BURMA DENIES NUCLEAR OR MISSILE LINKS WITH NORTH

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000317

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2014
TAGS: PREL KNNP SNAR BM KN ARF
SUBJECT: BURMA DENIES NUCLEAR OR MISSILE LINKS WITH NORTH
KOREA

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. RONALD K. MCMULLEN.
REASON 1.4 (B & H).


1. (S) SUMMARY: Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win told
the CDA, a.i. March 9 that Burma "has no links whatever with
North Korea regarding nuclear technology or missile
technology," and has no intentions of buying missiles or
missile technology from North Korea. He allowed that Burma
had purchased some (unspecified) equipment from North Korea
previously and that North Korea had offered to sell Burma
missiles. "We have no intention of buying any missiles or
missile technology from North Korea," he averred. Burma's
plans for a nuclear reactor are still on the drawing board,
he continued, and "would be for purely research purposes."
He said Burma was "not very keen" on reestablishing
diplomatic relations with North Korea, and wanted us to know
that North Korea would "most likely" attend the ARF
inter-sessional group meeting in Rangoon in April. End
Summary.


2. (C) Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win called
in the Charge' d'Affaires, a.i. March 9 to "set the record
straight regarding media and Congressional allegations" on
Burma's relations with North Korea, particularly in two
fields: a) nuclear and missile technology, b) narcotics
trafficking. MFA's Director General for Political Affairs
and the Director of the Americas Division also attended the
meeting.


3. (S) The Deputy Foreign Minister got straight to the point,
claiming that Burma has "no links whatever" to North Korea in
the area of missiles, missile technology, or nuclear
technology. "At one point we bought some equipment from
North Korea, but actually this has stopped." KMW also
revealed that "North Korea offered missiles." He went on to
avow that Burma has no intention of buying missiles or
missile technology from North Korea. He said Burma's stated
interest in acquiring a nuclear reactor is public knowledge,
but the process "is still on the drawing board, and in any
case would be for research purposes only."


4. (S) Regarding rumored speculation that a North Korean
shipment of heroin seized off Australia was evidence of
Burmese and North Korean collusion, KMW denied any link
between the GOB and North Korean drug running. CDA, a.i.
noted that Burmese narcotics police had recently provided a
variety of local heroin samples to U.S. law enforcement
authorities and that "fingerprinting" processes might help
identify the origins of a particular heroin shipment and
perhaps help dispel any false accusations.


5. (C) Khin Maung Win said that while North Korea has "made
some approaches, we are not very keen to establish diplomatic
relations with North Korea." The Deputy Foreign Minister
said that Burma had invited North Korea to the ARF
inter-sessional group meeting to be held in Rangoon next
month purely in the context of ARF membership. North Korea
has not yet officially replied, he stated, but a North Korean
delegation is "most likely coming." He mentioned this, he
explained, so as not to "surprise" the United States on this
issue.


6. (C) The CDA, a.i. raised UN Special Envoy Razali's recent
visit and pressed for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the
other political prisoners. The Deputy Foreign Minister said
Razali felt his visit had gone well, but KMW added nothing
about a release of ASSK or anyone else. The CDA, a.i. noted
that March 12 is NLD Vice Chairman U Tin Oo's 77th birthday,
adding that after such a long spell in prison and now under
house arrest, he should be given special consideration. No
response from the DFM, but he did smile when the CDA, a.i.
threatened to deliver a birthday cake to U Tin Oo's home.


7. (SBU) After exchanging updates on the progress of the
joint Opium Yield Survey currently under way in Shan State
and the WWII Remains Recovery operation being conducted in
Kachin State, the CDA, a.i. gave the DFM a copy of the
February 22 Parade Magazine which featured Senior General
Than Shwe as #2 in a list of the world's top ten worst
dictators. He explained that the magazine was private and
that the article was not a statement of USG policy.
"Sometimes critical information from Washington, like that in
our Human Rights Report, is official, but in this case it was
not," the CDA, a.i. said. The DFM thanked the CDA, a.i and
asked him to convey to the Department the GOB's message on
North Korea.


8. (C) COMMENT: The Deputy Foreign Minister's denial of any
link between North Korea and Burma in the nuclear, missile,
or narcotics fields was about as categorical as possible.
Whether it is true or not is another matter. Post is
somewhat puzzled by the timing of this meeting, but was glad
of the opportunity to discuss with the GOB serious policy
matters. End Comment.
McMullen