Wednesday, October 3, 2007

The Butcher of Depayin dies

Mizzima reports: Burma's ailing Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win has died at the military hospital in Mingalardon, Rangoon on Tuesday, sources said. Soe Win, who returned to Burma on Monday from a secret medical treatment in Singapore, died at about 5:00 p.m (local time), sources added. The Burmese Prime Minister is known to have been suffering from Leukemia and had secretly received medical treatment in Singapore. Soe Win, who is a Senior General Than Shwe loyalist, is also known as "the Butcher of Depayin" for orchestrating the Depayin massacre in 2003 by ordering mobs to attack on pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade. Sources said Soe Win will be replaced by Lt-Gen Thein Sein and Tin Aung Myint Oo will be promoted to Thein Sein's position as Secretary-I.