Insights into murders of Hannah Witheridge & David Miller on Koh Tao not covered by mainstream media
Channel: KOH TAO MURDERS DEATH ISLAND
Date: 10/05/2021

SOME INSIGHTS INTO THE MURDERS OF TWO BRITISH BACKPACKERS ON THE THAI ISLAND OF KOH TAO


Many Western tourists are drawn to Thailand by glossy brochures and travel documentaries featuring pristine beaches, sensational diving and the friendliness of the locals. Indeed, Thailand is often described as the “Land of Smiles”.

Everything is so cheap in the Land of Smiles. Food is cheap. Alcohol is cheap. Accommodation is cheap. Travel is cheap. Unfortunately, life is cheap too. Truth is so terribly cheap that it often appears to have no value whatsoever.

One thing that does have value is “face” and “saving face” of a powerful Thai person can come at a very high price for people on the lower rungs of an extremely class conscious society. The Burmese are even more vulnerable as the Thais look down on them as the old invaders who sacked Thai cities and dragged off the surviving inhabitants as slaves.

It was into this Land of Smiles – into this Land of Illusions – that two young British backpackers ventured. Their names were David Miller and Hannah Witheridge. Subsequently, on the morning of 15 September 2014 their battered bodies were found by a beach cleaner.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve 2015 and in the Samui Provincial Court two young Burmese workers, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were duly convicted of the murders of both Britons and the rape of Hannah. Wai Phyo was also convicted of stealing David’s mobile phone. Both defendants were sentenced to death.

Michael Miller’s address to the press
Shortly afterwards at the court entrance and flanked by his parents Ian and Sue Miller, David’s brother, Michael Miller read a prepared statement to members of the press. The Miller family clearly approved of the guilty verdicts. Michael Miller’s short address was punctuated by the howls of the condemned men’s mothers coming from inside the building. In a very uncomfortable scene the distraught Burmese mothers exited the court building just as Michael was winding up his address.

Michael Miller has since been on the receiving end of some harsh and frankly unjustified criticism for that address. The opinions that Michael expressed were, in fact, perfectly reasonable and logical in the context of the evidence the Miller family heard in court and in the context of the evidence they did not hear. The opinions were also reasonable in the context of assumptions that the Miller family might have and on inferences they might have drawn.

Very few people will know who killed David and Hannah. I was not there so I do not know who the true killers are. I cannot be 100% sure that Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were not responsible but I respectfully disagree with the opinions expressed by Michael Miller.

To understand the fiasco it helps to know a little about Thailand and its police force. The police are allegedly notoriously corrupt and they are also not particularly bright. Just a few short days ago the Royal Thai Police raided an innocent gathering of 30 elderly bridge players in the sin city of Pattaya on suspicions of gambling. Ironically vice and crime are everywhere in Pattaya. Only a few hundred metres away the local jet ski scammers were hard at work fleecing tourists under the protection of the local police. See for example: http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2011/03/internet-angry-takes-on-thailand-jet.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqi07Dc68Lk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsPuoaktoAw

In recent years there have been major revelations of the extent of slavery and human trafficking allegedly involving the Royal Thai Police and senior Thai military officers including an Army Lieutenant General. According to the helpful if imperfect Global Slavery Index there were an estimated 475,300 slaves in Thailand in 2014.

FULL TRANSCRIPT WAS FAR TOO LONG BUT HERE ARE LINKS TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://www.change.org/p/david-cameron-independently-investigate-the-horrific-murders-of-hannah-witheridge-and-david-miller/u/15385598

http://www.andrew-drummond.news/a-matter-of-record-a-legal-view-on-the-innocence-of-the-koh-tao-two/

LINK TO MY VIDEO DISCUSSION OF ARTICLE BY LINDSAY MURDOCH FEATURING COMMENTS FROM FORENSIC SCIENTIST JANE TAUPIN:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5mDw_uVbdI

SCIENTIFIC FRAUD & TORTURE TRIUMPH OVER JUSTICE IN THE KOH TAO CASE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZptRms-IAO8