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Two Britons 'dead On Thai Beach'


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The parents of the Burmese men charged with killing two British tourists in Thailand say their sons are being made into scapegoats.

The bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach in Koh Tao.

Two Burmese migrant workers were arrested but the British government has voiced concern about the investigation.

Jonah Fisher reports from Yangon, also known as Rangoon.

 

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29638717

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UK police officers are to travel to Thailand to help investigate the murders of two British tourists found dead on the island of Koh Tao.

The country's military ruler dropped objections to accepting help in the case after being pressed on the issue in a meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

The bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were discovered on a beach last month.

Two Burmese men are under arrest.

The police investigation into the murders has been widely criticised. The UK Foreign Office summoned the Thai charge d'affaires earlier this week to express concern.

Thai PM Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha met Mr Cameron at a summit in Italy and agreed that a delegation of British officers could travel to Thailand, having previously rejected offers of assistance.

'Two areas of concern'

A diplomatic source said that Thai authorities were leading the investigation, but it was important that "both of the families can be reassured that it is the murderers that have been brought to justice".

He said: "There are two areas we are particularly concerned about. One is the verification of the DNA samples of the suspects, making sure there is further independent verification.

"And the second is the investigation into allegations of mistreatment of the suspects.

"What the PM secured this morning was agreement from the Thai PM that we can send some British police investigators to Koh Tao to work with the Royal Thai Police on this."

The discussion between the leaders came at the Asia Europe Meeting in Milan.

 

Full Article http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29668785

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Suspects tell rights commission they were beaten

The Nation

 

x30245910-01_big.jpg.pagespeed.ic.MjxnkaWMFp.jpg

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But police say three examinations found no sign that myanmar men were assaulted

 

BANGKOK: -- THE TWO Myanmar suspects accused of killing two British tourists on Koh Tao told National Human Rights Commission members who visited them in prison that they were assaulted after being arrested.

 

"They said that they were assaulted, but we don’t know if the assault was really committed, as they had alleged," NHRC member Nirand Pitakwatchara said yesterday.

 

But police spokesman Lt-General Prawuth Thawornsiri has denied the suspects' claim, saying that the men underwent three medical examinations and showed no sign of being physically assaulted.

 

Nirand said the examinations were carried out before their detention court hearing at Surat Thani and were conducted at the provincial prison and then on Koh Tao. The final examination was carried out by the police's Institute of Forensic Medicine.

 

He said his statement was based on reports from NHRC subcommittee members who travelled to the island and visited the men at Koh Samui Prison.

 

Nirand said there was nothing in the men's statement that pinpointed when the alleged beatings took place, adding that the NHRC did not interfere with police investigations.

 

The allegations were combined with information from noted forensic scientist Khunying Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.

 

The methods of the alleged assaults, according to the two suspects, were beating the body and covering their heads with plastic bags.

 

Nirand, a medical doctor, said an medical examination of one of the suspects found a bruise, which hurt when pressed, on his chest. It was unclear whether it was a chest bone or muscle injury.

 

An NHRC sub-committee would soon contact the prison where the men were being held so x-rays could be taken to determine if they had any injuries.

 

Nirand stressed that NHRC's role was to protect the men's rights and find out whether their assault claims were true - not to make a judgement on whether they committed the crimes.

 

He had earlier quoted a statement by the chief of Pha Ngan police, Colonel Prachum Ruengthong, who insisted that there were no beatings and the suspects were represented by lawyers in accordance with criminal procedural law.

 

A morning meeting between the NHRC and the police investigators involved in the case was held yesterday to discuss the suspects' allegation.

 

Meanwhile, national police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung said that British police detectives invited by Thai police to the Kingdom would maintain an observers' role in the case, while Myanmar was welcome to |dispatch observers as well.

 

Tourism police, tour operators and community leaders on Koh Tao yesterday held a meeting over what to do to boost tourist safety and provide better services.

 

The proposals included encouraging tourists to dress properly when not swimming or sunbathing, ask them not to commit intimate acts in public, as well as regulate taxi services and publishing do's and don'ts about Thai |culture on leaflets and in other media.

 

Meanwhile, the Thai embassy in Myanmar has issued visas for the families of the suspects, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said. They applied for the visas yesterday.

 

Source: http://www.nationmul...n-30245910.html

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Considering the way the local reacted about the general dislike on the island of obnoxious foreigners you would think there would be no need for them to be wearing bullet-proof vests. Kids look terrified and I am guessing it not from retribution or guilt.

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