US designates Burmese entities, individual with ties to directorate of defence industries

The US Department of the Treasury designated Tuesday two Burmese companies and a Burmese military officer for involvement in arms trading between North Korea and Burma. The Treasury said in a statement it designated Asia Metal Company Ltd., Soe Min Htike Co. Ltd., and Excellence Mineral Manufacturing Co. Ltd., in addition to Lt. Colonel Kyaw Nyunt Oo, a Burmese military Staff Officer acting on behalf of the Burmese Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI). "These actions continue Treasury's efforts to target those linked to DDI, which has been involved in purchasing military equipment and related materiel from North Korea," the statement stressed. According to the statement, this action specifically targets the individual and the entities, "it does not generally target the Government of Burma." In November 2012, the Government of Burma publicly announced its intention to abide by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874, which prohibits the procurement of military goods and assistance from North Korea. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said in this regard that "the revenues from these continuing military sales directly support North Korea's illicit activities. "We will continue to target this activity in Burma, and the region, as we work with our international partners to shut down North Korea's dangerous and destabilizing weapons proliferation," he affirmed. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the designees listed today, and any assets they may have subject to US jurisdiction are frozen.