Yangon makes minor Cabinet reshuffle
Yangon makes minor Cabinet reshuffle
MYANMAR: Myanmar's military junta announced on Sunday the filling of a position left vacant in its top hierarchy for nearly two years, as well as a minor Cabinet reshuffle.
The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) said that council member Lt. Gen. Soe Win was appointed to the position of Secretary Two, the fourth most senior position in Myanmar.
The post had been left vacant since previous holder Lt. Gen. Tin U died in a helicopter crash on Feb. 19, 2001.
The position of Secretary Three remains vacant. Lt. Gen. Win Myint was fired from that post for unknown reasons in November 2001.
Soe Win will be expected to provide assistance to the SPDC top troika, Chairman Senior Gen. Than Shwe, Vice-Chairman Gen. Maung Aye and Secretary One Gen. Khin Nyunt. --AFP
;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-RP-Communist Rebels Eight killed in latest clashes between communist rebels, soldiers JP/11/ASEAN
Communist, soldiers clash in RP
PHILIPPINES: Battles broke out between communist guerrillas and army troops in two provinces, killing eight people in the latest violence in the Philippines' resurgent Marxist rebellion, the military said on Sunday.
Five New People's Army rebels and two soldiers were killed in a two-hour clash involving about 70 rebels on Saturday near Baganga town in the southern province of Davao Oriental, said army Col. Pedro Curva.
Villagers tipped off the military to the presence of the rebels, who were allegedly seeking recruits and demanding money, Curva said. Surviving rebels, overwhelmed by troops backed by an assault helicopter, retreated.
In the central province of Leyte, an army platoon killed a ranking communist commander during a brief battle on Wednesday, the army said in a report on Sunday. --AP
;DPA;KOD; ANPAu..r.. AGlance-Malaysia-accident Four feared drowned after Malaysian fishing boat sinks JP/11/ASEAN
Four feared drowned after boat sinks
MALAYSIA: Four of five fisherman aboard a boat that sank over the weekend after being swamped by a high wave in rough seas off the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula are missing and feared drowned, reports said on Sunday.
One fisherman was rescued by another boat following the accident, which occurred early on Saturday, the Bernama news agency said.
All five fishermen managed to get hold of a rope but three subsequent high waves washed four of them away, the reports said. The incident followed the drowning of three Thai fishermen whose boat struck coral and sank off the eastern coast of the Malaysian peninsula on Thursday. --DPA