A court is to decide whether two Burmese men will stand trial for the murder of two British tourists in Thailand earlier this year.

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The bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a Thai beach on 15 September

 

Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, are accused of killing Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on the island of Koh Tao in September.

Charges, including murder and rape, are expected to be filed against the men there on Thursday, authorities said.

The suspects, both migrant workers, could be executed if found guilty.

This week a lawyer for the suspects, who deny the charges, urged friends of the victims to come forward with information.

Nakhon Chompuchat said the victims' friends "should know many things" about what happened and could "prove the true situation".

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Win Zaw Htun (L) and Zaw Lin were arrested in early October

 

On Tuesday, BBC Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head said prosecutors were ready to put the men on trial, two months after their arrest.

Under Thai law suspects can be held for a maximum of 91 days before facing formal charges.

"Despite the claim by the Thai police that they have built a perfect case against the two Burmese defendants, the prosecutor has rejected the police dossier several times, saying it needed improving," our correspondent said.

Thai police have been criticised for their handling of the case, and Mr Zaw's mother has said her son is being made a "scapegoat".

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Mr Zaw and Mr Win took part in a police re-enactment of the killings in October

 

As well as the alleged murders and rape, Mr Zaw and Mr Win are also accused of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and robbery.

The suspects - from Myanmar, also known as Burma - confessed to the murders, which they later retracted, claiming they had been tortured.

The bodies of Miss Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found on a beach in the popular tourist destination on 15 September.

Post-mortem examinations found Mr Miller died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge died from head wounds.

Source: BBC