Thai suspects ‘were tortured before confessing Brit tourist murders’

Two Burmese migrants accused of killing a pair of British tourists in Thailand have claimed they were beaten and threatened with electrocution by police. Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, who are both 21, claim they were mistreated following their arrest for the murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the island of Koh Tao on September 15. Their allegation follows claims made by other Burmese migrant workers arrested in connection with the murders who say they were subjected to similar treatment. Human rights organisation Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the claims and demanded any confession extracted through torture be ruled inadmissible in court.

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.

Richard Bennett, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director

The organisation cited a lawyer from the Burmese embassy legal team, who said he had been told that police had beaten the suspect and “threatened him with electrocution”. Thai police, who have come under immense domestic political pressure to solve the case, deny the allegations and have said they have DNA and CCTV evidence to back up murder confessions obtained from the men. The suspects were recently paraded in front of reporters and performed a re-enactment of the murders on the beach where the Britons’ bodies were found. Police spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen said re-enactments of crimes were commonplace after confessions.

According to reports, police officers poured boiling water over some of the Burmese migrant workers they were questioning. Others were also beaten and threatened.

Statement by Amnesty

Asia-Pacific Thai murders