Sweden asks India to clarify arms presence in Myanmar

STOCKHOLM: Sweden asked India to clarify how Swedish-made weapons wound up in Myanmar in breach of EU sanctions, after it was revealed the Indian army had purchased the arms, Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling said.

The announcement came a day after Sweden’s export control agency said it was investigating the arms presence, a probe Bjorling said had already borne fruit. She told parliament that the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP) had informed her that the arms came from India. “And as a result I asked ISP to request clarification from the Indian authorities,” Bjorling said. Pictures taken by a Myanmar freelance photographer and published in the Swedish media this week show a Carl Gustaf M3 anti-tank rifle and ammunition left behind by Myanmar government soldiers. The weapon’s serial number is clearly visible in one of the photographs. The European Union has had a weapons embargo against Myanmar since 1996. http://rtilive.pk/detail/7798 Right to Information Pakistan Live, RTI Live, Information Pakistan, RTI online Research ORganization,pakistan,news pakistan, pakistan news,punjab,lahore,Sweden , STOCKHOLM, Swedish-made weapons, Myanmar in breach of EU sanctions,Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling ,