Philippines to impound suspected N. Korean ship, deport crew

[rooster59]

Philippines to impound suspected N. Korean ship, deport crew

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines will impound a suspected North Korean cargo ship docked at a port northwest of Manila and eventually deport its North Korean crewmen in compliance with tough new U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, officials said Saturday.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III said the U.N. sanctions would be applied to the MV Jin Teng, which arrived Thursday at Subic Bay, a former U.S. naval base that's now a key commercial port. The ship has 21 North Korean crewmen.

"Our obligation is essentially to impound the vessel and not allow it to leave port and that the crew must eventually be deported," Quezon said in a radio interview.

The 4,355-ton vessel is among 31 ships listed as being North Korean owned and that should be held under an "assets freeze" order, Philippine Foreign Assistant Secretary Gary Domingo said.

It's one of the first known impositions of the toughest Security Council sanctions on the reclusive country in two decades, reflecting growing anger at Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and rocket launch in defiance of a ban on all nuclear-related activity.

Philippine Coast Guard regional commander Raul Belesario, however, told The Associated Press that Jin Teng's papers show that it's a Sierra Leone-flagged ship owned by a company based in the British Virgin Islands and managed by a firm in China's Shandong province.

"On paper, it's not North Korean," he said.

Belesario said that he had not received any government order to impound the ship by Saturday afternoon, but that he would do so if instructed by the government. The vessel needs to stay at Subic for about two to three more days to unload a cargo of palm kernel expeller, which could be used as farm animal feed, he said.

The North Korean crewmen have not been restricted since they arrived and showed their travel papers, Belesario said, adding that there were no available records to check whether the Jin Teng has traveled to North Korea in the past.

Coast guard personnel with two bomb sniffer dogs boarded the vessel Thursday after it arrived from Indonesia. The inspectors did not find any suspicious materials, but spotted minor safety deficiencies, including missing fire hoses, a corroded air vent and electrical switches without insulation.

Aside from those deficiencies, which were being dealt with by the crew, there were no other issues with the ship, which is scheduled to sail next to southwestern China's Zhanjiang port, Belesario said.

Domingo said the Philippine government will proceed to hold the ship in line with the latest Security Council sanctions order and submit a report to U.N. officials.

Asked about the ownership issue, Domingo said it can be checked if the ship was using "a flag of convenience" to hide its true owner, adding that Philippine officials will meet soon to determine what to do next with the ship in coordination with the U.N.

The latest Security Council sanctions include mandatory inspections of cargo leaving and entering North Korea by sea or air, a ban on all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to Pyongyang, and the expulsion of diplomats from the North who engage in "illicit activities."

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-05

[Scott]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

[spidermike007]

Fat Kim deserves all the hardship and flack he is getting. He is a hooligan, a fool, a nincompoop, a freak of nature, a despot, an ultra wealthy dictator who cares not one iota for his people, an insecure man, a bad decision maker, and a man who is imposing the least effective political system on his people, communism. It has failed everywhere, and it is proven to be terrible for an economy. The only exception to that is China, and they basically have a communist government with a capitalist economy, having realized that pure communism would leave their economy as destitute as Cuba.

There is no place for nuclear testing in the 21st century. Isolate this worm. Make him suffer.

[Thongkorn]

They should take them on a Tour of the west if they want to return to North Korea . Show them the lies they are fed about the west wanting to invade them .Why would anyone want a baron land

[Lukecan]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

its not that easy, when you defect they kill all your relatives.

[macksview]

the crew is stuck in subic at the moment, take them down to angeles city for a night, maybe after that they will confess their sins.

[wabothai]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

send them to Greece, fingerprint them, and thereafter send them on their way north.

[baboon]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

its not that easy, when you defect they kill all your relatives.

No they don't any more as a matter of policy. Kim Jong Il had that scrapped in the 90s.

[Scott]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

its not that easy, when you defect they kill all your relatives.

No they don't any more as a matter of policy. Kim Jong Il had that scrapped in the 90s.

Technically, they were captured and not defecting. My point is that if they don't wish to return, they should not be forced to go back.

[baboon]

No doubt the south will take them in if that is what they want. It is unlikely they would be forced to return, I think.

[Thongkorn]

No doubt the south will take them in if that is what they want. It is unlikely they would be forced to return, I think.

Totally agree. But there family's will be killed.All of them mother Father Aunts Uncles cousins .All that where associated with them

[baboon]

No doubt the south will take them in if that is what they want. It is unlikely they would be forced to return, I think.

Totally agree. But there family's will be killed.All of them mother Father Aunts Uncles cousins .All that where associated with them

I don't suppose you would care to reveal how you know this to be a fact?

[Pimay1]

the crew is stuck in subic at the moment, take them down to angeles city for a night, maybe after that they will confess their sins.

They will defect to the Philippines 100% if that happens.

[hdkane]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

its not that easy, when you defect they kill all your relatives.

No they don't any more as a matter of policy. Kim Jong Il had that scrapped in the 90s.

There is a surprisingly large camp in NK, which serves as a place to isolate 3 generations of any offender deemed to be a threat to the government...

[baboon]

Hopefully, the crew will not be forced to go back to NK. If they want to go, then no problem, but if they don't, they shouldn't be forced to return. God knows what fate awaits them for getting caught.

its not that easy, when you defect they kill all your relatives.

No they don't any more as a matter of policy. Kim Jong Il had that scrapped in the 90s.

There is a surprisingly large camp in NK, which serves as a place to isolate 3 generations of any offender deemed to be a threat to the government...

Now let me guess. That is the one described by George W. as being the size of Houston, in a country roughly the same size of England. I am still waiting on the satellite photos...