Myanmar: North Korean vessel due in Yangon not suspect cargo ship

Myanmar: North Korean vessel due in Yangon not suspect cargo ship Yangon  - A North Korean ship due to arrive in Yangon this weekend from India is not the Kang Nam, a vessel suspected of carrying illicit weapons, Myanmar state media reported Thursday.

"MV Dumangang, a cargo vessel of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is due to arrive in Myanmar from Kolkata of the Republic of India around 27 June for a shipment of about 8,000 tons of rice," The New Light of Myanmar reported.

The government mouthpiece noted that "certain foreign news agencies" have reported that a North Korean-owned cargo vessel, Kang Nam, left Mingpao port for Myanmar on 17 June.

The Kang Nam is suspected to be carrying illicit weapons.

"The authorities concerned have no news about Kang Nam vessel reported by foreign news agencies," The New Light of Myanmar claimed.

The newspaper did not report on what MV Dumangang will deliver to Myanmar, also called Burma.

Myanmar and North Korea rank among the world's pariah states.

There have been several unconfirmed reports in the past of North Korea shipping weapons to Myanmar, which faces a ban on weapons purchases from the United States and Europe.

The Kang Nam, which has been spotted off Shanghai earlier this week, is the first North Korean vessel being monitored under new United Nations Security Council sanctions aimed at punishing Pyongyang for last month's nuclear test.

The resolution calls on UN members to inspect North Korean vessels if they suspect that its cargo contains banned weapons or materials. (dpa)