Thailand | Families struggle to afford visits to pair serving life sentences for allegedly killing two British nationals on Koh Tao island

It has been more than three years since family members visited Ko Zaw Lin Tun and Ko Win Zaw Tun (pictured) from Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township, who have been serving life sentences in a Thai prison for allegedly killing two British nationals in 2014.

Family members say they have faced financial constraints preventing them from visiting the duo because their mothers are ill.

“The last time we visited him was in 2019, before the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Ko Ye Zaw Tun, the brother of Ko Win Zaw Tun. “My mother has cataracts now, so it has become difficult for us to visit my brother. We don’t even have money to treat her cataracts. We will be able to visit him only when there are donors and those who will arrange for us to visit him.”

Ko Win Zaw Tun’s mother is currently receiving treatment for her eyes in Kyaukphyu town. Ko Zaw Lin Tun’s mother is also ailing, with symptoms including headache and lumps on her neck.

“My mother can barely speak now. And she misses her son. Perhaps she is sick because she misses him too much,” said Ko Zaw Win, the brother of Ko Zaw Lin Tun.

“Between financial constraints and mental pains, my mother is exhausted. I would like to call for the release of my brother and Win Zaw Tun, as I cannot stand the sight of my grief-stricken mother,” he added.

Daw Phyu Shwe Nu, the mother of Ko Zaw Lin Tun, said: “We can’t afford to visit him. I am sick and I wish that my son will be released soon.”

Ko Win Zaw Tun and Ko Zaw Lin Tun, who were then working in Thailand, were convicted in 2015 of murdering two British tourists on the Thai island of Koh Tao the year prior.

The two Myanmar nationals have denied any involvement in the murders, but multiple appeals to higher courts were rejected.

Their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment by a royal pardon from the Thai king in 2020.

Agence France-Presse Fact Check, Sept. 2, 2022:

Multiple Burmese-language posts claim that Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has pardoned two Burmese migrant workers who were convicted in 2015 of murdering two British tourists on a southern Thai island. The posts -- shared thousands of times -- circulated following news reports that the king would give a royal pardon to tens of thousands of the kingdom's inmates. However, the claim is false. Thai prison authorities told AFP the Burmese pair -- Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun -- remain in prison as of August 31, 2022. A spokesperson for the pair's legal team said the claim was "a totally untrue rumour".

"His Royal Majesty of Thailand has pardoned Win Zaw Tun and Zaw Lin who were accused and sentenced to prison for the 2014 Koh Tao murder case," reads this Burmese-language Facebook post on August 28, 2022.

The post -- which included a photo of Win Zaw Tun and Zaw Lin -- has been shared more than 960 times.

"The king decided to pardon the two after hearing about the pleas from the Burmese citizens on the Thai Royal Family official page as a humanitarian act and a kind gesture to a neighbouring country," the post continues.

"They will be given $2 million as compensation by the Thai government, and will be escorted to Yangon International Airport by the Royal Thai police force."

The post circulated online after the Thai media reported on August 13 that more than 100,000 inmates serving jail terms would be released early or have their sentences reduced under a royal pardon to mark the Thai king's 70th birthday and the queen mother's 90th birthday.

Win Zaw Tun, also known as Wai Phyo, was sentenced to death along with Zaw Lin in 2019 for the murders of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in the southern Thai diving resort of Koh Tao in 2014.

The Burmese pair received a surge of sympathy in their homeland after a controversial trial that sparked protests in Myanmar, AFP reported.

Their sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2020, following a mass royal pardon.

Similar posts have been shared more than 1,300 times after they were shared on Facebook.

However, the claim is false.

Source: bnionline.net, Staff, August 30, 2022

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