Thread: Two Tourists Brutally Murdered on Koh Tao, One Raped: Police Spark Thailand Manhunt

Mark Kent

https://twitter.com/TeacherDanMax

KEY WITNESS DRIVES A HOLE THROUGH THAI POLICE CASE

Thai police case against the alleged killers of two British backpackers in Thailand was dealt another devastating blow today after their key witness said he had no knowledge of the murder – even though he too was beaten by Thai police.



Ko Maung Maung, seated in blue, with Embassy officials and Thai Police - DVB
And Ko Maung Maung, 21, the supposed main prosecution witness being held under police protection to testify against his two Burmese friends, who are alleged to have killed Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, told Burmese Embassy officials today that he did not believe his friends were the killers.

In front of Thai Police and Embassy officials Ko Maung Maung, also known as Ko Than Shwe, said he had been out drinking with his two friends Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin on Sairee Beach on the night of the murders.

In a statement broadcast on DVB News (Democratic Voice of Burma) lawyer Aung Myo Htan said: “He said he had his friend had bought three beers and one packet of cigarettes and then went home about 1 am.”

His friends decided to continue drinking, and when he woke up in the morning his two friends had returned. Everything seemed normal. They had not cuts of bruises. “I did not think my friends could have done that,” he said, referring to the brutal killings of Hannah, 23, from Great Yarmouth, and David, 24, from Jersey. The interview was witnessed by Second Secretary at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok.




Ko Maung Maung also said he too was hit and threatened by a Rohingya roti-seller who acted as interpreter for the Royal Thai Police. Currently there is a major political conflict between Rohingyas in Arakan State, Burma, and ordinary Burmese.

Ko Maung Maung’s statement throws another spanner in the works of the Thai policed investigation which has been ridiculed worldwide.

Bangkok Police Chief Somyot Pumpunmuang told his investigating officers yesterday that had done ‘a perfect job’ in investigating the murders.

More allegations of beatings which already have been made by Burmese migrant labourers on Koh Tao and the two young accused men Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, make the confessions to Thai police less and less credible.

British Ambassador Mark Kent has declined to comment on the investigation. It seems likely that defence lawyers will seek help from British police to secure a new test of the DNA of the killers.

KAO TAO MURDERS - THE 'THIRD MAN' SPEAKS UP - 'I DO NOT BELIEVE MY FRIENDS DID IT'. - Andrew Drummond

And so the house of cards comes tumbling down . . .

Originally Posted by Yasojack

done ‘a perfect job’

Done a perfect job. Like a bank job. Criminal acts. these fricking monkey coppers should all be strung up and flung in jail with lots of myanmar scapegoats already incarcerated along with the ACBar 2 when they finally take the fall. However, they will instead get medal, promotion, moved to inactive posts counting blackmoney instead.

Check out the evils from the roti seller!

I suppose the realist in me thinks this is a done deal. The optomist hopes that Prayuth is giving the police enough rope so that he can hang the whole effing bunch of them at one time...

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I suppose the realist in me thinks this is a done deal. The optomist hopes that Prayuth is giving the police enough rope so that he can hang the whole effing bunch of them at one time...

The current police commander is his recent appointment though....

Originally Posted by Necron99

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I suppose the realist in me thinks this is a done deal. The optomist hopes that Prayuth is giving the police enough rope so that he can hang the whole effing bunch of them at one time...

The current police commander is his recent appointment though....

Yup and they made the arrests the day after he was sent down there doubtless with the words "arrest the first illegals you see and stitch them up, or don't come back" ringing in his ears.

khun Prayuth is in Rangoon tomorrow hope he explains how they come to there conclusion to the case

PM Prayuth to explain Koh Tao murder probe to Myanmar during visit
The Nation / Phuket Gazette
PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is prepared to explain the Thai police conclusion – that two Myanmar workers killed two British backpackers on Koh Tao last month – to the Myanmar government, if asked, during his visit to Nay Pyi Taw tomorrow.

Permanent Secretary for foreign affairs Sihasak Puangketkeow said yesterday that Prayuth, who will make his first official foreign visit tomorrow, has ordered that the police report be translated into English.

"If asked during the visit about the investigation into the Koh Tao murders, the premier is ready to explain all the details about the investigation to the Myanmar leaders," Sihasak said.

Meanwhile, senior Thai police are determined to conclude the case over the murder of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the resort island. They went ahead yesterday with moves to prosecute two workers from Myanmar despite scepticism from the media and public that they are guilty.

Officials from the Myanmar Embassy visited the two accused yesterday and said later the pair admitted killing the tourists. Surat Thani police handed their investigation report into the murders to public prosecutors yesterday.

The 850-page report recommends prosecuting the two Myanmar men - Maung Saw and Maung Win - whom police said had confessed to killing the British pair at dawn on Sept 15.

At a press conference in Bangkok, national police chief Pol-General Somyot Poompanmoung and rejected claims that the two men had been framed. He insisted all police work was based on scientific proof and confessions by the two Myanmar nationals. The press conference over the double murders on the tourist island would be the last by the police, he said.

Somyot detailed five factors leading to a decision to prosecute the two men - two unidentified witnesses who implicated the pair; positive DNA identification against them; surveillance footage camera of them, information from Miller's mobile phone, and the pair's confession, given to police with their lawyers present.

Pol Maj-General Suwat Jaengyordsuk said that an unnamed Myanmar friend who got the phone from the suspects told police he destroyed it, before putting it in a plastic bag and discarding it at the back of his home.

Asked about a conclusion by police that Witheridge did not have sex with consent, Suwat said forensic evidence showed that she was assaulted, and later violated sexually while she was still alive, because she was assaulted again, fatally. The other reason was that there was no evidence that there was anyone else present at the scene, so the conclusion was made that way.

Pol Colonel Prachum Ruangthong, chief of Koh Pha-Ngan police whose jurisdiction covers Koh Tao, read out the final police investigation report which said that both victims separately arrived in Koh Tao on September 12, and met at the Ocean View, where they checked in. Both victims watched a live football match at the Chopper Bar with friends before they went to the AC Bar. They were later found dead on the beach.

He said police went through all material evidence, including DNA samples, surveillance camera footage, and found no clues to the killings, before turning to residents on the island, and learning of three men who were singing and playing a guitar not far from the scene. Police began questioning a Myanmar man identified as Maw, who later implicated Maung Saw and Maung Win.

Meanwhile, AFP reported that officials from the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok are probing for more details about the case, though the suspects affirmed their confession during a meeting earlier yesterday. The officials were granted permission to meet the two migrant workers, who confessed to killing Witheridge and Miller.

"We met Maung Saw and Maung Win at Koh Samui prison. They told us they committed the crime while they were under the influence of alcohol," said Aung Myo Than, a lawyer from the embassy. However, he said there were wide discrepancies between police statements and what they had said.

"A cigarette was found at the crime scene. The police announced that their DNA test results were taken from that cigarette. But the suspects said they did not smoke at the scene," Aung Myo Than said. "They only said they smoked at a place where they were playing the guitar, about 25 yards from the scene. We went to the police station to give their statements."

Another migrant, Maung Maung, was also detained as a plaintiff witness. But Aung Myo Than said the delegation was not allowed to meet Maung Muang.

Kyaw Thaung, head of the Myanmar Citizens Association, who was part of the delegation, said another discrepancy was injuries found on Miller. The suspects said they hit the man with a spade three times, as the woman was being raped and began to shout, Kyaw Thaung said. Yet the police stated that the man was stabbed in the jaw and cheekbone by a pointed item.

"They (the accused) said they did not think the man would die. There are differences between their statements and Thai police statements," he said. - See more at: PM Prayuth to explain Koh Tao murder probe to Myanmar during visit

see twitter about PYB son with scratches at uni.

Originally Posted by Yasojack

see twitter about PYB son with scratches at uni.

Indeed - Well documented that the lout was not at uni the day of the murders, and appeared covered in scratches and cuts.

The henchman sent down, as other guy didn't have a clue.and the embarrassment caused by the bikini comment, must have been to take limelight away from him.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by Necron99

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I suppose the realist in me thinks this is a done deal. The optomist hopes that Prayuth is giving the police enough rope so that he can hang the whole effing bunch of them at one time...

The current police commander is his recent appointment though....

Yup and they made the arrests the day after he was sent down there doubtless with the words "arrest the first illegals you see and stitch them up, or don't come back" ringing in his ears.

The Brits have to come out now and say something unless there'll look complete idiots.


Seems the petition has been handed to the embassy.

Originally Posted by thailazer

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by Yasojack

see twitter about PYB son with scratches at uni.

Indeed - Well documented that the lout was not at uni the day of the murders, and appeared covered in scratches and cuts.

The big question is..... Is Thailand capable of moving beyond protecting the powerful to doing the right thing? It would be a "first" if it happens and I suppose with the world watching, there is at least a glimmer of hope.

A perfect investigation, a cure for Ebola, discovery of 35 new earthworm species, winning swimsuit award at the Ms Grand International pageant, a novel way to kill cockroaches, and much more. Truly, this is the hub of the universe.

bet the Roti seller has already left Koh tao.

The guy in cream clothes looks like he's giving him the evil eye.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by Yasojack

done ‘a perfect job’

Done a perfect job. Like a bank job. Criminal acts. these fricking monkey coppers should all be strung up and flung in jail with lots of myanmar scapegoats already incarcerated along with the ACBar 2 when they finally take the fall. However, they will instead get medal, promotion, moved to inactive posts counting blackmoney instead.

Check out the evils from the roti seller!

Originally Posted by Yasojack

bet the Roti seller has already left Koh tao.

The guy in cream clothes looks like he's giving him the evil eye.

The guy in the cream clothes is the roti seller........

Originally Posted by Yasojack

bet the Roti seller has already left Koh tao.

The guy in cream clothes looks like he's giving him the evil eye.

That is the roti guy. He's had to sit there and publicly listen to his acts being discussed.

lol worded wrong my daughter was demanding attention

police are saying that British and Burmese embassies have no problems, with investigations

Koh Tao murders: Probe credible, police insist as claims of torture surface | Bangkok Post: learning

Press release from amnesty international


Thailand: Investigate torture allegations in British tourist murder probe
Thailand must ensure an independent and thorough investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by the police, and respect the right to a fair trial during the probe into the murder of two British tourists on the island of Koh Tao, Amnesty International said today.

Tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were murdered in the early hours of September 15 on the tourist island of Koh Tao.

Following the arrest of two Burmese nationals for the murders, a lawyer for the Burmese Embassy’s legal team, who met the two suspects, said that one of the men had alleged that the police beat him and threatened him with electrocution.

The Thai authorities have already made the Burmese suspects take part in a public, televised enactment of the crime, which undermined their right to be presumed innocent.

Numerous sources have also reported further acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of other migrant workers from Burma arrested by police in connection with the investigation. According to reports, police officers poured boiling water over some of the Burmese migrant workers they were questioning. Others were also beaten and threatened.

The mother of one of the individuals allegedly beaten said that the Thai police had instructed those tortured or ill-treated not to speak to the media.

Richard Bennett, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme director, said:

“The Thai authorities must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police.

“The pressure to be seen to be solving an appalling crime that has garnered considerable attention should not result in the violation of rights, including to a fair trial.

“Authorities should provide protection from threats and acts of retaliation to anyone, regardless of their immigration status, reporting or speaking about torture or ill-treatment, and full redress to victims.

“They must also ensure that any alleged confession or information that has been coerced as a result of torture is not admitted as evidence in court, unless to prove that torture has been carried out.

“All suspects should also be guaranteed their rights to a fair trial – which is of particular importance in a crime that could carry a death sentence.”

In May 2014, the UN Committee against Torture expressed serious concern about continuing allegations of widespread torture and other ill-treatment of detainees by Thailand’s military, police and prison officials. The Committee urged the authorities to take immediate and effective measures to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators.

Thailand: Investigate torture allegations in British tourist murder probe | Amnesty International UK

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Originally Posted by Yasojack

good post Bob been thinking that about the sperm myself

Originally Posted by Yasojack

good post Bob been thinking that about the sperm myself

Jack's gonna kill me for that, but I couldn't resist..

*Just kidding bro (go easy)..

That's OK, shortly after writing the post I ran off to Ban Chang for dinner, a few drinks and to deposit some of my DNA into a willing bargirl. Guess I was thinking about sperm too.

Originally Posted by Yasojack

The pressure to be seen to be solving an appalling crime that has garnered considerable attention should not result in the violation of rights,

Says so much about this country that they quote "violate their human rights" as a reason not to DNA test on the likely rapist murderers and at the same time violating the rights of a couple of lads to fit them up.

TOURISTS ..... stay the fuck away except...

Originally Posted by BobR

deposit some of my DNA into a willing bargirl.

...is too tempting for most.

I will not go out on a limb and speculate who is guilty, but to say the least the handling of this case casts thailand in a very bad light indeed. Maybe impartial foreign experts should be invited in to review and confirm the DNA evidence from first sources (including a swab from certain 'influential people')- and If not, Why not?

They're all in it together, lying their asses off from the Prime Minister down to the local Thai KT lackey.

Thai rak Thai strikes again.

Originally Posted by Yasojack

Bangkok post have really come out on this Koh Tao case shatters faith in our police | Bangkok Post: opinion

Isn't that pretty risque for the Post to print that since people are being threatened if they oppose the findings of the police?...Very "ballsy," methinks...And out of character...

They have been coming out and saying a few things lately certainly surprised me.