Parents of two Myanmar suspects in the Koh Tao double-murder case appealed for help from the Office of the Attorney-General Tuesday, reiterating claims by their sons that they were coerced to confessed after being tortured by police.
Parents of two Myanmar suspects in the Koh Tao double-murder case speak to the media Oct 22. They met with the Office of the Attorney General Tuesday, (Bangkok Post photo)
Tun Tun Htike and his wife Zaw Aye Muang, the parents of Win Zaw Htun, and Phu Shew Nu, the mother of Zaw Lin, were accompanied lawyers from the Myanmar embassy and the National Human Rights Commission to lodged complaints on behalf of their sons with the OAG.
Deputy spokesman Kosolwat Inthuchanyong received the complaints with no comment on the petition.
The parents of the two suspects, including Thien Shwe Aung, who is the uncle of Zaw Lin, already submitted the complaints to state prosecutors in Koh Samui district in Surat Thani province on Friday after they met their sons at the Samui prison.
An NHRC source said it was suggested they meet with the OAG in Bangkok as another option to ensure fairness for the two suspects.
Public prosecutors have not made a decision on whether or not to indict the pair. They are waiting for additional evidence from police.
Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin were charged with killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, whose bodies were found on Sairee beach on Koh Tao on Sept 15. They are also charged with raping Withderidge.
They formally retracted their confessions on Oct 21 after meeting with two lawyers of the NHRC on Koh Samui.
The parents met human rights commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara on Tuesday to affirm the innocence of their sons as the NHRC is probing the torture claim.
Police have been summoned to give information to the commission and Dr Niran said more will come next Monday as the investigation of the controversial case involved several police units.
Dr Niran said the commission will not interfere the case as it solely focuses on the torture issue.
Local police including the Provincial Police Region 8 and Phangan district police who are responsible for Koh Tao looked into the case before national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang assigned Pol Maj Gen Suwat Jaengyodsuk, acting deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, to take full control of the case.