Thai trial begins for accused killers of British backpackers, slain on holiday island

Ten months after two British tourists were killed on a resort island in Thailand, prosecutors were to call their first witnesses  today in a case marked by claims that the accused — two migrants from Myanmar — were tortured into confessing.

Following widespread attention, the case has been called a test of Thailand’s justice system.

The battered bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found on September 15 on the rocky shores of Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand known for its world-class scuba diving. Autopsies showed that the young backpackers, who had met on the island while staying at the same hotel, had both suffered severe head wounds and Witheridge had been raped.

Two migrant workers from Myanmar were indicted on several charges related to the murders, and prosecutors say they have a solid case against them that includes DNA evidence linking them to the crime.

Watch: British tourist deaths trial starts in Thailand

The two men — Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22 — were arrested in early October and initially confessed to the killings but then retracted their statements saying they were extracted through beatings and threats, which police deny. Human rights groups repeatedly called for an independent investigation and raised concerns the men might be scapegoats.