CNI News

15 August 2022 

Win and Zaw should be eligible for royal pardon of more than 100,000 prisoners to mark the birthdays of Thai king and his mother queen, Executive Director U Htoo Chit of the Foundation for Education Development told the CNI.

“In the past, prisoners were granted sentence reduction by half or certain numbers of years. The two should be eligible for royal pardon and I hope they will be. We cannot tell what type of sentence reduction they will be granted. If the Thai government believes that they behave properly in prison, they should be granted sentence reduction even if they are not released or acquitted. Like other prisoners, their sentences should be reduced by at least one-third, five years or ten years,” he said.

Out of more than 100,000 prisoners pardoned by the Thai king, about 80,000 prisoners received sentence reduction and more than 20,000 will be released on parole.

Win and Zaw have been in prison since 2014 after being charged with murder on resort island of Koh Tao, southern Thailand. It is still unclear whether the two were granted sentence reduction, U Htoo Chit told the CNI.

Win and Zaw being brought to court for trial.

“However hard they try, they will be in distress in the prison for their families and their future. I am worried about it. The government can offer effective help to them by discussing the case with the Thai government. This can lead to reduction of their prison terms significantly,” he added.

Migrant workers Win and Zaw were detained in September 2014 for rape and murder of British tourists, Hanna and David Miller on resort island of Koh Tao in Thailand.

They were sentenced to death in 2015 but the Thai king commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment on 14th August 2020.

The two behave properly in prison but they were not eligible for royal pardons frequently granted in Thailand.

Currently, their families are trying to visit them with the assistance of the FED and the Wunlet Foundation in Rakhine State.