DPRK: POSSIBLE BURMA-SINGAPORE CONVERSATION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000625 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC SUBJECT: DPRK: POSSIBLE BURMA-SINGAPORE CONVERSATION ON KANG NAM Classified By: Amb. Rosemary DiCarlo for Reasons 1.4 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Burmese mission may have recently asked the Singaporean mission whether Singapore intends to inspect the Kang Nam, a DPRK vessel suspected of carrying contraband cargo. The Burmese reportedly said they would prefer that a state other than Burma inspect the cargo. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) USUN has learned that the Burmese mission may have approached the Singaporean mission to ask questions about the Kang Nam, a DPRK vessel suspected of carrying cargo banned under newly-adopted resolution 1874. French mission counter-proliferation expert Xavier Chatel, citing a lower-level Singaporean diplomat as his source, relayed this information to USUN on June 24. ¶3. (C) According to Chatel's source, the Burmese mission asked the Singaporeans whether they intended to inspect the Kang Nam, as was envisioned under resolution 1874 when there are reasonable grounds to believe a vessel is carrying banned cargo. The Burmese reportedly said that they thought there was no contraband on board the ship, but that if Burma reported this then nobody would believe it. The Burmese reportedly added that that it would be preferable for a state other than Burma conduct the inspection. The Singaporeans said in response that they had no information indicating that the Kang Nam was scheduled to stop in Singapore. ¶4. (C) USUN has not been able to verify independently this information. RICE