Reports noted that Myanmar was actively seeking the help of North Korea and Russia in establishing nuclear facilities. The report cited revelations by two defectors indicating that the country’s inability to compete with neighbouring Thailand, which had conventional superiority, was forcing Myanmar to pursue a nuclear weapon programme1.

The second joint meeting on bilateral cooperation between Foreign Ministers of Myanmar and Sri Lanka concluded in Colombo. Both the states agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in areas such as counter terrorism, investments, trade, and tourism2.

Reports noted that in order to tackle the growing problem of weapons smuggling along Indo-Myanmar border, Indian police in Mizoram had formed a special unit3.

After being closed for seven years, the Sino-Burmese border trade zone near Kan Pai Ti village was again reopened. The move was made possible following the decision of the New Democratic Army-Kachin or NDA-K (which controls the Kan Pai Ti area) to accept the junta’s proposal of transforming the insurgent group’s army to a Border Guard Force4.

• 1. “Myanmar wants Nuclear Weapons, defectors say,” Indo-Burma News, August 4, 2009, at http://www.indoburmanews.net/archives-1/2009/august-2009/myanmar-wants-n...
• 2. “Burma-Sri Lanka to counter-terrorism,” Burma News International, August 5, 2009, at http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/6806-burma-sri-lanka-to-counter-te...
• 3. “Burma-India arms trade prompts Special Police unit,” Indo-Burma News, August 8, 2009, at http://www.indoburmanews.net/archives-1/2009/august-2009/burma-india-arm...
• 4. “Seven Years on Sino-Burmese border trade zone reopened,” Burma News International, August 5, 2009, at http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/6802-seven-years-on-sino-burmese-b...