking officers to clear up inconsistencies. Under Thai law suspects can be detained for a maximum of 84 days without charge, meaning Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo must be charged or released by Christmas. If charged and convicted they could face death by lethal injection. | |
| Thai police say Witheridge was raped before being fatally struck about the head with an agricultural hoe. Miller, 24, also suffered head injuries before being left to drown in shallow water on the beach in Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand popular with young tourists. | Thai police say Witheridge was raped before being fatally struck about the head with an agricultural hoe. Miller, 24, also suffered head injuries before being left to drown in shallow water on the beach in Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand popular with young tourists. |
| Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo have said they were drinking and playing guitar on the beach on the night of 14-15 September, when the murders took place, and had no idea that anything had happened until the next day. Their supporters point out that they remained on Koh Tao, continuing with their jobs in local bars, for more than a fortnight after the killings rather than trying to flee. | |
| People living on Koh Tao and with knowledge of the island have previously told the Guardian they believe the murder is connected to one of a series of dominant Thai families who own much of the tourism infrastructure on Koh Tao. There is no corroborating evidence for this, and Thai police have dismissed the idea. | People living on Koh Tao and with knowledge of the island have previously told the Guardian they believe the murder is connected to one of a series of dominant Thai families who own much of the tourism infrastructure on Koh Tao. There is no corroborating evidence for this, and Thai police have dismissed the idea. |
| Following pressure from the British government, Thailand allowed Met detectives to travel to the country to review the investigation. The report on what the British police found has yet to be completed. | Following pressure from the British government, Thailand allowed Met detectives to travel to the country to review the investigation. The report on what the British police found has yet to be completed. |