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