Sep 10, 2009

A controversy over Myanmar’squest for possession of nuclear weapons emerged with a report by two defectorsto an interviewer of the Sydney Morning Herald carried by many news agenciesthat the country was planning to acquire nuclear weapons. The defectors alsoclaimed that Myanmarhad supplied "yellowcake" uranium to NorthKorea and Iran.The defectors codenamed Moe Jo and Tin Min reportedly told Australianinvestigator Desmond Ball that the military junta has nuclear ambitions thatfar exceed its official line.

Moe Jo, is aformer army officer, trained for a 1,000-man “nuclear battalion”. Moe Jo saidpart of the army’s nuclear battalion was stationed in a local village to workon a weapon, and a secret operations centre was hidden in the SetkhayaMountains, according to Ball. Theother defector is Tin Min a book keeper for Tay Za, a close associate of thejunta’s head General Than Shwe who revealed that he had paid a constructioncompany to build a tunnel in the Naung Laing mountain.

            Theclaim seemed to corroborate a number of activities related to likelyacquisition of a nuclear capability by Myanmarwith reports of the Army also attempting to procure missile technology from NorthKorea. These reports are not new and overthe years since early 2000s, dissidents and defectors from Myanmarhave talked of a "nuclear battalion," an atomic "AyelarProject" being carried out at a flour mill and two Pakistani scientistswho fled to Myanmarfollowing the Sept. 11 attacks providing assistance.           

            Fourretired scientists Sultan Bashiruddin Ahmed Chaudhry and Abdul Majid andserving scientists Sulaiman Assad and Mohammad Mukhtar were under the suspicionof the FBI in 2001-2002. Of these Sulaiman Assad and Mohammad Mukhtar arereported to have fled to Myanmarand were suspected to be assisting Myanmarin the nuclear programme.

Some analysts haveeven suggested a network of underground tunnels in Myaing with coordinates:17°12′00″N 97°38′00″’ or Naung Laing  N22° 2' 0''E 96° 35' 0''  or N 23° 54' 0''E 97° 48' 0''. These are unconfirmed reports but are said to be possible sitesfor location of nuclear facilities. Though there are doubts as these sites aretoo far from a water source which is required as a coolant for a nuclearreactor in large quantities.

            ASouth Korean intelligence expert, citing satellite imagery, has also commentedon the aborted mission of a North Korean ship headed for Myanmarsaying the ship's mission appeared to be related to Myanmar’snuclear program and the ship allegedly carried Scud-type missiles. Japanesepolice are also reported to have arrested a North Korean and two Japanesenationals for allegedly trying to export a magnetic measuring device to Myanmarthat could be used to develop missiles.

            Themilitary cooperation between North Koreaand Myanmar hasalso raised serious doubts. In June, photographs, video and reports showed asmany as 800 tunnels, some of them very large in which two military trucks couldeasily drive in being constructed through North Korean assistance under anoperation code-named "Tortoise Shells." The photos were reportedlytaken between 2003 and 2006.

            USSecretary of State Hillary Clinton who proceeded to Thailandafter a high-profile visit to Indiatold a Thai TV channel in an interview on July 21: "We worry about thetransfer of nuclear technology from North Koreato Myanmar."She subsequently reverted to the subject at Phuket where she spoke to the mediaof "concerns being expressed about co-operation between NorthKorea and Burmain the pursuit of offensive weapons, perhaps even including nuclear weapons atsome point."

            BrigadierGeneral Aung Thein Lin formerly deputy minister of Industry-2, responsible forall industrial development in the country and the Mayor of Yangon, LieutenantGeneral Tin Aye, chief of the Office of Chief Defense Industries, andLieutenant General Myint Hlaing, the chief of Air Defence are some of theprominent Myanmar officers who have been visiting DPRK and are reportedlyinvolved in the nuclear negotiations as per internet search. Minister ofIndustry-2 and Ministry of Science and Technology are the lead governmentagency for its nuclear program along with Htoo Trading Company of Myanmar.Htoo Trading Company located at 5 Pyay Road,Hlaing Township,Yangon is said to be behind nuclear contracts with Russiaand North Korea.The company is already under  US Sanctionsunder the President under the executive order, "Blocking Property andProhibiting Certain Transactions Related to Burma:"

            In2007, Russiasigned an agreement to establish a nuclear studies center in Myanmar,build a 10-megawatt nuclear research reactor for peaceful purposes, and trainseveral hundred technicians in its operation.

            Ifreports are true, then Myanmar could adopt a two track program, the Russianreactor which is under IAEA safeguards will train a number of scientists whocan be transferred to the weapons development reactor which will not be underIAEA,  a secret and clandestine one whichcan be denied globally but which will have the capability to produce bombs inthe basement so to say.

Whileit is difficult to establish veracity of the reports of Myanmar’squest for acquisition of nuclear capability, there is a need for greatertransparency on the issue. Possibly after some more indications internationalauthorities as the IAEA could seek to address these allegations, though so farthese reports are not reliable and would have to be corroborated by furtherinvestigations. In the interim the Myanmargovernment could come clean by denying these allegations as false, therebylaying the matter to rest and exposing the defectors who could be exploitingthe entire episode for publicity.

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