A court has charged two Burmese migrants with murdering two British tourists on a Thai island.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, were today charged in their absence with murdering University of Essex student Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24.
The pair, who worked in a bar on the island, are alleged to have killed the two on Koh Tao in September before their bodies were found on the beach.
The duo were arrested by police about two weeks later and reportedly signed confessions, before re-enacting the murder on the beach surrounded by police and media.
They later retracted their confessions in October.
The investigation has been marred by criticism and allegations of police incompetence and of the confessions having been extracted by torture.
The public prosecutor has also sent the police dossier back three times asking for better evidence.
Rumours circulate on the island, and in Britain, that the attack was orchestrated by a Thai man associated with the Thai families who own much of the tourism on the island.
The BBC today report that today's indictment was unexpectedly brought forward by three hours meaning the suspects did not have time to be brought from prison to hear the charges.
If proved guilty they could be killed via a lethal injection.
The two have written an open letter to the victims' friends and family asking anyone who has more information, corroborating with a case for their innocence, to come forward.
Miss Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, studied an undergraduate at the University of East Anglia before studying a postgraduate at the University of Essex.
Post-mortem examinations found Mr Miller, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head while Miss Witheridge died from head wounds.
