Families of imprisoned Myanmar migrants hope for rare prison visit

By Admin 24 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

24 June 2026, Kyaukphyu

Relatives of Ko Win Zaw Tun and Ko Zaw Lin, two young men from Arakan State serving life sentences in Thailand over a 2014 double homicide case, are hoping for a rare prison visit later this month, facilitated by diplomatic officials and human rights advocates.

Legal aid groups and the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok are coordinating arrangements for a possible visit during the final week of June. If approved, it would offer a rare opportunity for direct contact for their families, who are originally from Karpichaung and Michaung Yaythauk villages in Kyaukphyu Township.

“Our mother is desperate to see her son,” said Ko Ye Zaw Tun, brother of Win Zaw Tun. “She has wished for this for years, but poverty and poor health prevented her from travelling to Thailand. We appeal for any assistance that can help make the journey possible.”

However, ongoing armed conflict in Kyaukphyu Township has created serious logistical obstacles. Travel restrictions and security risks in active conflict zones continue to hinder movement and official clearance procedures.

U Htoo Chit, Executive Director of the Thailand-based Foundation for Education and Development (FED), told DMG that his organization is working to maintain contact with the families despite these challenges.

“I spoke with Win Zaw Tun’s mother today, but we have not yet been able to reach Zaw Lin’s mother due to communication barriers,” he said. “Given the situation, we are also encouraging local partners to record short video messages from the mothers to be delivered to their sons in prison.”

The situation is further complicated by displacement. Win Zaw Tun’s mother remains in Karpichaung Village, while residents of Michaung Yaythauk Village, home to Zaw Lin’s family, have fled due to clashes and airstrikes.

“Zaw Lin’s village is now empty because of the fighting,” a local source said. “Before displacement, his mother frequently spoke of wanting to see her son. Local networks are ready to assist in reconnecting families if needed.”

The two men were arrested in 2014 in connection with the murder of a British tourist couple on Thailand’s Koh Tao Island in Surat Thani Province. In 2015, the Koh Samui Court convicted them on multiple charges, including rape and murder, and sentenced them to death.

Their sentences were later upheld by the Thai Appeals and Supreme Courts, despite defence claims of irregularities in forensic evidence. In December 2020, a royal pardon from the King of Thailand commuted their sentences to life imprisonment.

The families last visited them in 2019. Since then, financial hardship, inflation, and health problems have prevented further travel, leaving them dependent on advocacy groups for communication.