Asia-Pacific

Ban urges compliance in UN resolutions for arms-shipment plane

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-15 23:11

BANGKOK: UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon on Monday urged nations to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions after the Thai authorities impounded a cargo plane and seized a huge arms cache allegedly from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Member states of the United Nations should fully cooperate with Security Council resolution 1874," said Ban during his monthly conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, adding that he is continuing to monitor the "serious issues."

UN Resolution 1874, which was unanimously adopted by the 15- member Council, prohibits the DPRK from any activity related to ballistic missiles.

Also banning all weapons exports from the DPRK and most arms imports into the country, it authorized UN member states to inspect the DPRK's sea, air and land cargo, requiring them to seize and destroy any goods transported in violation of the sanctions.

"I sincerely hope that as the Thai authorities are now investigating they will soon report to the Security Council on the detailed information on that," said Ban.

The plane, which was found loading with about 35 tons of war weapons including missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, was impounded on Saturday as it landed for refueling at Bangkok's Don Juang Airport, reports said.

The five crew members, including one from Belarus and the rest from Kazakhstan, were detained for further questioning, said the reports. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that the five crew members of the plane will be charged.

Thai News Agency reported on Sunday that Belarussian pilot Mikhail Petukhou told Crime Suppression Division police during a six-hour interrogation that the plane left Ukraine to pick up the goods in an Asian nation.

Insisting that he had no knowledge about the war material aboard the aircraft, Petukhou told investigators that he and his four companions were hired to transport goods and that he would only "provide other information in court." Thai officials say that the plane is registered in Georgia.