Burmese convicted of Koh Tao murders appeal against death sentence today
Today, my two young friends Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin go up before the Supreme Court to appeal the death sentence handed down to them after they were found guilty of murdering two British tourists on Koh Tao in September 2014.
They have been on death row for about two years and face execution by lethal injection if the Supreme Court doesn’t show leniency today.
I visited them many times in the Samui prison and the Bangkwang Central Prison in Bangkok, and they always seemed optimistic that they would be released. About a year ago authorities everyone except their families from visiting Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin, though I believe the families are in Myanmar and have very little money. We have been writing to each other regularly, but now their high spirits seem to be dropping. This may have something to do with the fact that, at their last hearing, they had no one from their legal team and not a single representative from the Myanmar embassy there to advise them.
Let’s hope they get leniency or at least secure a stay of execution and another day in court. May our thoughts be with them today.
Des Gillet
