Thailand Drops Case Against Five Men With N Korean Weapons

[DP25]

"This was a matter for the Thai attorney-general's office to decide. We respect the independence of Thailand's system," US embassy spokeswoman Cynthia Brown said Friday.

Seems most likely they were released because the US does not want to or can not prosecute the crew, rather than the absurd notion they were released because they chose two of the poorest countries on earth over the United States.

[manarak]

hmm...

I'll probably get flamed for my point of view, but here I go anyway:

First:

- "illegal arms trade"

this is a political view of things. North Korea is a sovereign country and Iran and the other buyers are also sovereign countries, so if NK is selling to another country, it cannot be qualified as being illegal, since both countries agree and there is no other applicable "international law".

I cannot see how a decision taken by a lobby of other countries can become a law for NK or Kazakhstan or Iran?

Therefore I consider that "illegal weapons" is misleading, I would be in favor of the following formulation:

"weapons that North Korea sold, in spite of being told by USA and their friends not to"

Second:

legality of the transport

The transport was legal at its departure in NK, and was legal at the cargo's destinations.

It was certainly illegal in Thailand, since this kind of transport requires approval of Thai authorities.

So I wonder why they didn't chose a safer flightplan, for example landing in Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar?

Or maybe they had an unofficial ok from Thailand, and Thailand sold them to the UN to regain face? Maybe to compensate for the Bout case? who knows.

I think for Thailand the Iranians/NorthKoreans/Kazakhs etc. is expendable business in which they have no interest, yet they refused extradition for Bout.

Third: the crew

Just some people trying to earn money for their families in Ukraine and Belarus.

I don't think they know much nor would a Thai court sentence change anything in this business.

Fourth: the alleged traffickers like Viktor Bout

Again, this is political.

The crime of Mr. Bout is to sell arms to people who aren't friends of the US of A.

At the same time, there are many US-backed arms dealers who do the same business selling arms to people who have US support.

No doubt there would be a huge wave of indignation if Russia arrested an American "business man" in a sting operation in Ukraine or Turkey, on charges that he sold Arms to Ukraine's orange revolution party or to Kirghiz opposition.

Immediately, the world would be full of American disinformation, denouncing "trumped charges", unfair court hearings, etc.

Think about it.

They are not being told by the US its the UN and Thailand voted for the same thing and now they changed their mind because North Korea will dump 100b Baht in fakes on pattya beach if they don't. You really think Iran and North Korea are good guys?

1- There is no reference to Good or Bad in my post

2- the term "illegal" refers to some kind of positive law, not to Good or Bad

3- The UN are a lobby with heavy US influence

4- A UN vote isn't a Law

5- A UN vote has no force in NK or Iran

What I say is that calling this weapon business "illegal" is propaganda, intellectually dishonest and a manipulation of the public.

We apply double standards to these transactions, because while NK selling weapons to Iran is "Bad", Germany selling weapons to Taiwan is "Good".

The fact is, the US and "Allies" and EU don't want this kind of transactions to be carried out by people who aren't playing in their team, and they try to bully other countries into enforcing a ban.

The Russians and Chinese have better things to do than to expend their political influence for vetoing such petty affairs, they are powerful enough to trade as much as they want on their own without interference.

Many other countries also see those affairs as being political, and Thailand adopted this stance too.

Obviously Thailand wants to stay neutral in these matters.

[webfact]

LATEST UPDATE

Thailand deports North Korea arms crew

by Boonradom Chitradon

BANGKOK: -- (AFP) - Thailand on Friday deported a five-man plane crew that it detained with a 35-tonne cache of sanctions-busting arms from North Korea after charges against them were dropped.

The Belarussian pilot and four Kazakh crew flew out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on a commercial flight bound for Almaty, the Kazakh capital, said an immigration official who refused to be named.

"All five men are on board KC932 and it has taken off on time," said the official.

They were detained in December after flying into Bangkok to refuel with a cargo that included missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

The United States applauded the seizure as an achievement in enforcing North Korean sanctions and is believed to have played a role in tipping off Thai authorities.

Thailand initially charged the men with possessing illegal weapons and ammunition, smuggling weapons and other banned products and failing to report the cache.

But on Thursday, the attorney general's office said it was not in the national interest to pursue the case and that the five would be deported.

Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters that officials had already coordinated with the men's home countries to organise their reception.

Belarus and Kazakhstan petitioned Bangkok to allow the men to be released for trial in their own countries.

The crew landed at Thailand's domestic Don Mueang airport in the Ilyushin freight plane on December 11 for refuelling, claiming that they were carrying oil drilling equipment bound for Ukraine.

The United Nations banned all North Korean arms exports in June last year and the Bangkok case is believed to be the first breach of the resolution with an airborne cargo.

The United States was instrumental in passing the resolution following Pyongyang's latest missile and nuclear tests. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was "very pleased" with the weapons seizure.

Following the Thai decision to drop the case, US embassy spokeswoman Cynthia Brown said Friday: "This was a matter for the Thai attorney-general's office to decide. We respect the independence of Thailand's system.

"We do want to applaud Thailand for their implementation of the resolution and their responsible decision to report this information."

She added that the UN committee set up to enforce the resolution was continuing to investigate the incident.

Abhisit said the government was awaiting the UN's recommendation on what to do with the haul, which is being held at an air force base north of Bangkok.

A flight plan obtained by investigators showed the plane was bound for Iran, which has denied it was the destination. US intelligence chief Dennis Blair has said it was headed to the Middle East.

The five men were held at the same jail as Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death" by some media.

Bout was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 while allegedly agreeing to supply missiles to Colombian rebels.

The Thai government is perceived to have worked closely with Washington on that case and is appealing a court decision rejecting a US request for his extradition.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-02-12

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Payboy]

Is Thailand going to keep the somewhat aging transport plane? It's a bit big for a gate guardian, isn't it?

mayby they can drop it off shore to creat a new coral reef

Nah, we have enough Rohingayas for that.

[webfact]

Five fly home in cloud of mystery

By The Nation, Agencies

BANGKOK: -- In a manner as obscure as when they were apprehended, five suspects of the North Korean arms smuggling yesterday were deported from Thailand to their home countries in Belarus and Kazakhstan after the authority dropped the charge of possession of illegal weapons into the country.

The deportation was in a process of international obligation in accordance with the United Nations Resolution on sanction to North Korea, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

The five left Suvarnnaphumi airport by a commercial flight KC 932 yesterday evening for their respective home countries which requested Thailand to hand them for further investigation there. Representatives of their respective embassies in Hanoi, which also cover Thailand, accompanied them on board to home, a Thai official said.

Kazakhs Ilyas Isakov, Viktor Abdullayev, Alexander Zrybnev and Vitaliy Shunkov and a Belarusian, Mikhail Petukou were arrested on December 12 after the Ilyushin Il76 cargo plane flying from Pyongyang landed in Don Muang airport for refuelling.

Officials found 35 tonnes of weapons on board, a violation of UN sanctions against North Korea. The weapons' ultimate destination remains a mystery. The Thai officials and flight plan indicated that the plane was bound for Iran but Teheran denied it was not the destination.

International observers said the mystery might not be clear as the suspects have already been freed and nobody expected their home countries would conduct further investigation.

The Interfax news agency cited a spokesman for Kazakhstan's General Prosecutor saying that a decision would be made on whether to prosecute the men upon their return.

The Thai Office of Attorney General (OAG) dropped the charge for the benefit of good relations with Belarus and Kazakhstan as well as the fact that the weapons would not be used in Thailand.

The government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the cabinet did not intervene in the OAG decision but gave the guideline for the state prosecutor to handle the case in accordance with the UN resolution and for the stake of good relation with foreign countries.

Following the Thai decision to drop the case, US embassy spokeswoman Cynthia Brown said yesterday that "This was a matter for the Thai attorneygeneral's office to decide. We respect the independence of Thailand's system.

"We do want to applaud Thailand for their implementation of the resolution and their responsible decision to report this information."

She added that the UN committee set up to enforce the resolution was continuing to investigate the incident.

The UN Resolution 1874 issued in June authorises member states to inspect, seize and dispose of prohibited weapons and related items import or export from North Korea.

Prime Minister Abhisit said his government is still waiting for guideline from the UN what to do with the seized weapons and the aircraft, which are now kept at a northern airfield.

The UN Security Council called a meeting on the incident on Thursday to work on a letter to remind Pyongyang to comply with the UN resolution but has not yet made any suggestions for Thailand on the case.

-- The Nation 2010-02-13

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[cmdream]

Money talks, BS walks. Need I say more ?