27 February 2003 :

Three Vietnamese men were condemned to death in Vietnam's central province of Nghe An after being convicted of trafficking drugs from Laos, officials said.
The sentences were handed down by the People's Court in the provincial capital Vinh, a court clerk said.
Another gang member was jailed for life, while two others, including one woman, were sentenced to between 18 to 20 years behind bars.
The accused were arrested in June 2002 and found guilty of trafficking nearly 94 kilograms of opium and more than 37 grams of heroin from Laos.
The latest trial brings the total number of people sentenced to death [for drug-related crimes] in 2003 to 10, according to state media.
They can appeal their death sentences, but Vietnam's heavily politicised courts, the target of much criticism from international human rights groups, rarely overturn initial sentences.
Despite the harsh penalties, Vietnam remains a key transit point for drugs produced in the notorious Golden Triangle area of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand before being shipped to North American and Europe.