YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar has sent a letter to the U.N. nuclear agency insisting it has no current or future plan to develop a nuclear program in the isolated country's second denial this month after reports emerged it may be seeking an atomic weapon.
Myanmar's military government has denied similar allegations in the past, but suspicions have mounted recently that the impoverished Southeast Asian nation has embarked on a nuclear program.
Myanmar's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Win Tin, dismissed the allegations as "groundless and unfounded" in a letter sent Friday, according to a Saturday report in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper. The Foreign Ministry issued a denial on June 11.
"No activity related to uranium conversion, enrichment, reactor construction or operation has been carried out in the past, is ongoing or is planned for the future in Myanmar," the letter said, according to the newspaper which is a mouthpiece for the junta.
The letter was sent in response to one from the IAEA dated June 14 that asked Myanmar to outline any nuclear-related activities or ambitions, the newspaper said.
Earlier this month, the Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma, a Myanmar exile news service, charged that the junta, aided by North Korea, is actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program with the aim of developing a bomb and long-range missiles.
It said its conclusions were based on a five-year study and revelations by a recent Myanmar army defector who smuggled out extensive files and photographs. The report also said that Myanmar is still far from producing a nuclear weapon.
Win Tin's letter noted that Myanmar is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the agency's so-called safeguards agreement.
"As stated in the safeguards agreement, Myanmar will notify the agency if it plans to carry out any nuclear activities," the letter said.
Last month, U.N. experts monitoring sanctions imposed against North Korea over its nuclear and missile tests said their research indicated it was involved in banned nuclear and ballistic missile activities in Iran, Syria and Myanmar, which is also called Burma.
Documents that surfaced earlier showed that North Korea was helping Myanmar dig a series of underground facilities and develop missiles with a range of up to 1,860 miles (3,000 kilometers).
North Korea could be economy strong as south Korea if Kim Jon Il obeyed the United nation demanded and be part of the world community. Then there doesn"t have any economy sanction against north Korea. The same thing with Myanmar and Iran. North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are ruled by military government. The military could not be successfully traded . Now Thailand is heading the same direction as Myanmar , the military governemt ruled the country that will be slow down the economic grown and the develpoment will be frozen . So Malaysia and Singapore and Indonasia and perhaps Vietnam as well will be ahead of Thailand.Since Thailand is heading the same direction of military rule government like Myanmar, Thailand will be spending much more money on the military just to protect the dictators and keep them to stay in power.
-- Edited by Dark Angel on Saturday 26th of June 2010 09:06:39 AM
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Anonymous
Date:
RE: Could Myanmar be successful to become nuclear power like North Korea
North Korea could be economy strong as south Korea if Kim Jon Il obeyed the United nation demanded and be part of the world community. Then there doesn"t have any economy sanction against north Korea. The same thing with Myanmar and Iran. North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are ruled by military government. The military could not be successfully traded . Now Thailand is heading the same direction as Myanmar , the military governemt ruled the country that will be slow down the economic grown and the develpoment will be frozen . So Malaysia and Singapore and Indonasia and perhaps Vietnam as well will be ahead of Thailand.Since Thailand is heading the same direction of military rule government like Myanmar, Thailand will be spending much more money on the military just to protect the dictators and keep them to stay in power.
-- Edited by Dark Angel on Saturday 26th of June 2010 09:06:39 AM
This is my first comment.
What's wrong on you? I see you always drag Thailand in your comment everytime.
I think you should create new website named SAMAKOMHATETHAI.
is that really possible? myanmar looks so poor and basic services are hardly filtered through the general population. the people are so kind hearted and i do wish them well - since they are among the friendliest ive ever met (besides the Lao people). i'd say that whatever money they invest on nuclear armament should be spent more on social services than facilities for war or mass destruction. if they do, they might end up like iraq. i sure hope not.
