Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Swedes launch inquiry into weapons allegations

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Wednesday, 12 December 2012 17:16 Mizzima News

Swedish authorities say they are launching an investigation into whether Swedish-made weapons have been used against ethnic rebels in Burma’s Kachin State—which would be a clear breach of European Union sanctions.

The Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls said it had begun an inquiry after it had received details that the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Burma had recovered M-3 Carl Gustav anti-tank rifles from Burmese government forces.

“We hope we will be able to trace how they got there,” said a spokesman, according to a report on Wednesday by Andrew Buncombe in Britain’s The Independent.

Last week, Kachin sources reported that government troops had launched an offensive on KIA positions using military helicopters.

According to spokesman La Nan: “Yesterday [December 4], seven government helicopters came. Among them five helicopters were carrying the weapons, rations, soldiers and food. They carried the soldiers who were injured on their return. Another two helicopters were looking for KIA battalions. They shot rounds at KIA positions.”
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Related articles:

http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/8334-govt-kio-agree-to-political-dialogue.html

http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/8362-kia-claims-upper-hand-in-shan-state-clashes-.html

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