The captain of a Belize-flagged ship refused requests for inspection, eventually turning it around to go back to North Korea. Myanmar official rejects allegations of arms and military technology trade with Pyongyang. Washington calls on Southeast Asian nations to work harder against weapons trade.

Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The US Navy intercepted a North Korean ship carrying missile technology to Myanmar. After a standoff at sea and several days of diplomatic pressure from Washington and Asian nations, the vessel was forced to return home.

Washington made no public announcement about the operation, which occurred two weeks ago. The incident became known only yesterday. The report confirms the growing trade in missiles and missile parts between North Korea and Myanmar.

The cargo ship, the M/V Light, was North Korean, but was flagged in Belize, a small Central American nation. It was intercepted on 26 May off the coast of China, near Shanghai.

Suspecting that it was carrying missile components, the US sent a navy vessel, the destroyer McCampbell, to track it. After a few days, it moved in after the US consulted Asian nations.

Belize authorities gave permission to the US to inspect the ship. However, the captain refused to let his ship to be boarded.

Unnamed US officials were quoted as saying that permission to conduct an inspection was denied four times. A few days later, the ship stopped and returned to North Korea under the watchful eye of US surveillance planes and satellites.

A similar incident occurred last year, but in that case, the ship suspected to be transporting military equipment to Myanmar evaded controls.

Following North Korea’s nuclear tests in 2009, the United Nations imposed sanctions on the North Korean regime.

Despite US patrols, reports have continued about sea and airborne exchanges between North Korea and Iran and Myanmar, often in military equipment, weapons and technology.

In recent months, allegations have been made concerning Myanmar’s military rulers trying to get a nuclear bomb, which they quickly denied for lack of money.

The interception of the North Korean ship coincided with a meeting of senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including a representative from Myanmar, in Washington.

A US official who addressed the officials urged Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to join the non-proliferation effort.

The Burmese official present at the meeting protested the US allegations, strongly denying that his country was stockpiling missiles or buying parts from North Korea.

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