During 2009, Myanmar captured the world's headlines again. It was reported that, not only was it developing a close relationship with fellow pariah state North Korea, but the military regime in Naypyidaw had shown an unhealthy interest in acquiring nuclear technology from Pyongyang, in violation of UN sanctions. There was little hard evidence to support such claims, but for a while there were many in the region and further afield who believed that Southeast Asia could face the nightmare of an unstable and nuclear-armed dictatorship in its midst. This article, written for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Policy Analysis report, was an attempt to clarify the picture.

Over the past few months, there has been a spate of reports in the news media, accusing Burma and North Korea of engaging in activities that have serious consequences for regional—and possibly even global—security. If they are accurate, these reports would be grounds for considerable concern. Before drawing any firm conclusions, however, it is important to separate what is actually known from what is assumed, or the product of speculation. Also, despite being reported together, some of these developments may not in fact be connected, in which case they deserve a more nuanced treatment than they have received to date.

Six Headlines

Apart from occasional stories about the Naypyidaw government's human rights violations—most recently its harsh treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi—Burma does not often feature in the mainstream news media. North Korea is mentioned much more often, but until recently was rarely linked with its fellow “outpost of tyranny” (as the two countries were once described by Condoleeza Rice). In a remarkable confluence of events, however, since the beginning of June there have been six developments that have tied Burma and North Korea together in the news media, and in the public imagination.

The first development was the publication on 9 June of several photographs showing underground facilities being constructed in Burma. Over the following weeks, more photographs were released, purporting to reveal a “network of secret bomb-proof tunnels”. It was claimed by the opposition Democratic Voice of Burma that between 600 and 800 such tunnels were being built, all with the help of North Korea. The purpose of these facilities was not clear, but activists and Burmese exile groups were quick to cite the photographs as evidence of nefarious dealings between Naypyidaw and Pyongyang.