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| Southeast Asia |
| Five killed near Suu Kyi's house |
| 2008-03-05 |
| Five people were killed in execution-style shootings in the wealthy Yangon neighbourhood where Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest, police said Tuesday. A couple, their two daughters and a maid were shot inside their home on Monday afternoon, police told AFP. “About 1,000 lakhs (93,000 dollars) was taken from their home,” a police official said on condition of anonymity. Family friends said all five had been shot in the head. The shooting happened near the State Guesthouse, a military facility that has been the venue for recent talks between Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and a liaison officer for the military government. The guesthouse is also where the democracy leader has been allowed to meet with UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari on his previous visits to Myanmar. He is set to return on Thursday. Aung San Suu Kyi lives just a few blocks away from the house where the shooting took place, making the killing all the more unusual because the area is under constant guard. Although Myanmar has been at civil war for about six decades, shootings in Yangon are extremely rare. Ordinary citizens are not allowed to own weapons, and firearms are strictly controlled by the regime. Police declined to comment on a possible motive for Monday’s attack. “The incident is still under investigation,” the official said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Wikipedia sez: Since 2001, the official exchange rate: 1 USD = Kyat 6.69010. However, the street rate (black market rate): 1 USD = K 1285. Rates are as of 18 November 2007. 1,000 lakhs = 100,000,000 / 1285 = $77,800 Another country with a Zimbabwe like exchange rate. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-03-05 19:34 |
| #1 “About 1,000 lakhs (93,000 dollars) " Hmm that doesn't look right. |
| Posted by: flash91 2008-03-05 19:20 |