Major Shaitan Singh
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 3,550
- Reaction score
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BANGKOK, Thailand Reviled military rulers. A citizenry cowed in fear. Economies strangled by American sanctions.
Just a few years ago, North Korea and Myanmar had much in common.
Today, riding a warp-speed reform movement cheered on by the United States, Myanmar is a riveting turnaround tale.
Its reformist president, who rose to power through an abusive military, is now a Nobel peace prize nominee. Political prisoners have been freed, investors salivate over Myanmars economic potential.
And North Korea, until recently an ally, has been defriended by Myanmar at Americas insistence.
So, why would Myanmars government risk it all by continuing secret ties with North Koreas feared missile program?
The past two years have witnessed a great rollback of longtime Western sanctions against Myanmar. And yet this month, the White House announced a surprising new decree: US citizens and banks are hereby forbidden from doing business with a high-profile general overseeing missile defense.
His alleged misdeed? Buying military goods from North Korea.
Shunning the 57-year-old general, Thein Htay, is part of an effort to shut down North Koreas dangerous and destabilizing weapons proliferation, said David Cohen, the US undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Myanmar to North Korea: I can
Just a few years ago, North Korea and Myanmar had much in common.
Today, riding a warp-speed reform movement cheered on by the United States, Myanmar is a riveting turnaround tale.
Its reformist president, who rose to power through an abusive military, is now a Nobel peace prize nominee. Political prisoners have been freed, investors salivate over Myanmars economic potential.
And North Korea, until recently an ally, has been defriended by Myanmar at Americas insistence.
So, why would Myanmars government risk it all by continuing secret ties with North Koreas feared missile program?
The past two years have witnessed a great rollback of longtime Western sanctions against Myanmar. And yet this month, the White House announced a surprising new decree: US citizens and banks are hereby forbidden from doing business with a high-profile general overseeing missile defense.
His alleged misdeed? Buying military goods from North Korea.
Shunning the 57-year-old general, Thein Htay, is part of an effort to shut down North Koreas dangerous and destabilizing weapons proliferation, said David Cohen, the US undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Myanmar to North Korea: I can
