A man confesses over the Thailand beach murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.

By SHAUNA ANDERSON

Warning: This post contains details of an alleged rape and may be distressing for some readers.

UPDATE: 

Concerns have been raised that Thai police may have beat and threatened the two Myanmar men arrested on suspicion of murdering British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on 15 September.

A lawyer defending the suspects described the case as a ‘set-up and not based on hard facts’, Independent Myanmar news organisation Democratic Voice of Burma reports.

Thai police dismissed those abuse allegations, denying that force is used during interrogations, the ABC reports.

But international human rights organisation Amnesty International is calling for further investigations into the allegations.

“Any investigation into these torture allegations should be carried out by an independent body, and certainly not by the police itself,” Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme director Richard Bennett said in a statement.

“They must also ensure that any alleged confession or information that has been coerced as a result of torture is not admitted as evidence in court, unless to prove that torture has been carried out,” he said.

“The pressure to be seen to be solving an appalling crime that has garnered considerable attention should not result in the violation of rights, including to a fair trial.”

In May this year, the UN Committee against Torture showed concern for treatment of prisoners in Thailand. Thai authorities have previously used migrant workers as scapegoats and migrants face regular discrimination, the ABC reports.

Previously, Mamamia wrote…

Have Thai police caught the killers of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller?

There are confusing reports about a confession which was thought to have been made by a Myanmar man who is a worker on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand in regards to the killing of the two young tourists.

Late last night it was revealed that Deputy national police chief Lieutenant General Jaktip Chaijinda told media that a man had confessed, but had not yet been arrested.

The Nation reported that one man confessed, though earlier AP said it was two Myanmar men.

As media interest in the confession grew the police chief refused to make a confirmation, instead saying the man is providing “very useful information.”

Hannah Witheridge, 23  and David Miller, 24 were found dead on the idyllic tourist island nearly three weeks ago.

Sky News reports that police believe 23-year-old Hannah was raped by two men while another watched.

Her semi-naked body was found alongside David Miller.

The students had met on the island – David Miler had been in Australia before heading to the destination well known for its full moon parties.

Miller was an engineering student from Leeds University, while Hannah Witheridge was at Essex University.

A post mortem on their bodies showed that Hannah died from head wounds, while David Miller died from severe blows to the head and drowning.

A bloodstained garden hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby.

Thai police had told the BBC that they suspect two different samples of DNA taken from Hannah’s body are from two Asian men.

In their investigation police took more than 200 DNA samples from men living and working in the area of the crime scene

Thai police have been under pressure to solve this case and early on released CCTV of the two walking together towards the beach, and later footage showing a man – described as being of Asian appearance.

Police said they believed that the motive for the murder was rape, and that there was a chance David Miller had gone to the aid of Hannah after she had been attacked.

The devastated families of both young backpackers wait desperate for answers as to what happened to Hannah and David.

We will keep you updated.