Koh Tao Murders: Myanmar Journalists Urge Thai Press to ‘Reveal the Truth’

A van carrying Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo leaves Samui prison for Nakhon Si Thammarat prison Saturday morning.

 BANGKOK — The Myanmar Journalists Association is urging its Thai counterpart to work together and “reveal the truth” behind the conviction of two Myanmar men for the killings of two British backpackers in southern Thailand last year. 

In its open letter addressed to the Thai Journalist Association, the Myanmar media group said justice will prevail if media from the two nations work together in the coverage of the case, which has drawn intense scrutiny from the public.

“We do believe that our close cooperation in seeking justice after revealing the truth behind this controversial case will further promote the existing friendship not only between our two journalist associations but also between the peoples of our two countries,” the statement read, without mentioning any specifics. 

On Thursday Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, two Myanmar men who were bar workers on Tao island, were found guilty of killing British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on Sept. 15, 2014. They were also convicted of raping Witheridge. 

For their alleged crimes, the two men were sentenced to death. 

The verdict sparked outrage on Myanmar social media and prompted protests in front of the Thai Embassy in Yangon. The Embassy in turn issued a warning for all Thais in Myanmar to be alert of the ongoing development. 

The following is the full open letter published by the Myanmar Journalist Association: 

As journalists our responsibility is to seek truth and justice.
We, the Myanmar journalists, would never forget the warm assistance that you provided during our dark hours of flash floods all over our country during the recent months.
MJA and TJA worked together to lend a helping hand to the flood victims. We shall always be working together in the same spirit.
Now is the time that calls for similar cooperation between us.
Let’s work together for the benefits of our peoples and for our beloved countries so that justice prevails. Let’s show the world that Myanmar and Thai journalists will fight together for justice, human rights and democratic values.
We do believe that our close cooperation in seeking justice after revealing the truth behind this controversial case will further promote the existing friendship not only between our two journalist associations but also between the peoples of our two countries.
Myanmar Journalist Association

As of the time of this writing, the Thai Journalist Association has not made any public response to the letter. 

Police investigation into the killings of Miller and Witheridge has been mired in controversy from the start. These shortcomings include the police’s failure to close down the ferry port to prevent potential suspects from fleeing the island, wild and contradictory speculation over the motives behind the killing, and a remark by a high-ranking police officer who said the perpetrators “could not have been Thais.” 

After Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were arrested and identified as the killers, nearly every mainstream news agency in Thailand reported about the case by taking the police statement at face value. The two defendants were repeatedly called “Koh Tao murderers” by much of the Thai press. 

However, many on social media accused police of “scapegoating” Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo as a cover-up effort ordered by influential families on Tao island. Police have vehemently denied the allegation. 

On Thursday, the court on Samui island ruled that DNA samples collected from the crime scene and from Witheridge’s body clearly implicated Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo in the double murder, and subsequently sentenced both men to death. 

Miller’s family was among the first to publicly endorse the verdict. Reading a statement outside the courthouse on Thursday, Miller’s brother, Michael Miller, said he believed the evidence against the two defendants was overwhelming. 

The defense team argued that the police’s DNA test procedure was flawed, and said it will file an appeal within 30 days. 

On Saturday morning, security officers moved Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo from Samui provincial prison to another prison on the mainland, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. They are expected to remain on death row throughout the appeal.

Nakhon Chompuchat, head of the defense lawyer team, said yesterday he was not told when the two defendants would be moved. 

“The officers feared that if we knew the schedule, we might try to snatch the suspects on the way,” Nakhon said, with a laugh. 

To reach us about this article or another matter, please contact us by e-mail at: ks.english@khaosod.co.th.

Follow Khaosod English on Facebook and Twitter for news, politics and more from Thailand.

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New deadly landslide hits Myanmar jade mine

YANGON - Dozens of people were feared missing Saturday in the latest landslide to hit a remote jade mining region in northern Myanmar, the second such deadly incident in just over a month.

The landslide took place on Friday afternoon in Hpakant, Kachin State, the war-torn area that is the epicentre of Myanmar’s secretive billion dollar jade industry.

"The rescue process has now started and we are searching for dead bodies but we can’t tell the numbers yet," Nilar Myint, an official from Hpakant Administrative Office, told AFP.

The same area was hit by a massive landslide last month that killed more than 100. Locals says dozens more have died throughout the year in smaller accidents.

Those killed are mainly itinerant workers who scratch a living picking through the piles of waste left by large-scale industrial mining firms in the hope of stumbling across a previously missed hunk of jade that will deliver them from poverty.

 Myanmar is the source of virtually all of the world’s finest jadeite, a near-translucent green stone that is enormously prized in neighbouring China, where it is known as the "stone of heaven".

The Hpakant landscape has been turned into a moonscape of environmental destruction as firms use ever-larger diggers to claw the precious stone from the ground.

But while mining firms -- many linked to the junta-era military elite -- are thought to be raking in huge sums, local people complain they are shut out from the bounty.

Source: The Nation

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Thailand - Exhibitionist model who posed naked in public to turn herself in

The model who posed naked in public wearing nothing but a few Thai traditional accessories is preparing to turn herself in after her nude shots went viral online, upsetting the officials of the district she was posing in.

The staff behind the photoshoot, which took place in Bangkok's Bang Khun Tien district, have contacted police and said they would hand over the model to the authorities within a few days as she still needs some time to get over the drama.

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READ: Officials to prosecute naked woman modeling Thai accessories (PHOTOS)

While the district officials thought the photos could have been very old, it turns out that the shoot took place as recently as October on the wooden bridge to the mangrove, which has been sealed off from the public for renovation, according to Chaturong Ponglamjiek, director of Bang Khun Tien district.

Pol. Lt. Yod Withitpaphathamrong, Commander of Tien Talay police department, said the model would be punished with a THB500 fine maximum for public obscenity. He also has warned citizens who want to get naked in public to think of the country's morals and social values.

The district also wants to press further charges to the model and those responsible for the photoshoot for posting the naked photos online, which violates the Computer Crime Act.

While amused social network users have been debating whether the model is a ladyboy or not, police have not confirmed their suspicions, Matichon reported.

Source: Coconuts

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AMAZING THAILAND

Myanmar pair guilty of Koh Tao murders, get death sentence.

KOH SAMUI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai court has sentenced two Myanmar migrants to death for murdering two British backpackers on a resort island last year.

In its ruling Thursday, the court said it found Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22, guilty of killing David Miller, 24, and raping then murdering Hannah Witheridege, 23, last year on the island of Koh Tao.

Andy Hall, an activist working with the defense team, said the two men were found guilty on all counts. The pair faces the death penalty, but they are expected to appeal.

 The battered bodies of Miller and Witheridge were found Sept. 15, 2014. Autopsies showed that the young backpackers had both suffered severe head wounds and that Witheridge had been raped.

 The defendants had pleaded innocent, saying they were tortured by police to make initial confessions to the crimes. Human rights groups repeatedly called for an independent investigation and raised concerns that the men might be scapegoats.

Source: Pattayamail

The battered bodies of Miller and Witheridge were found Sept. 15, 2014. Autopsies showed that the young backpackers had both suffered severe head wounds and that Witheridge had been raped.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/worldnews/myanmar-migrants-found-guilty-of-killing-british-backpackers-54211#sthash.NZSHUQmD.dpuf

KOH SAMUI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai court has sentenced two Myanmar migrants to death for murdering two British backpackers on a resort island last year.

In its ruling Thursday, the court said it found Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22, guilty of killing David Miller, 24, and raping then murdering Hannah Witheridege, 23, last year on the island of Koh Tao.
Andy Hall, an activist working with the defense team, said the two men were found guilty on all counts. The pair faces the death penalty, but they are expected to appeal.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/worldnews/myanmar-migrants-found-guilty-of-killing-british-backpackers-54211#sthash.NZSHUQmD.dpuf

Let there be light

With a little help from the creators of the world-famous Amsterdam Light Festival, downtown Bangkok serves up a buffet of illuminations

Ratchaprasong, Bangkok's famous shopping strip, is well known for its annual festive lights that usually stretch from Siam Square up towards Chidlom.

This year the area is brighter than ever thanks to "Thailand Kingdom of Light II", an extravagant showcase of millions of lights plus world-class light art from the Amsterdam Light Festival.

The dazzling festival, which has as its theme "Thai's Enlightening Moments", is divided into five zones. The sacred Brahma shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection has become a "Lighting Pavilion" to welcome visitors who come to pay their respects to Brahma and pray at the shrine. The Ratchaprasong Skywalk has morphed into tunnels of light and dubbed "Skywalk - The Garden of Light" under the concept "Fah Ngam Thee Plai Roong" ("Beautiful Sky at the End of the Rainbow"). The area beneath the Skywalk zone is decorated with a dazzling mesh of lights with a giant digital clock on the façade of CentralWorld. Now showing Thai numerals, the timepiece will change to Roman numerals on New Year's Eve so everybody can count down together.

The last zone is the International Zone and showcases world-class light art from Amsterdam Light Festival as well as collaborative masterpieces created by world-renowned lighting designers and their Thai peers.

 

 "The light festival in Bangkok features works that have come about from the sharing of expertise between world-renowned lighting designer Rogier van der Heide, who's the artistic director of the Amsterdam Light Festival, and Thai lighting designers, educators, computer researchers and developers from ESIC LAB, the Edutainment & Socio-Interaction Computing Research Group," says Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau president Nopparat Maythaveekulchai.

"Together they have created masterpieces in the International Zone with the aiming of raising light festivals in Thailand to international standards."

VIDEO 

 The International Zone exhibits eight artworks selected by van der Heide, who is also a professor at the Technical University of Graz in Austria.

"We have installed eight artworks: three of them are from the Amsterdam Festival of Light and five have been newly made in cooperation with students here in Bangkok," van der Heide tells Explore.

"These works are very international and they promote knowledge exchange and innovation because we work with students on sophisticated technology and computer programming. I think it is a great initiative. For the visitors, the event creates a wonderful line up of artwork that is interesting to see. It demonstrates light as a universal language that can be understood all over the world.

"Ratchaprasong is a very busy area so a lot of people can come and see these works. Our aim is make people smile when they see the lights. The artists would like to show how important friendship and laughter are. Instead of doing it in their own languages, they do it with lights, which is basically understood by everybody. Light is a very great way to bring people together and unite them around something positive," he continues.

"I help to choose the artworks that are relevant to the location. The artists have to radiate the positive message to the public and they have to be imaginative. One of the criteria is their artworks should be understandable to everyone. Some works like 'Floating Light' are quite abstract but people can interact with the art and use their own imagination while they make the light tube 'dance'. I like it because it helps you make a connection with the art."

Van der Heide adds that to him, light creations are both art and science. "Lighting is very artistic and there are lots of stories about light. We have those 50 origami elephants that people like. The elephant is the symbol of Thailand; it is ancient and traditional. What the students put in there is sophisticated technology. We use laser cutting and drawing with 3D software in the computer. We bring together two worlds that are totally different and make it easy to understand.

"The heart-shaped work '195 Bottles, 1 Message' by Dutch artists Saskia Hoogendoorn and Lieuwe Martijn is made of 195 bottles with LED lights representing 195 countries in the world and the one message is that there is only one religion that is really important to this world - love," Rogier says.

The famous light designer admits with a rueful grin that in sleepless areas like Ratchaprasong, installing light art is hard but adds that LED technology makes it possible.

"It is very true that you cannot make light if there is no darkness. That is the basic concept in architecture. But LED technology gives us greater flexibility in creating light sculptures even in places that are not so dark.

"In the past, lighting technology was quite expensive and very difficult to install. You needed electricians, high voltage power, and it would be very hot. Now with LED, everyone can make a light sculpture. It is easy, flexible, affordable and it uses low power like batteries. You can use your smartphone to control it. Just download the app and you can control your LED lights.

Light is everything to van der Heide who used to look after the lighting for ballets and operas.

"The more I worked with electrical light, the more I became interested in the real light like the light from the sun. I wanted to know how it worked, how it touches us, emotionally and physically. There are so many things in our body that are regulated by light, like our biorhythms and our sleep. I feel very thankful for every morning even though I know that tomorrow the sun will always come up.

"Light has a long history in all cultures. It is something that never gets boring. I teach it at the university and there is always something new. When you teach, the students will always come up with some new questions and I think it is very interesting."

"We started working on the International Zone in September and in only two months we have these amazing artworks. It would be great to start working on the project earlier next year to engage the artists, the engineers and technicians so we can work together and exchange our knowledge and make better artworks. We would be a platform for these talents. Next year we will attract more artists and work with more universities and that will draw more partners," Rogier concludes.

Source: The Nation

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Thailand - Police nab 110 foreigners in overstay, criminal cases

THE Immigration Police Bureau yesterday announced cases of foreigners caught for overstaying their visas and committing crimes.

Thai Immigration police paraded a group of offenders yesterday at a press conference as they announced they had arrested 50 Pakistani nationals, 15 Indians, eight Somalis, three Nigerians, three from Papua New Guinea, three Vietnamese, a Mali national, a Bangladeshi national, a Sri Lankan national and twenty-three other nationals.

Measures to clamp down on foreigners who overstay their visa will go into effect in March.

Those who overstay for more than a year will be barred from the country for three years, while those who overstay for more than five years will be banned for 10 years.

Authorities have encouraged offenders to turn themselves in and avoid heavier penalties.

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Natthorn Praosunthorn said the measures were taken to increase security in Thailand, claiming many foreigners who overstay are likely to have also committed crimes.

He cited the case of American boxer Malik Naeem Watson-Smith, who once fought Thai boxer "Buakaw," and was caught overstaying his visa on 14 Dec. He had been charged with assault in 2010.

Russian Eveniy Gubarev, 37, was arrested on Dec. 17 for overstaying his visa and is wanted on charges of fraud and laundering money, while an unnamed 47-year-old Belgian was arrested on Sunday for overstaying by 305 days.

In a separate case, a French man overstaying his visa was arrested on Dec. 11 and charged with attempted murder, detention, and robbery in relation to trafficking drugs, The Nation reported.

  Eveniy Gubarev, 37, a Russian national, was arrested on December 17 for overstaying, and is also wanted on charges of fraud and laundering money.

An unnamed 47-year-old Belgian was arrested on December 20 for overstaying by 305 days. He arrived on January 20 and was allowed to stay until February 18.

Related:

Visa overstayers face bans of up to 10 years

Source: Coconuts & The Nation 

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No surprises: Bangkok, Wat Pho are TripAdvisor travelers’ top choices

Bangkok is one of world’s best cities for travel and Wat Pho its best attraction, according to this year’s TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards.

Voters put the Land of Smiles at the top spot for its exotic beaches, heritage sites and amazing food. The country picked up awards in four categories: destination, landmark, island, and beach.

Bangkok came in at no. 18 on the list of the world’s top destinations while the top Buddhist temple attraction Wat Pho came in at no. 21 in the best landmark category.

Meanwhile, Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach was ranked no. 18 among the Best 25 Beaches in the World, while Koh Tao was hailed as one of the world’s 10 best islands, ranking at no. 5.

Globally, Marrakech in Morocco won the best destination, followed by Thailand’s neighbor Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Istanbul in Turkey.
Cambodia took the top spot for landmark with Angkor Wat, followed by Peru’s Machu Picchu and India’s Taj Mahal.

Source: Coconuts

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Thailand - Blacklist awaits visa-overstaying foreigners

The Immigration Bureau plans to fine and blacklist foreigners who overstay their visas from March or April next year. (2016)

 Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prausoontorn said yesterday (Dec 9) that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had approved the bureau’s proposal on Nov 27 to fine and ban overstayers from re-entering the country for some years depending on the length of their overstay.

People who overstay will be treated according to whether they turn themselves in or are arrested.

For cases of surrender, those who overstay their visa by up to one year will receive a one-year re-entry ban, and for more than one year they will be banned from re-entering Thailand for three years. Those with more than three years’ overstay will blacklisted for five years. Excessive overstay of five years or more will result in a re-entry ban of 10 years.

In cases of arrest, those who overstay their visas by up to one year will be banned from re-entering Thailand for five years and those with more than one year’s overstay period will be blacklisted for 10 years.

The immigration commissioner expected the new regulation to improve control on visiting foreigners and screen out unwanted elements.

A large number of foreigners likely would pay fines and leave the country ahead of the imposition of the regulation, he said, while admitting that the fine was small at B20,000.

At present, European, American and Asian visitors without approved visas can stay for 30 days, renewable for 30 days. Those with prior-arranged visas can stay 60 days renewable for 30 days. Those who want longer stays for medical treatment or business could have their intention verified before approval, the commissioner said.

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Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prausoontorn said yesterday (Dec 9) that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had approved the bureau’s proposal on Nov 27 to fine and ban overstayers from re-entering the country for some years depending on the length of their overstay.
People who overstay will be treated according to whether they turn themselves in or are arrested.
For cases of surrender, those who overstay their visa by up to one year will receive a one-year re-entry ban, and for more than one year they will be banned from re-entering Thailand for three years. Those with more than three years’ overstay will blacklisted for five years. Excessive overstay of five years or more will result in a re-entry ban of 10 years.
In cases of arrest, those who overstay their visas by up to one year will be banned from re-entering Thailand for five years and those with more than one year’s overstay period will be blacklisted for 10 years.
The immigration commissioner expected the new regulation to improve control on visiting foreigners and screen out unwanted elements.
A large number of foreigners likely would pay fines and leave the country ahead of the imposition of the regulation, he said, while admitting that the fine was small at B20,000.
At present, European, American and Asian visitors without approved visas can stay for 30 days, renewable for 30 days. Those with prior-arranged visas can stay 60 days renewable for 30 days. Those who want longer stays for medical treatment or business could have their intention verified before approval, the commissioner said.
- See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/blacklist-awaits-visa-overstaying-foreigners-55329.php#sthash.vrkuUnZL.dpuf

The Immigration Bureau plans to fine and blacklist foreigners who overstay their visas from March or April next year. - See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/blacklist-awaits-visa-overstaying-foreigners-55329.php#sthash.vrkuUnZL.dpuf

Phi Phi in dire straits: Coral extinction, ‘overtourism’ threaten island sustainability

The island, known for its marine life and a top tourism destination for more than 20 years, is seeking help from the government and tourism operators to look after its natural resources.
Koh Phi Phi and nearby islands welcome more than 1.4 million tourists a year, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).

During the November-April high season, more than 5,000 tourists a day visit the cluster.

The Ao Nang Tambon Administrative Organisation said the island produced 10 tonnes of rubbish a day, while the influx of tourists at main sites such as Maya Bay and Ton Sai Bay also posed a threat to marine life.

Thon’s Friends Group, established eight months ago on Facebook by Asst Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biology lecturer at Kasetsart University who is engaged in marine protection, now has almost 40,000 followers.

The group intends to protect Koh Phi Phi and alert the authorities to the risks the natural resources face.

The Phi Phi cluster consists of six islands that lie 50 kilometres southeast of Phuket, forming part of Hat Nopharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.

“The situation on the Phi Phi islands is critical,” Assoc Prof Thon said.

He said locals were ready to protect their resources but lacked a leader.

Assoc Prof Thon believes tackling the problems on the Phi Phi islands will serve as a model for other locations such as Koh Lipe and Koh Tao, where local residents can resist encroachment by developers and corrupt government officials.

Surveys found only one of Koh Phi Phi's 14 coral reefs remained pristine, while one was slightly damaged, he said.

The other 12 – located in Maya Bay, Ton Sai Bay and Pilay Bay –were dead.

Assoc Prof Thon said the damage came mainly from the anchors of tourist boats and tourists who stepped on coral while snorkelling.

More than 1,000 tourism boats are in operation but fewer than 100 licensed.

Ensuring all boats are licensed will go some way to stopping the damage to the corals and other natural resources, Assoc Prof Thon said.

Another problem facing Koh Phi Phi is corruption in the collection of entrance fees. Last year annual revenue from entrance fees amounted to B24 million.

After complaints by Assoc Prof Thon’s Friends Group led to the transfer of the chief of the national park early this year, however, entrance fees totalled B14 million in October alone despite it being the low season.

Foreign visitors are charged B400 baht and Thais B40 – but since 90% of visitors are foreigners, annual revenue from the fees should be at least B150-200 million.

A limited number of staff at the National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department is another issue.

Source: Phuket News

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The island, known for its marine life and a top tourism destination for more than 20 years, is seeking help from the government and tourism operators to look after its natural resources.
Koh Phi Phi and nearby islands welcome more than 1.4 million tourists a year, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).
During the November-April high season, more than 5,000 tourists a day visit the cluster.
The Ao Nang Tambon Administrative Organisation said the island produced 10 tonnes of rubbish a day, while the influx of tourists at main sites such as Maya Bay and Ton Sai Bay also posed a threat to marine life.
Thon’s Friends Group, established eight months ago on Facebook by Asst Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biology lecturer at Kasetsart University who is engaged in marine protection, now has almost 40,000 followers.
The group intends to protect Koh Phi Phi and alert the authorities to the risks the natural resources face.
The Phi Phi cluster consists of six islands that lie 50 kilometres southeast of Phuket, forming part of Hat Nopharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
“The situation on the Phi Phi islands is critical,” Assoc Prof Thon said.
He said locals were ready to protect their resources but lacked a leader.
Assoc Prof Thon believes tackling the problems on the Phi Phi islands will serve as a model for other locations such as Koh Lipe and Koh Tao, where local residents can resist encroachment by developers and corrupt government officials.
Surveys found only one of Koh Phi Phi's 14 coral reefs remained pristine, while one was slightly damaged, he said.
The other 12 – located in Maya Bay, Ton Sai Bay and Pilay Bay –were dead.
Assoc Prof Thon said the damage came mainly from the anchors of tourist boats and tourists who stepped on coral while snorkelling.
More than 1,000 tourism boats are in operation but fewer than 100 licensed.
Ensuring all boats are licensed will go some way to stopping the damage to the corals and other natural resources, Assoc Prof Thon said.
Another problem facing Koh Phi Phi is corruption in the collection of entrance fees. Last year annual revenue from entrance fees amounted to B24 million.
After complaints by Assoc Prof Thon’s Friends Group led to the transfer of the chief of the national park early this year, however, entrance fees totalled B14 million in October alone despite it being the low season.
Foreign visitors are charged B400 baht and Thais B40 – but since 90% of visitors are foreigners, annual revenue from the fees should be at least B150-200 million.
A limited number of staff at the National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department is another issue.
Only five staff with one boat supervise an areas that attracts well over one million tourists a year, Assoc Prof Thon said.
- See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phi-phi-in-dire-straits-coral-extinction-overtourism-threaten-island-sustainability-55311.php#sthash.7XoTFZvn.dpuf

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