Burma, North Korea restore ties

xrough · 04-26-2007, 03:23 AM

Burma, North Korea restore ties

Burma and North Korea, two of the world's most isolated nations, have agreed to restore diplomatic relations after a break of more than 20 years.
The nations' deputy foreign ministers signed the deal in Rangoon.

Burma broke ties in 1983, accusing Pyongyang of a bomb attack when South Korea's president visited Rangoon.

Many Western nations accuse Burma's military junta of widespread rights abuses while North Korea has faced sanctions over its nuclear programme.

Visiting North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong-Il, and his Burmese counterpart, Kyaw Thu, signed the agreement on Thursday.

Neither side has made any further comment.

Analysts believe the two countries have been brought closer together by a common desire to bypass international sanctions.

Bomb attack

Burma has been under military rule in various forms for more than four decades.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi won elections with her National League for Democracy in 1990 but was never allowed to govern and has been under house arrest for more than a decade.

Pyongyang has been deemed part of an "axis of evil" by the US and shocked the world with a nuclear weapons test last October.

Burma-North Korea relations were broken after a visit to Rangoon by then South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan.

A bomb attack near the famous Shwedagon pagoda killed 17 South Korean and four Burmese officials but Mr Chun survived. Burma blamed North Korean commandos.

Stoner · 05-14-2007, 22:08 PM

birds of the same feather...are tyrant birds

awangmamat · 05-15-2007, 03:50 AM

Makes sense for the 2 countries I suppose.

A Myanmar with a BM force? Maybe a nuclear weapons program?

xrough · 05-18-2007, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awangmamat

Makes sense for the 2 countries I suppose.

A Myanmar with a BM force? Maybe a nuclear weapons program?

Myanmar can afford to have a nuclear weapons program?

awangmamat · 05-19-2007, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrough

Myanmar can afford to have a nuclear weapons program?

Well, the same question can be asked of NK. And they have one.

**Officer of Engineers** · 05-19-2007, 13:06 PM

North Korea built nuclear plants. Myanmar didn't.

Archer · 05-20-2007, 13:31 PM

Just in time for RAMBO III. Go RAMBO, save the world from these evil fellers!!

Archer · 05-20-2007, 13:32 PM

FWIW, RAMBO III has the evil myanmar men as the enemy.

Berkis · 05-21-2007, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrough

Myanmar can afford to have a nuclear weapons program?

Obviously with outside help it can.

Quote:

Russian plans to build a nuclear reactor for Burma have introduced yet another thorn into the Bush administration's prickly relationship with Moscow.
Although the 10-megawatt reactor for low-enriched uranium is envisioned as a research facility, the State Department last week criticized the project as lacking a regulatory framework.
"It's not a good idea," State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters. "Burma has neither the regulatory nor the legal framework or safeguard provisions or other kinds of things that you would expect or want to see for a country to be able to handle successfully a nuclear program of this type."
Mr. Casey said Burma, officially called Myanmar, does not have a nuclear regulatory commission or any safeguards to prevent accidents, environmental damage or proliferation.
"We wouldn't want to see a project like this move forward until some of those concerns are addressed," he said.
He added that he had "no idea" what the Russians' motives for the deal were, but Moscow has signed similar agreements, notably with Iran. However, it stopped cooperating on the Bushehr reactor earlier this year, citing financial issues.
Russia voted to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment in the U.N. Security Council, though the measures do not cover Bushehr.
Russia's atomic energy agency, Rosatom, said the nuclear center in Burma would be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, but IAEA officials were quoted by wire reports as saying that they were not aware of the project.
Russia and China are major supporters and arms suppliers to Burma's junta, which is accused by the West of suppressing human rights and denying its citizens basic freedoms. The United States has been particularly critical of its continued detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Thailand, Burma's neighbor and historical foe, is not worried about a nuclear reactor "as long as it is under the close supervision of the IAEA," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Piriya Khempon. Some analysts think the junta is building the center for status and prestige.
"Other countries in the region, namely Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, have research units and they are all under the supervision of the IAEA," Mr. Khempon said.
Relations between Washington and Moscow have been strained over issues including energy, democracy and U.S. plans to build a missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe.
During a visit to Moscow last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to tone down the rhetoric.
"We did talk about the need to keep the temperature down," she said. "There are going to be old scars to overcome, there is no doubt about that. ... But the relationship needs to be free of exaggerated rhetoric."

Nuke reactor strains U.S.-Russia relations -- The Washington Times

xrough · 05-21-2007, 05:45 AM

Based on its economic and military deficiences, is Burma really could be reliable ally to Russia?

Thus this make sense for Russia for investing in Burma?

xrough · 05-22-2007, 22:49 PM

US urges Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi

BANGKOK (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday urged military-run Myanmar to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners ahead of the junta's review of her detention this week.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who was travelling in neighboring Thailand, said the junta's detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners was "very damaging" to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

"The continued incarceration and house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi is one of several issues that are posing a real blockage in terms of Burma being able to rejoin the international community until they lay out political process and release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.

Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. The United Nations has estimated there are some 1,100 political prisoners, including 61-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only detained Nobel peace laureate.

The junta is to review the latest period of her detention on May 27. Despite growing international calls demanding her freedom, the military regime is likely to extend her house arrest.

Citing the junta's detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, the United States last week renewed sanctions on Myanmar for another year.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the last 17 years under house arrest at her lakeside Yangon home, with little contact with the outside world apart from a live-in maid and visits by her doctor.

Her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the junta never allowed it to take office.

04-26-2007, 03:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
xrough Contributor Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 735 Country:	Burma, North Korea restore ties Burma, North Korea restore ties Burma and North Korea, two of the world's most isolated nations, have agreed to restore diplomatic relations after a break of more than 20 years. The nations' deputy foreign ministers signed the deal in Rangoon. Burma broke ties in 1983, accusing Pyongyang of a bomb attack when South Korea's president visited Rangoon. Many Western nations accuse Burma's military junta of widespread rights abuses while North Korea has faced sanctions over its nuclear programme. Visiting North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong-Il, and his Burmese counterpart, Kyaw Thu, signed the agreement on Thursday. Neither side has made any further comment. Analysts believe the two countries have been brought closer together by a common desire to bypass international sanctions. Bomb attack Burma has been under military rule in various forms for more than four decades. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi won elections with her National League for Democracy in 1990 but was never allowed to govern and has been under house arrest for more than a decade. Pyongyang has been deemed part of an "axis of evil" by the US and shocked the world with a nuclear weapons test last October. Burma-North Korea relations were broken after a visit to Rangoon by then South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. A bomb attack near the famous Shwedagon pagoda killed 17 South Korean and four Burmese officials but Mr Chun survived. Burma blamed North Korean commandos. __________________

05-14-2007, 22:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
Stoner Regular Join Date: 06-30-04 Posts: 35	birds of the same feather...are tyrant birds __________________ PDFF

05-15-2007, 03:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
awangmamat Regular Join Date: 10-21-06 Location: 101° East Posts: 64 Country:	Makes sense for the 2 countries I suppose. A Myanmar with a BM force? Maybe a nuclear weapons program? __________________

05-19-2007, 13:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
Officer of Engineers Moderator Scotch taster Join Date: 08-06-03 Posts: 15,688 Country:	North Korea built nuclear plants. Myanmar didn't. __________________ Chimo

05-20-2007, 13:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
Archer *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 10-13-03 Posts: 2,888	Just in time for RAMBO III. Go RAMBO, save the world from these evil fellers!! __________________ Karmani Vyapurutham Dhanuhu My bow is stretched for its task

05-20-2007, 13:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
Archer *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 10-13-03 Posts: 2,888	FWIW, RAMBO III has the evil myanmar men as the enemy.

05-21-2007, 05:45 AM	#10 (permalink)
xrough Contributor Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 735 Country:	Based on its economic and military deficiences, is Burma really could be reliable ally to Russia? Thus this make sense for Russia for investing in Burma?

05-22-2007, 22:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
xrough Contributor Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 735 Country:	Update: US urges Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi BANGKOK (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday urged military-run Myanmar to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners ahead of the junta's review of her detention this week. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who was travelling in neighboring Thailand, said the junta's detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners was "very damaging" to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. "The continued incarceration and house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi is one of several issues that are posing a real blockage in terms of Burma being able to rejoin the international community until they lay out political process and release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi," he said. Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. The United Nations has estimated there are some 1,100 political prisoners, including 61-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only detained Nobel peace laureate. The junta is to review the latest period of her detention on May 27. Despite growing international calls demanding her freedom, the military regime is likely to extend her house arrest. Citing the junta's detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, the United States last week renewed sanctions on Myanmar for another year. Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the last 17 years under house arrest at her lakeside Yangon home, with little contact with the outside world apart from a live-in maid and visits by her doctor. Her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the junta never allowed it to take office.

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