BURMA: CUTTING OFF CONVENTIONAL ARMS TRADE WITH

S E C R E T RANGOON 001080

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP BM EU
SUBJECT: BURMA: CUTTING OFF CONVENTIONAL ARMS TRADE WITH
NORTH KOREA

REF: STATE 173768

Classified By: P/E Chief W. Patrick Murphy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) On September 21, visiting EAP/MLS Director and Rangoon
P/E Chief delivered reftel talking points during a previously
scheduled meeting with the MFA's Acting Deputy General for
Political Affairs, U Phae Thann Oo, and Director of the
Americas Division, U Min Lwin.


2. (S) In delivering the talking points, EAP/BCLTV Director
emphasized that North Korea must be stopped from selling
conventional arms in order to hamper its funding of ballistic
missiles and WMD programs, and urged the GOB to renounce all
military trade with the DPRK. U Phae Thann Oo replied by
saying that Burma is the only country in the region that has
no diplomatic relations with North Korea, recounting that the
GOB severed ties in 1983 following the bombing by DPRK agents
of the visiting South Korean cabinet. He said that at
various international forums, North Korea has approached the
GOB with an appeal to re-establish relations, "but we do not
intend to re-establish ties."


3. (C) U Phae Thann Oo said that Burma would work with other
countries in the region to oppose North Korea's efforts to
finance WMD programs through conventional arms sales. He
added that the GOB welcomes progress achieved by the
six-party talks on North Korea.


4. (S) Comment: The MFA officials did not address long-held
speculation that, despite the lack of formal ties, Burma
maintains a commercial military relationship with North
Korea. Although U Phae Thann Oo indicated that Burma agrees
with the United States on this issue, we have no expectation
that the GOB will take any meaningful action, to include
publicly renouncing military trade with North Korea. End
Comment.
Villarosa