Burma: News Blackout on North Korean Ship
Burma: News Blackout on North Korean Ship
25 June 2009
The Burmese junta's censorship board has banned all internal media from publishing news about the Kang Nam 1 - a North Korean ship scheduled to dock near Rangoon in the next few days. The Kang Nam 1 is believed to be carrying arms and potentially nuclear technology for the Burmese military government, who have a stated goal of becoming a nuclear power by 2025.
A UN Security Council resolution, passed earlier this month in response to the underground atomic test by North Korea on 25 May, prohibits Pyongyang from importing or exporting any weapons. It calls on UN member states to intercept any ships believed to hold illicit material.
A US defence official said on Monday that the Kang Nam 1 was being tracked by a US Navy destroyer and could be headed for Burma. The Aegis destroyer USS John S. McCain is continuing to shadow the cargo ship.
ENDS