Oil tankers attacked in Myanmar

Oil tankers attacked in Myanmar

THAILAND: Unidentified gunmen attacked two oil tankers on
Thursday in a border area of Myanmar where a series of bomb
explosions killed four people a day earlier, Thai officials and a
resident said.

Unconfirmed reports said three people were killed in the
latest attack and the resulting gunfight between troops and the
assailants.

Gen. Wallop Phinmanee, the deputy chief of an internal
security wing run by the Thai military, told reporters he has
been informed about the attack on the oil tankers, which he said
occurred at about 11 a.m.

Four bombs exploded on early Wednesday in different places in
Tachilek, killing two policemen and two civilians. No one claimed
responsibility, but the government blamed ethnic Shan rebels who
have been fighting for autonomy for decades. The Shan denied they
were involved. --AP

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Aglance-Malaysia-US-alert
Malaysia refutes new terror alert
JP/11/ASEAN

Malaysia refutes new terror alert

MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur on Thursday urged foreign envoys not to be
paranoid as it sought to refute renewed warnings by the U.S. and
other western countries of possible terrorist attacks here.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said advisories warning
against travel to Malaysia were "unjustifiable" given the absence
of credible evidence to back the terror alerts.

The U.S. advisory, an extension of a previous statement issued
in November, urged its citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in
Malaysia especially in Sabah state, where members of the banned
Jamaah Islamiyah group, linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda
network, have been active.

Australia, Britain, Germany and other countries have similarly
warned their citizens to exercise caution in traveling to
Malaysia.

Syed Hamid said such "baseless fears and perceived terrorist
attacks" on the country had caused considerable damage and eroded
public confidence in Malaysia's security. --AFP

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S'pore to get fuel cell top-up point
JP/11/ASEAN

S'pore to get fuel cell top-up point

SINGAPORE: This tiny Southeast Asian nation will be first in the
region where cars that run on environmentally friendly fuel cells
can top up with hydrogen, according to a news report on Thursday.

Petroleum company BP and Air Products, an American supplier of
industrial gases, plans to open the hydrogen refueling station by
the first quarter of next year, the Straits Times newspaper
reported.

Fuel cell-driven cars are powered by compressed hydrogen,
which emits no pollutants. DaimlerChrysler will bring seven fuel-
cell vehicles to Singapore next year for testing, it said.

Building the station will cost between US$500,000 and $1
million. It will have the capacity to refuel about 11 cars per
day, it said. --AP

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Aglance-Thailand-DeadMan
"SARS victim" faked his own death
JP/11/ASEAN

"SARS victim" faked his own death

THAILAND: Thai police foiled a plot by an accused heroin dealer
to avoid prison by using the scare over Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) to fake his own death, news reports said on
Thursday.

With his "cremation" over and his death certificate on file,
Kormard Prappam, 38, appeared to have gotten away with his plan
until he was found to be alive and well last Sunday at the
southern Thai resort of Krabi.

Crime Suppression Division police Lt. Col. Ronnasilp Phusara
was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying it was the second
time Kormard appeared to have "returned from the dead".

The suspect was first arrested last August and charged with
possession of heroin with intent to sell. But while he was on
bail his friend, Abdul Mahlek Kaenkrai, informed the Krabi
municipal court that Kormard had died of a heart attack.

The scheme unraveled when court officials demanded to see the
suspect's death certificate. --DPA