Sweden support Thai police in the case of disappeared bookseller

Sweden takes new steps in the controversial disappearance of Gui Minhai.

On 17 October 2015 Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen and book publisher, vanished from his apartment in Pattaya.

Gui-Minhai

Four months later, on 17 January 2016, it was revealed that the Hong Kong resident and Chinese born, Gui Minhai, was in custody of Chinese officials.

Gui Minhai appeared on Chinese television, confessing that he had voluntarily traveled to China to face justice after violating his probation in a drunk-driving accident.

Before the video was published, The Swedish Ministry of foreign affairs reported to ScandAsia that the ”embassies in Bangkok and Beijing are investigating this in contact with local authorities” and that the “Embassy in Bangkok has raised this matter with Thai high-level representatives”.

Now it seems that the investigation is intensified as Swedish detectives have travelled to Thailand to look into the disappearance of Gui Minhai, according to Thai police.

The Swedish police do not have the legal rights to do investigation work in Thailand, but they are lending a helping hand to investigate the circumstances of the disappearance.

“They have been sent to expedite the Thai police investigation”, Apichart Suriboonya, head of Thai Foreign Affairs Police told AFP.

Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily also reported that Swedish detectives have been seen interviewing residents and taking copies of the surveillance footage Gui Minhais apartment in Pattaya.

Gui Minhai is the co-owner of the Mighty Current Media and its bookstore in Hong Kong that are well known for producing Beijing critical titles.

Four people associated with the Mighty Current have also disappeared, but only Gui Minhai vanished in Thailand. Amnesty international and the European Union have stated their concerns about the missing booksellers.

See also: EU issues statement on the disappeared Swedish national

 

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