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Aglance-Thailand-drugs
Five drug traffickers sentenced to death
JP/12/ASEAN

Drug traffickers sentenced to death

THAILAND: A Thai court on Thursday sentenced five drug
traffickers to death and a sixth to life in prison for
trafficking 7.7 million methamphetamine tablets and 116 kilograms
of heroin.

The suspects, all men, were arrested in January last year
while delivering the drugs. All were members of ethnic hill tribe
minorities from northern Thailand.

The government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, when it
took power early last year, said it would use the death penalty
to deter the massive and growing trade in illegal drugs,
especially methamphetamine.

A Bangkok Criminal Court document identified those sentenced
to death Thursday as Chairath Tan, Supachai Krachaechan, Sunsiang
Yoeh, Raksith Nimitrkul and Sombat Pinthong. The sixth convicted
man, Pratheep Thaweeapiradeeroj, received a life sentence because
he confessed when he was arrested. --AP

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Aglance-Cambodia-King
Putin heads list of well wishers for Cambodian monarch's birthday
JP/12/ASEAN

Putin tops list of King's well wishers

CAMBODIA: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk marked his 80th
birthday on Thursday with an expression of hope amid a cloudy
future, as old ally Russia led the list of international well
wishers.

Russian president Vladimir Putin was the first to offer the
aging monarch his best wishes and thanked Sihanouk for his wisdom
and experience that has helped lead Cambodia out of its tragic
past.

In a statement, Sihanouk said he and his people had "suffered
indescribable pain during the cruel era of the Khmer Rouge" who
ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.

Celebrations for the revered monarch, who reigns but does not
rule, kicked off late Wednesday with a spectacular fireworks
display over the royal palace with thousands of adoring subjects
gathering outside for concerts. --AFP

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Aglance-Vietnam-fire
Police suspect careless welders may have caused Vietnam inferno
JP/12/ASEAN

Welders may have sparked inferno

VIETNAM: Careless welders may have set off the fire that ripped
through an office block in Vietnam's southern commercial capital
killing at least 61 people, authorities said on Thursday.

Foreign ministry official Nguyen Van Niem said police were
investigating whether builders working in the Blue discotheque on
the third floor of the seven-story Saigon International Business
Center sparked Tuesday's blaze.

A local reporter for a state-run newspaper, requesting
anonymity, said investigators smelt what they thought were
chemicals used for welding and said police were hunting for the
workers who fled the scene.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, vice chairman of the city's People's
Committee, said on Wednesday there were "no signs of sabotage or
terrorism". Other officials have said gas from the air
conditioning system could have triggered the disaster. --AFP