Trial of two accused of killing UK tourists

The trial of two migrant workers from Myanmar, accused of killing two British tourists on a resort island in Thailand continued on Thursday in a case marked by claims that the accused were tortured into confessing they carried out the crime.

The Samui provincial court called in the police investigator who collected all the evidence to explain what he had, and what could be re-examined, on the second day of the trial.

Speaking to journalists, defence lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat said the issue of the re-examination of evidence hadn't been settled on Thursday however.

The battered bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found September 15 on the rocky shores of Koh Tao, a scenic island in the Gulf of Thailand known for its scuba diving.

The two defendants - 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 have repeatedly called for an independent investigation and raised worries that the men might be scapegoats.