Alarm Bells Ring Over New Nuclear Evidence
By YENI
An hour-long documentary film on Burma's nuclear ambitions and tunnel-building program has reawakened alarm throughout the region about the Burmese regime's military relationship with North Korea.
Burma's Nuke Ambitions an Opportunity for Obama
By HTET AUNG
Burma will definitely become the first nuclear power in Southeast Asia if the world gives the country's ruling generals a free hand to pursue their secret ambitions.
Burma's Deputy Defense Minister Skips Security Summit
By SAW YAN NAING
Burmese Deputy Defense Minister Maj-Gen Aye Myint was absent from the 9th annual Shangri La Dialogue, an Asia-Pacific security summit held in Singapore on June 4-6.
Burma's Nuclear Ambitions 'Threaten Regional Security'
By WAI MOE
The Burmese junta’s ambition to become a nuclear power is a threat to regional security, according to a documentary by the Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), which alleges that Naypyidaw is developing nuclear weapons and a missiles system with help from North Korea.
Burma's Military Budget to Increase Significantly
By THE IRRAWADDY
At the four-monthly meeting of Burma's top generals held in Naypyidaw during the last week of May, the junta significantly increased its military budget from last year, according to sources close to the Burmese military.
Junta Constructing Tunnel in Magway
By YAN PAING
The Burmese military regime is constructing a tunnel in Rakhine Yoma, some 80 km west of Padan Township in Magway Division, local sources said.
Evidence Points to Burma's Nuclear Weapons 'Intent'
By SIMON ROUGHNEEN
BANGKOK—There are regional and international security implications arising out of fresh evidence that Burma is seeking nuclear weapons and is in breach of a UN arms embargo on North Korea.
Thein Oo Po Saw: Burma’s Spokesperson for Nuclear Power
By AUNG ZAW
Burma’s nuclear ambitions have been the subject of serious discussions at the country’s constitution-drafting National Convention, which has convened intermittently since 1993. These discussions have been led by Thein Oo Po Saw, a US-trained nuclear scientist.
Senator Webb Cancels Burma Visit
By BA KAUNG
US Senator Jim Webb has canceled his planned visit to Burma, saying it would be “unwise and counterproductive” for him to go there while new allegations were surfacing about possible nuclear cooperation between Naypyidaw and North Korea.
Asean's New Dilemma: Burma's Nuclear Ambition
By Kavi Chongkittavorn
The US action was swift following confirmation of a North Korean ship with suspicious arms cargoes docking in Burma last month in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1874. A few days later, in the third week of April, the US State Department dispatched an urgent message to the Asean capitals recommending the scheduled Asean-US Economic Ministers' roadshow in Seattle and Washington DC, from May 3-5, proceed without the Burmese representation at "all levels." The drastic move surprised Asean leaders.
North Korea Exporting Nuke Technology to Burma: UN Experts
By EDITH M. LEDERER/ AP Writer
UNITED NATIONS — North Korea is exporting nuclear and ballistic missile technology and using multiple intermediaries, shell companies and overseas criminal networks to circumvent U.N. sanctions, U.N. experts said in a report obtained by The Associated Press.
Burma-North Korea Ties Worry the World
By ANDREW SELTH
For the past 10 years, Burma has been accused of trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. A number of developments during this period—notably Burma’s growing relationship with North Korea—have raised international concerns. Yet, to date, no hard evidence of such a plan has been produced.
Burma-North Korea Ties Resurface as Hot Issue
By WAI MOE
Military ties between Burma and North Korea, and the related issue of Burma's suspected nuclear development program, have come front and center once again as a regional topic of debate following the visit to Burma on Monday by United States envoy Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
Campbell Warns Burma over NKorea Arms
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RANGOON — A top US official visiting Burma warned Monday that its military regime should abide by UN sanctions that prohibit buying arms from North Korea, and also said the junta's election plans lack legitimacy.
Arms Imported Over New Year?
By WAI MOE
Secrecy normally shrouds military relations between Burma and its strategic allies such as China and North Korea, but intelligence sources suggest ongoing military ties with these two countries are helping the Burmese generals’ to achieve their military ambitions, including that of becoming a nuclear power.
Burma, North Korea Defend their Human Rights Records
By WAI MOE
Burma and North Korea joined in defending each other's human rights records before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Monday.
Burmese Reactors Close to Completion: Military Sources
By MIN LWIN
Burma's ruling junta has finished construction work on three nuclear reactors in the country's north and will soon be ready to put them into operation, according to military sources at the elite Defense Services Academy (DSA) in Maymyo, Mandalay Division.
Burma-North Korea Ties Pose a New Headache for US
By AUNG ZAW
The US has been a leading critic of the Burmese regime's appalling human rights violations and repression of the country's opposition and ethnic minorities. Now, however, a shift in Washington's Burma policy can be discerned as the Obama administration seeks to engage with the regime.
Burmese Officials Celebrate Kim Jong Il's Birthday
By LAWI WENG
High-ranking Burmese military officials joined a ceremony to mark the 68th birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, according to Burma's state-run media.
Burma has Nuclear Ambitions, Says US Think Tank
By LALIT K JHA / WASHINGTON
The Burmese regime has nuclear ambitions, according to a leading US “think tank,” which supports its claim with photographs of what it says is construction work on a possible nuclear reactor site near Mandalay.
Is War Office Reshuffle Related to Info Leak?
By THE IRRAWADDY
Burma's military junta reassigned six officials from the War Office in Naypyidaw to the front lines last week, in a move that may be related to last year's leak of information about secret military ties between Burma and North Korea.
New Enemies of the State in Burma
By WAI MOE
In recent days, the Burmese military junta has imposed harsh sentences, including the death penalty, on five citizens accused of leaking information, demonstrating once again that it doesn't tolerate the free flow of information.
Two Receive Death Sentence for Information Leak
By THE IRRAWADDY
A former military officer and a foreign affairs official were sentenced to death and another foreign affairs official was sentenced to long-term imprisonment on Thursday in a special court of the Rangoon Northern District held in Insein Prison, according to Insein prison sources.
Junta Media Highlights North Korean Anniversary
By WAI MOE
Burma’s state-controlled media reported on North Korea’s 61st anniversary celebration on the front page of The New Light of Myanmar on Thursday, reflecting the junta’s close relationship with Pyongyang.
Expert Doubts Napyidaw’s Nuclear Program
By WAI MOE
A well-known expert on Burma’s military affairs is skeptical about recent reports on nuclear cooperation between the Burmese regime and North Korea.
Regime Goal: The Strongest Army in Southeast Asia
By MIN LWIN
The Burmese military regime is well on its way to modernizing its military services, including a self-manufacturing infrastructure for the army, navy and air force.
US Focus on Pyongyang Risks Overlooking Burma
By SIMON ROUGHNEEN
While there is no hard evidence to demonstrate that the Burmese regime in Naypyidaw has been seeking to acquire or develop nuclear weapons, the circumstantial evidence is worrying when North Korea's track record is taken into account.
US Voices Concern over Burma, N Korea Nuclear Nexus
By LALIT K JHA
WASHINGTON — The United States expressed concern on Monday over news reports that North Korea may be helping the Burmese military regime to achieve its nuclear ambitions.
Nuclear Fallout
By SIMON ROUGHNEEN
Although Burma signed an energy agreement with its Southeast Asian neighbors last week—and despite a stern warning from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—there are clear danger signs that the Burmese military government has embarked on a policy of close nuclear and military cooperation with North Korea.
Burma Must Make Clear its Nuclear Ambitions
By AUNG ZAW
Reports of Burma’s shady nuclear ambitions have resurfaced to take their place alongside warnings by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of secret military ties and possible technology transfers between Burma and North Korea.
Burma’s Missile Dream
By AUNG ZAW
Naypyidaw appears to be intent on setting up a missile defense sytem to deter po tential enemies
Is Snr-Gen Than Shwe delusional? Subordinates of Burma’s paramount leader are said to have repeatedly heard him say how much he admires North Korea’s use of missile technology to bully and defy its neighbors and the West. The bad news is that Than Shwe’s hard-line military leaders and ministers may agree with him.
A Friend in Need
By WAI MOE
Signs of strengthening diplomatic and military ties between Burma and North Korea are creating unease in many world capitals—not least, in Washington, where the Obama administration says it’s watching developments with “growing concern.”
Is Burma Going Nuclear?
By DENIS D GRAY / AP WRITER
BANGKOK — The recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship, photographs of massive tunnels and a top secret meeting have raised alarm bells that one of the world's poorest nations may be aspiring to join the nuclear club—with help from its friends in Pyongyang. No one expects military-run Burma, also known as Myanmar, to obtain an atomic bomb anytime soon, but experts have the Southeast Asian nation on their radar screen.
Burmese FM to Face Suu Kyi and North Korea Questions at ARF
By WAI MOE
PHUKET — Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win arrives in Thailand on Saturday to face questions from the international community over the charges against pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s relations with North Korea.
Tunnel Troops’ Families Look to Occult for Help
By THE IRRAWADDY
Astrologers and soothsayers in Burma are reportedly being consulted by an increasing number of people who haven’t heard for months from family members of the Burmese army’s Electrical and Mechanical Engineering section working on the regime’s tunnel construction projects.
Army Officers Held Over Publication of Sensitive Material
By SAW YAN NAINGK
Ten high-ranking Burmese army officers have reportedly been arrested on suspicion of divulging to Western and exiled media news of a secret visit to North Korea by the junta’s No 3, Gen Shwe Mann, and photographs and video footage of tunnel construction in and around Naypyidaw.
Did Foreign Pressure Make Ship Turn Back?
By LALIT K JHA
WASHINGTON — Pressure from Burma’s key neighbors including India, China and members countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) could have persuaded the military junta not to be associated with North Korean nuclear activities at this point of time. The controversial North Korean ship heading for Burma may have been turned around as a result.
N Korea Using Malaysian Bank for Burmese Weapons Deals: Yonhap
By ARKAR MOE
North Korea sought payment through a bank in Malaysia for a suspected shipment of weapons to Burma being carried on a freighter tracked by the US Navy, according to a source quoted by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Suspected North Korean Ship Returns Home
By ARKAR MOE
A South Korean official reported on Tuesday that the North Korean vessel, Kang Nam I, which the U.S. Navy had been tracking because it was suspected of carrying illicit cargo, had probably arrived back home, according to a report by the Associated Press on Tuesday.
US Ban Related to N Korea-Burma Arms Deal
By ARKAR MOE
The United States took steps on Tuesday to curtail what it sees as North Korea's ability to trade in missiles and nuclear materials, with the Treasury and State Department announcing actions against two North Korean companies, one of which is allegedly connected to the Burmese arms industry.
Japanese Police Block Suspected Missile Technology Exports for Burma
By ARKAR MOE
Japanese police arrested three top businessmen on Monday on suspicion of attempting to export to Burma a measuring instrument that could be used to develop long-range ballistic missile systems, Japanese newspapers reported.
Burmese Internet Users Share Video, Documents about North Korea
By MIN LWIN
Amid revelations about recent secret meetings between Burmese and North Korean leaders and growing concerns that the two countries may be cooperating in illegal weapons programs, a video showing the 1983 bombing of the Martyr’s Mausoleum in Rangoon has attracted strong interest among Burmese Internet users.
NKorea Ship 'Turned Around'
By KWANG-TAE KIM / AP WRITER
SEOUL — A North Korean ship under scrutiny for more than a week by the US Navy has changed course and was heading back the way it came, US officials said as Pyongyang warned Wednesday it will take military action if anyone attempts to search its vessels.
North Korea Can Allay Fear at Regional Forum
By MIN LWIN
North Korea should explain its relations with Burma at ARF meet in Phuket, Thailand.
Closer Burma-N Korea Ties a Serious Cause for Concern (Commentary)
By YENI
Recent evidence of the closer relationship between Burma and North Korea exposes the complete failure of the Burmese regime’s diplomacy and foreign policy in the face of increasing pressure by international and regional governments.
A Visit to North Korea’s Arms Factories (Slide Show)
By THE IRRAWADDY
The Burmese junta’s No 3, Gen Thura Shwe Mann, made a secret, seven day visit to North Korea last November, apparently with a shopping list for arms and sophisticated weapons systems.
US Will Not Use Force to Inspect NKorean Ship
By KWANG-TAE KIM / AP WRITER
The United States will not use force to inspect a North Korean ship suspected of carrying banned goods, an American official was quoted as saying.
Tunnel Construction Pictures Spark Questions
By MIN LWIN
Questions have been raised about what’s shown in some photographs posted on news Web sites recently regarding whether they show tunnel construction for military use or for hydropower projects.
NKorea Warns of 'Fire Shower of Nuclear' Attack
By JAE-SOON CHANG / AP WRITER
North Korea condemned a recent US pledge to provide nuclear defense of South Korea, saying that the move boosts its justification to have atomic bombs and invites a potential "fire shower of nuclear retaliation."
Likely Destination of N Korean Ship Often Used for Weapons Deliveries
By MIN LWIN
The Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa (MITT), believed to be the destination of the Kang Nam 1, a North Korean cargo ship being tracked by the US Navy, has often been used for deliveries of weapons.
N. Korean Engineers Assist Burmese Tunneling Projects (Slide Show)
By THE IRRAWADDY
North Korean engineers are helping Burma build tunnel complexes, not only in and around the capital, Naypyidaw, but at other strategic locations. The Irrawaddy has come into the possession of a series of photographs illustrating the extent of the North Korean involvement.
Burma Denies Knowledge of North Korean Vessel’s Destination
By THE IRRAWADDY
Burma's state-owned media announced that it had “no information” on the North Korean- flagged cargo ship Kang Nam 1 being tracked by a US warship while reportedly enroute to a port near Rangoon.
Burma Bans North Korea Ship News
By AUNG THET WINE
Burma’s military-controlled censorship board has banned all journals and magazines from publishing news about a North Korean ship which will soon dock near Rangoon and is believed to be carrying arms for Burma.
Suspicious N. Korean Ship to Dock in Burma Soon
By MIN LWIN
A 2,000-ton North Korean cargo ship will dock at Thilawa port, 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Rangoon, in the next few days, an official at Thilawa port authority told The Irrawaddy on Monday.
NKorean Cargo Ship Could Test New UN Sanctions
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
An American destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship suspected of transporting weapons toward Burma, as anticipation mounted that the North could soon conduct short-or medium-range missiles tests.
Asia’s ‘Axis of Evil’ Flexes Its Muscles
By AUNG ZAW
Burma’s burning ambition to acquire modern missile technology and to upgrade its conventional weapons is no longer a secret, and if left unchecked, could pose a destabilizing threat to regional stability.
Kang Nam Could Hold a Message, not just Arms (Commentary)
By YENI
The mystery voyage of a North Korean ship believed to be carrying arms for Burma could hide an attempt by the Burmese regime to discover just how far the US and its allies would go to carry out the “stop and search” provisions of a new United Nations resolution.
'North Korean Ship Carries Weapons'
By HYUNG-JIN KIM / AP WRITER
A North Korean-flagged ship under close watch in Asian waters is believed to be heading toward Burma carrying small arms cargo banned under a new UN resolution, a South Korean intelligence official said.
Suspicious N. Korean Ship to Dock in Burma Soon
By MIN LWIN
ship that could be carrying missiles or nuclear weaponry will enter a Burmese port near Rangoon in a few days.
Mystery Surrounds North Korean Tunnel-building in Burma (Interview)
North Korea has been helping Burma build an extensive network of tunnels in its new capital, Naypyidaw, and in Shan State, as an underground shelter for the government and “for other unknown purposes,” according to the Burma expert and author Bertil Lintner.
Where Pariah States Meet (News Analysis)
By WAI MOE
It is arguable whether democratic countries are currently working together in a spirit of cooperation to protect global human rights; however it is quite clear that two of the world’s pariah states are united in protecting each other’s interests.
Burma, North Korea Sign Visa Agreement
By WAI MOE
Burma and North Korea have signed documents to eliminate visas for diplomats and government officials, a Burmese state-run newspaper reported in Nov 2008.
Renewed Burma-N Korea Relations Draws US Attention
By LALIT K JHA
US State Department said that the restoration of diplomatic ties between Burma and North Korea would not change the image of these two countries in the eyes of the US.
Burma Re-establishes Diplomatic Ties with North Korea
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Burma and North Korea, two of Asia's most repressive regimes, signed an agreement Thursday to resume diplomatic ties during a visit to Burma by the North Korean vice foreign minister, an official said.
Burma to Establish Official Ties to North Korea
By AUNG ZAW
News agencies have reported that a senior North Korean official is scheduled to arrive in Burma’s capital this week to normalize ties between the two countries. April 23 2007.
Status of North Korean Terror Prisoner May Change
By HTET AUNG
The status of Rangoon’s longest-held foreign prisoner could change if the general in Napyidaw resume diplomatic ties with North Korea, as is widely anticipated.
Burma, North Korea Top Issues at Asean Security Meeting
By SCOTT NEUMAN/AP WRITER
Asean opened a key security meeting, burdened by the lack of progress toward democracy in Burma, fading prospects for hosting talks on North Korea and concern over fighting in the Middle East.
Burma Allows North Korean Cargo Ship in Distress to Enter Port
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Burma permitted a North Korean cargo ship in distress to anchor at a port over the weekend, but found no cargo violating UN sanctions during an inspection of the vessel, the Foreign Ministry said.
N Korea Slams US, Japan, S Korea as Greatest Threats
By JIM GOMEZ/AP WRITER
Reclusive North Korea accused the US, Japan and South Korea of being Asia's biggest security threats and pledged to give up its nuclear weapons if they dismantle missiles aimed at it, in a document submitted to a regional security forum.
N Korean Ship Docks in Burma
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A cargo ship from North Korea docked in Burma o¬n Sunday in what was believed to be the first port call by a ship from the Communist nation since the two countries agreed last month to resume diplomatic relations.
19 North Koreans Arrested at Thai-Burmese Border
By SAW YAN NAI
Burmese authorities at the frontier town of Tachilek have arrested a group of 19 North Koreans trying to reach neighboring Thailand.
Burma, North Korea Sign Visa Agreement
By WAI MOE
Burma and North Korea have signed documents to eliminate visas for diplomats and government officials, a Burmese state-run newspaper reported.
Burma, N. Korea Follow Different Foreign Policy Paths
By Saw Yan Naing
Burmese Foreign Minister met his North Korean counterpart in Pyongyang on Monday—a diplomatic event that disguised the different foreign policy directions taken recently by the two countries.
Burma's FM Makes First Visit to North Korea in 25 years
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Burma's foreign minister visited North Korea, an official said, more than a year after two of the world's most repressive governments resumed diplomatic ties.
