BANGKOK — Police say they mistakenly identified two people in a photograph distributed to the media as the British tourists who were murdered on the popular island of Koh Tao on Monday.

Police initially said the still photograph taken from CCTV footage showed David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, walking hand-in-hand away from a party on Haat Sai Ri Beach late Sunday night. The pair was later found naked and beaten to death on the beach at 6:30am on 15 September. 

But Pol.Col. Prachum Ruengthong, a commander of Pha Ngan Police who oversees Koh Tao island, said today that the photograph did not in fact depict the two victims. 

According to Pol.Col. Prachum, the officers in charge of CCTV investigation "made their own assumption" and misidentified the pair. The police currently have no CCTV footage of the victims, he added.

Police earlier insisted the image showed the two murder victims, following several requests for confirmation by Khaosod English.

"There has been a lot of information [given to the media] through many channels," Pol.Col. Prachum explained. "Each officer gave their own piece of information. From now on, I will be the only person who gives information."

However, Pol.Col. Prachum said the other image given to the media of a man who "behaved suspiciously" near where the bodies were found is still valid. Police are still searching for the man, he said. 

According to the latest reports, two British men are also being treated as possible suspects. Earlier today, police cleared three male migrant workers from Myanmar who were initially held and questioned about the incident. 

The misidentified photograph is one of several blunders made by Thai police and media reporting about the grisly murder case over the past few days. 

Thai police previously gave unsubstantiated and bizarre statements about the murder, such as the claim that one of Mr. Miller's friends was a "gay man" who possibly committed the murder out of jealousy, and the announcement that the island had been "sealed off," whereas in reality boats were permitted to leave the docks normally.

These claims were widely reported by major Thai media agencies. 

Police also made contradictory statements about a British friend of Mr. Miller, who was initially considered a suspect, then released after questioning and declared unrelated to the murder, only to be detained again as a potential suspect this morning.  

BANGKOK — Thammasat University's administrators have preemptively banned any political events commemorating the massacre that took place inside the university on 6 October 1976, presumably to comply with the military junta’s ban on all political activities.

The October 6th Massacre is traditionally commemorated by activists and survivors of the incident at Thammasat's Tha Prachan campus. In previous years the event has featured religious ceremonies dedicated to the dead, political exhibitions, and academic seminars about the massacre. 

But this year's anniversary will only feature religious ceremonies, per orders from the university administrators, said Wipha Dawanee, a Thammasat lecturer who has been the main organiser of the October 6th commemoration event since 1996.

"We were told not to have any [political] discussions, and we are not allowed to use the university's auditorium," Ms. Wipha said.

Nakarin Mektrairat, deputy rector of Thammasat University, told Voice TVthat the ban on political activities is necessary because “in previous years there have been [activities] that caused problems and division.”  

Public demonstrations – especially those with a political bent – are currently banned under orders from Thailand's military junta, known as the National Council For Peace and Order, which seized power in a coup d'etat on 22 May, 2014. 

On 6 October, 1976, security forces and right-wing militants stormed Thammasat Univeristy and attacked several thousand student activists who were protesting the return of a former military dictator.

The massacre was notable for the brutal death of some activists, including one student who was lynched and beaten with a chair. Forty-six people died in the crackdown according to official figures, though historians believe the number of casualties was much higher. 

Piyarath Chongthep, a core activist in the Thai Student Centre for Democracy (TSCD), said his group initially planned to hold panel discussions this 6 October, "like previous years," but was informed a few days ago that political events were prohibited.

"Some people still want to organise the event, but right now we have to wait to hear opinions from other groups too," Mr. Piyarath said.

Though traditionally regarded as a mainstay of the democratic movement in Thailand, Thammasat University has come under criticism in recent years for a string of conservative, pro-establishment administrators.

The current rector, Somkit Lertpaithoon, has recently been targeted by Thammasat student activists for his support of the 22 May coup that toppled the elected government, and for his appointment as a member of the junta’s National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

The October 6th Massacre remains a sensitive topic in present-day Thailand. Many state-approved school textbooks omit both the massacre and the preceding 1973 student uprising.

PETCHABURI — The family of a Karen activist who went missing five months ago is urging a provincial court for the second time to investigate his mysterious disappearance.

Porlachee "Billy" Rakchongcharoen was traveling between Karen communities inside Kaeng Krachan National Park when he went missing in April. The park's director, Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, said he detained Billy briefly for "honey theft" before releasing him several hours later, though the activist has not been seen or heard from since.

Judges dismissed an earlier effort by Billy’s family to convene an emergency inquiry to determine whether Mr. Chaiwat played a role in the activist's disappearance. Today, Billy’s wife, Pinnapa Prueksawan, appealed the decision.

"I am filing an appeal because I feel that no justice is being done for Billy," Ms. Porlachee said. "It's been five months since he was detained by Park officials, but we still don't know about his fate."

She added, "I want the court to be fair and transparent, so we can know where Billy has gone to. My five children keep asking me, when is dad coming home? Why is he not coming home?"

For years, Billy had been campaigning on behalf of Karen communities in the park who faced eviction from park officials, even though they settled in the forest long before it was declared a protected area. 

He was also a key witness in a lawsuit accusing park officials of using intimidating tactics to persuade the Karens to leave the park, such as allegedly torching a Karen village in 2011. That same year a Karen activist in Billy’s network was shot dead in what local residents suspect to be an assassination ordered by the authorities.

Mr. Chaiwat, the park director feared by local Karens, was briefly transferred from Kaeng Krachan National Park to allow an impartial investigation into Billy’s disappearance. However, he was reinstated on 24 August, a move that attracted criticism from  international rights groups.

Mr. Chaiwat has repeatedly denied the allegation that he was involved in Mr. Porlachee's disappearance, but a lawyer from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights says the park director's testimonies and alibi are highly questionable. 

"The testimonies from witnesses contradict each other. They are suspicious and illogical," Warapon Uthairangsi told Khaosod today. "Furthermore, Mr.  Chaiwat, who was the last person to meet Billy, has many disputes with Billy."

The court has seven days to decide whether it will accept the appeal, Ms. Warapon added.

The court previously rejected Billy's family's request for an emergency trial on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence linking Mr. Chaiwat to Billy's disappearance.

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BANGKOK — Locals on the resort island of Koh Tao were left stunned by yesterday's grisly murder of two British tourists, as other foreign travelers reportedly leave the island in droves.

The two victims, David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found dead on Hat Sai Ri beach early Monday morning with “gruesome” injuries on their heads and faces. A bloodied gardening hoe was found nearby. 

The murder appeared to take place a short distance from the bungalow where the pair was reportedly staying. Police believe the two tourists met on the island and left a party late Sunday night to take a stroll on the beach, where they were presumably ambushed and murdered.

The immediate reaction from residents on the island, whose serene beaches are a popular draw for foreign tourists, was shock and anger.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said a staff member from the resort where the two victims were staying. “This is very bad for Koh Tao.”

He added that all of the other guests have left the resort, and many appear to be leaving the island.

Chaiyan Thurasakul, the mayor of Koh Tao, said the murder has gravely damaged the image and reputation of Koh Tao. 

"In the past, Koh Tao has been named as one of the top ten diving destinations in the world," the mayor said. "But I don't know what will happen to the future of Koh Tao from now on."

Over 100 locals gathered near the crime scene for a vigil organised by the mayor yesterday evening. They laid flowers and lit incense at the nearby statue of King Rama V, praying for the perpetrator to be apprehended soon. 

Businesses on the 21 km² island rely almost solely on tourism, which has already been hampered over the past year by months of political unrest and a military coup in May.

According to Wannee Thaipanich, chairwoman of Koh Pha Ngan Tourism Promotion Association, business owners on Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao islands plan to wear black for three days to mourn the two Briton's deaths.

Meanwhile, sources close the governor of Surat Thani province told Khaosod that provincial authorities are considering sacking Thaweesak Inprom, the chief district officer overseeing Koh Tao island, for allegedly neglecting to protect tourists’ safety.

"Mr. Thaweesak has been reprimanded many times about the safety of tourists," the source claimed. "And ever since the murder on Koh Tao took place, he has not reported to his superiors at all."

Officials say they will now implement more measures to protect tourists on Koh Tao, such as additional lighting and CCTVs in "risky areas."

Searching for a suspect

Despite a flurry of initial reports and speculation by a number of Thai media agencies, police say they have not yet charged a suspect or uncovered a motive behind the gruesome murder.

Officers are conducting  door-to-door searches on the island, with a focus on Burmese immigrants following speculation that a migrant worker may have been responsible for the murder. Reports say that three Burmese men have been detained by the police for interrogation. 

There is widespread discrimination against Burmese migrants in Thailand, who Thai authorities frequently accuse of committing crimes inside the Kingdom. 

Police are also looking for an “Asian-looking man” who was reportedly seen “behaving suspiciously” in CCTV footage from the beachside party attended by the victims on Sunday night.

Footage shows the man leaving the party at around 5:00 am. Police say the victims left earlier, although they have not specified at what time. Their bodies were reportedly found by Burmese workers cleaning the beach at 6:30am.

Police initially distributed a photo taken from CCTV footage that they said depicted the two victims leaving the party. However, police later retracted the statement after realising they had misidentified the pair in the footage.

In the wake of the mudrer on Monday, police sealed off the island to prevent potential suspects from fleeing, but Pol.Maj.Gen. Kiattipong Khaosam-ang, a commander of Surat Thani police, confirmed that the lockdown is no longer in place.

However, police are "screening" passengers before they board boats, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kiattipong said.

According to the British Embassy in Bangkok, a consul arrived on the island this morning and is liaising with local authorities.

“The Embassy is urgently seeking information from the local authorities and Consular staff are providing assistance to friends and family at this tragic time,” the Embassy said in a statement.