US embassy cable - 04RANGOON317

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