The rattling police investigation into the double murder on Koh Tao a month ago has tarnished relations between Thailand, Myanmar and England and damaged Thailand's reputation as a tourist destination. It has also raised questions about the country's legal process. So says lawyer Surapong Kongchantuk, chairman of the human rights subcommittee of the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT).
Today, lawyers from the LCT are accompanying three possible witnesses, who are being heard by a court in Samui. One is Maung Maung, the roommate of the two suspects. According to the police, he would have seen how the two Britons were killed, but he himself denies this. The other two are also Myanmarese, but their involvement is unknown.
Whether the two suspects attend the hearing is also unknown. They may be interrogated again because the Public Prosecution Service has asked the police for further evidence. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the submitted file of three hundred pages contains 'holes'.
So far, the suspects have not been assisted by lawyers and, according to Surapong, they have been questioned without a qualified interpreter being present. A senior police officer previously stated that the suspects have not asked for a lawyer. But Surapong points out that the police failed to inform the suspects of their rights. They have the right to ask for a lawyer and a neutral interpreter.
The LCT has appointed two lawyers who will pro bono assist a human rights network [?], which assists the witnesses. Later, a team of lawyers is assigned to the case. They will not only guide the suspects and witnesses through the legal process, but will also check the state of health of the two and whether they have been tortured, as Amnesty International says. The suspects are said to be suffering from stress.
(Source: Bangkok Post, October 14, 2014)