Commander-in-Chief told prime minister of Thailand to have compassion for two migrant workers

04 Sep 2019

Myat Win Kyaw | DMG
4 September, Yangon
 
The Commander-in-Chief requested prime minister of Thailand to have compassion for two Myanmar workers who have been sentenced to death, the office of Commander-in-Chief announced on 3 September.

Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who arrived at the seventh Thai-Myanmar High Level Committee Meeting, asked Thailand’s Prime Minister to be lenient towards the pair while he met with Thai leaders on 3 September.

“We’d like to ask for leniency on the punishment imposed on two Myanmar migrant workers in consideration of the existing friendship between Myanmar and Thailand and to request to protect them in line with the law,” Myanmar military commander-in-Chief told the Prime Minister of Thailand.

U Thein Swe, union minister for Labour, Immigration and Population told media on 2 September that speakers of parliament and lawmakers requested Thai leaders to help the two migrant workers reduce their punishment.

On 3 September, the Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Mya Tun Oo visited the Bang Kwang Central Prison where the pair have been detained, the office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services reported.

During his visit, he supported the efforts of the Myanmar government for their appeal to the Thai King, the statement said.

The Koh Samui Court sentenced Win Zaw Tun and Zaw Lin to death in 2015 for the murders of two British nationals on the island of Koh Tao in 2014. The pair have been charged for seven cases.

They appealed and stated that they did not commit the offence, they were forced to confess because they were tortured by Thai police and the DNA found on the suspected murder weapon did not match the DNA samples the suspects provided to strengthen their case. Unfortunately, their appeals were rejected.

They appealed to the Supreme Court of Thailand but the final appeal was rejected on 29 August, the last option was to submit a request for a royal pardon to the Thai King within 60 days.

Supporters and parents are now demanding that the two men get a reprieve from the death sentence.