THAILAND EXECUTES WOMAN OVER DRUGS

A heroin trafficker has become the first woman in more than 20 years to be
executed in Thailand, where a record number of death sentences has been
carried out this year.

Samai Pan-intara, 59, was executed by firing squad on Tuesday with two
other inmates at Bangkok's Bang Khwang maximum security prison, said its
director, Sura Panthusakorn.

She had been convicted of trafficking 8.8lb of heroin six years ago. She
had 12 previous convictions for drug offences.

The two others executed were Prayuth Pholpanthu, 38, who killed a hospital
director, and Htaho Pauy, a Burmese national who murdered four members of
his employer's family with an axe in 1996.

This brought the number of people executed this year to 16.

Officials said that another 40 inmates were awaiting execution. They have
petitioned King Bhumibol Adulyadej who could reduce their sentences.
Ninety-five others have been sentenced to death, but their cases are under
appeal.