BANGKOK, Oct 20 – Royal Thai Police Commissioner General Somyot Poompanmoung said today that he was ready to let British and Myanmar authorities assist in investigating the murder of two British tourists on Ko Tao in Surat Thani province but their participation had to be subject to Thai law.
The revised stance followed the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s reported agreement for British interrogators to work with Thai police in the case that two Myanmar workers were arrested allegedly for killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the southern island on Sept 15. Both suspects claimed later that they were beaten and forced to confess.
Earlier, British officials in the UK and Thailand expressed concern about the investigation and proposed British participation.
In addition, the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok deployed legal experts to help the Myanmar suspects.
However, Pol Gen Somyot insisted that Thai police investigated the case by the book and did not create any false evidence.
Thawatchai Siangjaew, executive director of the Region 8 Public Prosecution, said public prosecutors on Ko Samui were waiting for the result of the additional interrogation that they had demanded from police.
He said the local prosecutors took careful consideration in the case that drew local and international attention.
