Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insists that Myanmar President Thein Sein understands how Thai authorities are handling the Koh Tao murder case involving two Myanmar migrant workers and had raised no questions regarding the arrests.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha shakes hands with Myanmar President Thein Sein in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw. Gen Prayut wrapped up his two-day official visit to Myanmar yesterday. photo by the Royal Thai Government
Speaking after returning from Myanmar yesterday, Gen Prayut, also chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said he used the opportunity of bilateral talks on Thursday, during his two-day visit to Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw, to explain the case to Thein Sein.
Gen Prayut made the comments following a report that Myanmar's president had asked him to ensure a "clean and fair" investigation for the two Myanmar nationals, Zaw Rin and Win, charged with murdering two British tourists, AFP reported, quoting a Myanmar official yesterday.
The comments came following reports the accused were tortured into confessing — an allegation Thailand has strongly denied.
"If they are guilty, action should be taken according to the law. However, the investigation needs to be clean and fair," Thein Sein was quoted as saying on Thursday, according to a senior source at the president's office.
"He [Thein Sein] also said the workers' rights need to be protected," said the official, who requested anonymity.
Myanmar's military commander-in-chief Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing also called for justice in the case of the two suspects, the Democratic Voice of Burma reported on its website.
Speaking to Deputy Prime Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn in Nay Pyi Taw on Thursday, the Myanmar military leader urged the Thai government to allow the Myanmar embassy's special investigation team on the case "to conduct their work freely to uncover the truth", according to the website quoting Myanmar state media.
The battered bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found on the popular resort island on Sept 15.
The two Myanmar suspects reportedly withdrew their confessions, according to a local website quoting Myanmar's 7Day Daily newspaper. According to the report, the lawyer said the two men confessed because they were forced to do so under torture.
However, a source from a legal team set up by the Myanmar embassy monitoring the case said yesterday the two suspects have not "recanted" the confession but confirmed they were tortured by police.
Regional Public Prosecution 8 deputy director-general Thawatchai Siangjaew, head of the prosecution panel handling the investigation report, said prosecutors would mainly focus on evidence. Confessions, if retracted, would have no impact on the prosecutors' decision.
The panel had asked police investigators to further investigate some issues that were incomplete and submit the report again in seven days, said Mr Thawatchai. The panel had not rejected the whole report.
Gen Prayut yesterday urged the media to stop criticising the arrests of the Myanmar migrant workers, saying nobody would dare arrest scapegoats in such a high-profile case. Authorities were duty-bound to create and build trust with foreigners over the murder case, he said.
"The international community may be surprised why police arrested the suspects so quickly. I also got excited when the suspects were caught so soon. Actually, I really wanted the suspects to be caught as soon as possible," Gen Prayut said.
Former Myanmar political dissidents and activists say Gen Prayut's visit was badly timed since the Koh Tao case — especially controversy over the murder charges against two Myanmar nationals — had caused heated debate and discussion in traditional and social media.
"Whether the two had any hand in the deaths of the two British tourists, the perceptions about the Thai police and the justice system are very bad," said a leading exile activist-cum-political consultant.
"This story would not be mentioned that much in the past here in Myanmar. But now we have a free press and there are all kinds of outcries," said the consultant who requested anonymity.
Myanmar is no longer under military rule, the consultant said, adding that the government wants to show that it cares.
Despite good relations with Thailand and impending talks on economic issues of mutual benefit, the Myanmar people have called on President Thein Sein to raise the issue with the Thai prime minister, he said.
"Whether president Thein Sein has raised it or not, we don't know," he said.
During his Myanmar visit, Gen Prayut said the two countries would cooperate on security, economic, border development and labour issues.
Gen Prayut said the Dawei special economic development project was a Myanmar scheme and Thailand, as a neighbouring country, would do all it could to support the project.
The Dawei project would benefit all countries, particularly Asean as it would help boost the region's economy and create links with other regions.
He said Myanmar must decide on Dawei and other projects. There is joint investment planned on road construction in the first phase of the project, while there are major investments from several nations in the project's second phase.