Thursday, April 3, 2008

BURMA' REGIME GETS MORE WEAPONS FROM N K TO CONTINUE KILLING




North Korea has been selling multiple rocket launchers to military-ruled Burma since the two countries restored ties last year in violation of UN sanctions, Japan's NHK public broadcaster reported.
Quoting unspecified diplomatic sources, NHK said in a report late on Wednesday that the launchers were the same type as those deployed near the demilitarized zone separating the Korean peninsula.
The report could not be independently confirmed.
A Security Council resolution passed after North Korea's 2006 nuclear test blocks trade with the secretive communist country in dangerous weapons, heavy conventional weapons and luxury goods.
Many Western countries, including members of the European Union, the United States and Australia, maintain economic and military sanctions on military-ruled Burma, which was widely condemned in 2007 for a crackdown on monk-led protests.
Diplomatic relations between North Korea and Burma were cut off following the 1983 Rangoon bombing in which Pyongyang agents killed 17 South Korean officials, but were restored in April, 2007.
North Korea is locked in a dispute with the international community over its nuclear ambitions. It has agreed to give up its nuclear programs in exchange for economic and diplomatic benefits, but has yet to produce a full declaration of those programs.
NHK report also said 'full-scale' exports of the weapons had been handled by an unnamed Singapore trading company. The report gave no further details.
In response to media queries on the report, Singapore's foreign affairs ministry said: "We take such allegations very seriously and will certainly investigate. We are committed to fulfilling our international obligations to prevent the proliferation and illicit trafficking of arms and weapons of mass destruction."
-->update news
Singapore says it will investigate alleged North Korea rocket exports to Myanmar
The Singapore government said Thursday it will look into allegations that a Singapore company was involved in the exports of rocket launchers by North Korea to Myanmar, following a media report.
Japan's national broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday that North Korea started full-scale exports of rocket launchers to Myanmar through a trading company based in Singapore.
The report, however, did not identify the Singapore-based company, or give any other details.
Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it took such allegations seriously and would investigate.
"We are committed to fulfilling our international obligations to prevent the proliferation and illicit trafficking of arms and weapons of mass destruction," the ministry said in a statement.
NHK said the exports were of a 65 kilometer (40.4 mile)-range multiple-launch rocket system capable of rapid-firing shells measuring 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) in diameter and 1 meter (3.3 feet) long.
The report, which quoted "several" unnamed diplomatic sources, did not say how many such systems were exported.
North Korea normalized diplomatic ties with Myanmar last April for the first time in 24 years. North Korea has already deployed similar rockets at the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, according to NHK's report.

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