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Viewing cable 04RANGOON88, BURMA: RUMORS OF CONSTRUCTION OF A NUCLEAR REACTOR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin

04RANGOON88 2004-01-20 09:09 2010-12-09 21:09 SECRET//NOFORN Embassy Rangoon

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the
original cable is not available.

Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 09:44

S E C R E T RANGOON 000088
SIPDIS
NOFORN
EO 12958 DECL: 01/09/2014
TAGS PGOV, PARM, PREL, BM, RS, KS, KNPP
SUBJECT: BURMA: RUMORS OF CONSTRUCTION OF A NUCLEAR REACTOR
NEAR MINBU
REF: STATE 297614 AND PREVIOUS 03 RANGOON 1427
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.5 (B,D)
¶1. (S/NF) An expatriate businessmanXXXXXXXXXXXX recently volunteered to an
Embassy Officer that he had heard rumors that a nuclear reactor was being built
near Minbu, in central Magway Division on the Irawaddy River. The businessman
added that he personally had seen a “massive” barge containing large-sized rebar
Currently released so far... being unloaded on a trip to the area. After asking local residents about the
1269 / 251,287 rebar’s purpose, he was told that similar size barge shipments were arriving
almost weekly and that the rebar was to be used in the construction of
Articles unnamed/unidentified factories. In the opinion of the businessman, the quantities
involved as well as the diameter of the rebar suggested a project larger than
Brazil “factories.” Along these lines, the businessman noted that there was a new
Sri Lanka airport near Minbu with a landing strip that, based on its length and thickness,
seemed excessive, adding that “you could land the space shuttle on it.”
United Kingdom ¶2. (S/NF) Comment: Rumors of construction of a nuclear facility in/near Magway
Sweden Division date back to 2002 and generally refer to alleged Goverment of Burma
Editorial (GOB) and Russian cooperation on a nuclear research reactor project. Similar
United States rumors, sans the “Russia” angle, have been circulating with greater frequency
Latin America within diplomatic and expatriate circles since a November 2003 Far Eastern
Economic Review (FEER) article which described signs of growing military ties
between North Korea and Burma. While we have no direct evidence of this alleged
Browse latest releases cooperation, rumors of ongoing construction of a nuclear reactor are surprisingly
consistent and observations of activity such as that described above appear to be
2010/12/09 increasing, as are alleged sightings of North Korean “technicians” inside Burma.
2010/12/08 Martinez
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Cable Viewer http://213.251.145.96/cable/2004/08/04RANGOON1100.html

Viewing cable 04RANGOON1100, ALLEGED NORTH KOREAN INVOLVEMENT IN MISSILE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Ori

04RANGOON1100 2004-08-27 08:08 2010-12-09 21:09 SECRET Em

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text
original cable is not available.

Friday, 27 August 2004, 08:08

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001100
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 08/26/2014
TAGS PARM, PINR, PREL, KNNP, BM, KN
SUBJECT: ALLEGED NORTH KOREAN INVOLVEMENT IN MISSILE
ASSEMBLY AND UNDERGROUND FACILITY CONSTRUCTION IN BURMA
Classified By: CDA, A.I. RON MCMULLEN FOR REASON 1.5 (A/C).
¶1. (S) SUMMARY: North Korean workers are reportedly assembling “SAM
and constructing an underground facility at a Burmese military site i
Division, about 315 miles NNW of Rangoon, according to XXXXXXXXXXXX .
unsolicited account should not be taken as authoritative, but it trac
other information garnered and reported via XXXXXXXXXXXX. End Summary
¶2. (S) XXXXXXXXXXXX
Currently released so far... ¶3. (S) XXXXXXXXXXXX some 300 North Koreans are working at a secret c
1269 / 251,287 site west of Mimbu, Magway Division, in the foothills of the Arakan Y
mountains. (Comment: the number of North Koreans supposedly working a
Articles strikes us as improbably high. End comment.) The XXXXXXXXXXXX claims
personally seen some of them, although he also reported they are forb
Brazil leaving the construction site and that he and other “outsiders” are p
Sri Lanka from entering. The XXXXXXXXXXXX was confident that XXXXXXXXXXXX had t
to distinguish North Koreans from others, such as Chinese, who might
United Kingdom in the area. The exact coordinates of the camouflaged site are not kn
Sweden is reportedly in the vicinity of 20,00 N, 94,25 E.
Editorial ¶4. (S) The North Koreans are said to be assembling “SAM missiles” of
United States origin. XXXXXXXXXXXX the North Koreans, aided by Burmese workers, ar
Latin America constructing a concrete-reinforced underground facility that is “500
the top of the cave to the top of the hill above.” He added that the
Koreans are “blowing concrete” into the excavated underground facilit
Browse latest releases ¶5. (S) The XXXXXXXXXXXX is supposedly engaged in constructing buildi
Burmese army battalions that will be posted near the site. Of these,
2010/12/09 battalions are to be infantry; the other 18 will be “artillery,” acco
2010/12/08 this account.
2010/12/07 ¶6. (S) [XXXXXXXXXXXX
¶7. (S) COMMENT: The [XXXXXXXXXXXX second-hand account of North Korea
2010/12/06 involvement with missile assembly and military construction in Magway
2010/12/05 generally tracks with other information Embassy Rangoon and others ha
2010/12/04 in various channels. Again, the number 300 is much higher than our be
2010/12/03 of North Koreans in Burma, and exactly how the XXXXXXXXXXXX allegedly
some of them personally remains unclear. Many details provided XXXXXX
2010/12/02 those provided by other, seemingly unrelated, sources.
2010/12/01 ¶8. (S) COMMENT CONTINUED: We cannot, and readers should not, conside
2010/11/30 report alone to be definitive proof or evidence of sizable North Kore
2010/11/29 involvement with the Burmese regime. The XXXXXXXXXXXX description mad
2010/11/28 reference at all to nuclear weapons or technology, or to surface-to-s
missiles, ballistic or otherwise. XXXXXXXXXXXX This account is perhap
considered alongside other information of various origins indicating
Browse by creation date and North Koreans are up to something ) something of a covert militar
military-industrial nature. Exactly what, and on what scale, remains
66 72 75 79 86 88 89 90 determined. Post will continue to monitor these developments and repo
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