Families say pair accused of Thailand murders 'are innocent'

  • Anglia
Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were discovered dead on a beach on Koh Tao last month

The families of the Burmese workers accused of the murder of two British tourists in Thailand last month, including one from Norfolk, have said they are innocent. They claim the case has been rigged against the men.

Court proceedings reportedly started this week against the men, named in reports as 21-year-old bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, who are accused of murdering David Miller, 24, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge on the island of Koh Tao.

Mr Miller, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge, from Hemsby near Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds.

The families of the accused men have told the BBC they believe they did not commit the crime, with Win Zaw Htun's mother adding that the ordeal has left her suicidal.

"The case has been rigged against my son," said Zaw Lin's mother.

The funeral service for Hannah Witheridge at St Mary's Church, in her home village of Hemsby, Norfolk. Credit: Nick Ansell/PA Wire

On Tuesday Thailand's military ruler General Prayuth Chan-ocha rejected an offer from Britain to help in the investigation into the brutal murders, despite mounting concerns about the way police have handled the case.

During a meeting between Thai diplomat Nadhavathna Krishnamra and Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire this week, concern was raised about how the Thai authorities had handled the investigation, including that police had spoken openly to the media since the murders.