(Reuters) — Two Myanmar men accused of murdering two British holidaymakers in Thailand arrived at Koh Samui Provincial Court on Wednesday (July 8).
The case caused outrage in Britain and raised questions about the competence of the Thai police and the treatment of migrant labourers.
British tourists David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were murdered last year on Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, a popular tourist destination in southern Thailand.
Thai police said in October that Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, two migrant workers from Myanmar, had confessed to the killings. The confessions followed weeks of speculation and pressure on police to solve the murders.
Police said DNA found on the two victims matched the suspects but the two men later retracted their confessions, saying they had made them while being tortured.
The pair could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Rights groups say the trial is a test case for Thailand’s treatment of the 2.5 million migrant labourers, many from poor neighbouring countries, on which it relies.
Others fear the pair are being used as scapegoats and will not receive a fair trial in a country where the poor and disenfranchised are rarely afforded justice.
Witheridge was found raped and beaten to death on a beach in the early hours of September 15, while Miller was beaten on the head and left to drown, post-mortem examinations showed.
Britain summoned the Thai charge d’affaires in London in the weeks after the murders to raise concerns over the investigation.
Many migrants take jobs Thais don’t want in labour-intensive industries like agriculture, construction, and fishing. Others work as domestic helpers or cleaners in restaurants and hotels.
A verdict is expected in October.