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Intelligence Officials Suspect North Korean WMD Exports to Myanmar
North Korea might be exporting nuclear and missile technology to Myanmar as the two countries develop closer military ties, the Wall Street Journal reported today (see GSN, Nov. 15, 2002). “Regimes like North Korea’s … obviously look upon the sale of (weapons of mass destruction) as just a neat way to gain hard currency,” a U.S. administration official said. “And almost automatically they have a fairly limited market — terrorist groups, rogue states and pariah states.” Myanmar has already begun negotiating the purchase of surface-to-surface missiles from North Korea, U.S. and Asian officials said. About 20 North Korean technicians are currently working at the Monkey Point naval base near Yangon, possibly to install the missiles on Myanmar’s naval ships, the Journal reported. Intelligence agents have also seen North Korean workers unloading large crates and construction equipment near the central Myanmar town of Natmauk, where the country wants to build a nuclear research reactor. North Korean planes have been seen flying into central Myanmar as well, diplomats said. Russia agreed last year to build a research reactor but abandoned the project after Yangon could not come up with the money for it (see GSN, May 16, 2002). “We are watching the situation at Natmauk very, very closely,” said a Bangkok-based Western diplomat. The U.S. State Department and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have both expressed concerns about ties between the two countries. “The linkup of these two pariah states can only spell trouble,” said Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.). “North Korea’s main export is dangerous weapons technology. These developments are the seeds of a major threat to Asian security and stability,” he added. Myanmar denied any interest in weapons of mass destruction. “Logically, why would (Myanmar) want to develop weapons of mass destruction when the country needs all her strength and resources” to pursue a “transition to multiparty democracy and an open-market economy,” said Hla Min, a spokesman for Myanmar’s State Peace and Development Council. He did not answer questions on the missile sales (Lintner/Crispin, Wall Street Journal, Nov. 18). “Myanmar is a country which is everybody’s friend and nobody’s ally or enemy. The country is living peacefully with her neighbors and does not have any ambition to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” Myanmar’s ruling military junta said in a statement (Agency France-Presse/Brunei Bulletin, Nov. 18).
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