British media sceptical over arrest of suspects
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The British media yesterday widely covered the arrest of two Myanmar workers who confessed to the killing of two British backpackers on Koh Tao, but some reports voiced doubts whether they were the real culprits.
The Daily Mirror reported that the British media still have doubts whether the suspects have confessed to killing Hannah Witheridge and David Miller or they are only scapegoats.
A second Myanmar worker has “confessed” to killing two British backpackers, according to British daily The Daily Mirror.
The bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found in a rocky alcove on the island of Koh Tao on September 15, close to the hotel where they had been staying.
Recently, Thai police had been interrogating three migrant workers suspected of committing the crime. According to reports, two of them have confessed to killing the British backpackers while the third man has denied any involvement but remains in detention.
Thai police claimed that the accounts of the crime by the two men matched and supported their confessions.
Chief reporter of The Daily Mirror Andy Lines said a contact had emailed from the island, expressing concern about the risk of investigators finding scapegoats, and hoped the Thai police would have DNA evidence to back up their case as soon as possible.
Meanwhile the British daily The Telegraph said migrant workers in Thailand were complaining of being treated as second-class citizens and often implicated in crimes they had not committed.
The Guardian quoted Pol General Somyot Poompanmoung as saying that “DNA test results [from the two men] matched some DNA found on the body of Hannah”.
Thai police have assured they will not find any scapegoats for the crime, despite the immense pressure on them to find the culprits.
Following the twin murders, Thai tourist authorities announced plans to hand out wristbands to tourists containing their personal details to ensure their safety.
Amid concerns among the English and Thai media of the possibility of innocents being falsely implicated, details were awaited from the investigators at the next press conference.
