Burma restricts reportage on North Korean vessel

by May Kyaw
Thursday, 25 June 2009 20:46

Chiang Mai (mizzima) - Burma’s Censorship Board has restricted local journals from reporting on the progress of the North Korean vessel, Kang Nam.

The restriction came after a local journal, Pyi Myanmar, in its international section, printed an AP story on the North Korean vessel, which is believed to be heading towards Burma.

“I think if we run the story like today’s edition of the New Light of Myanmar, we might get permission. But others will not get it. I have heard that the Censorship Board failed to check on their story, that is why it was published,” a local journalist in Rangoon, told Mizzima.

The Pyi Myanmar journal published on June 25, carried a translated version of the AP story, which said that the United States on June 19, had sent a naval destroyer to monitor and to check on the North Korean vessel, which is suspected of carrying illegal weapons.

The global media has reported that a 2,000 ton weight vessel called Kang Nam, left a North Korean port on June 17, and was heading towards Burma.

However, Burma’s state-run newspaper, New Light of Myanmar, on Thursday reported that the North Korean vessel was MV Dumangang and is a cargo vessel carrying rice, from India.

According to the paper, the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea owned MV Dumangang cargo ship, is due to arrive in Burma, from India’s Kolkata on June 27, to load 8,000 tons of rice.

Besides, the paper revealed that the Burmese military government had no information regarding the Kang Nam as reported by the international media.