Clarify arms presence in Myanmar: Sweden to India

Sweden asked India today 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.

Sweden asked India on Friday 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.

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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.

On Wednesday, an ISP spokeswoman said it was "relatively unusual" for Swedish weapons to end up in the hands of third parties.