It's not chemical weapon plant: Ye Htut

 

“They based their assumptions only on bird’s-eye-view images. Even if it was a real chemical weapons factory, the American intelligence capability would be able to detect it in the first place. Also the article is based on non-governmental satellite images. This facility is meant only for our defence measures,” said Ye Htut, also deputy minister for information.

The article dated on May 9 was written by Jeffrey Lewis, director of East Asia Non-proliferation Programme. It followed the detention of four Unity Journal reporters and its CEO over the report on the factory, which sparked speculation that the government may want to conceal the fact. The reporters are still under trial and the Pakokku District Court may deliver a verdict on May 19. 

Myanmar and other five member states of the United Nations have not yet signed and/or ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention which aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.

In the article, Lewis cited satellite images purchased by Foreign Policy, which showed that the factory does not look like a standard ordnance factory. 

“It is very difficult to identify a chemical weapon facility using only overhead imagery, but the scale of the facility and its location are certainly unlike standard ordnance factories seen elsewhere. It comprises five enormous warehouses, with more than 200,000 square metres of floor space,” Lewis stated in the article.

The No. 24 Defence Equipment Factory was established in 2008. According to locals and factory insiders, covering 36,827 acres and sits on the thickly forested Pon Taung Pon Nyar region. Residents of nearby villages say all the routes to the factory are heavily guarded by checkpoints and some gates request national registration to be able to pass. 

Ye Htut insisted that it is not surprising that the commander-in-chief visits the defence facility. “He also pays a visit to regiment camps and hospitals.”

He noted that the Centre for Non-proliferation Studies (CNS)’s evidence is only the satellite photo of a factory warehouse. On the size, he said “There are many defence industries in foreign countries larger than ours. This is only meant for defence weaponry. We cannot establish chemical arms that easy.”

He went on to suggest that Myanmar is currently in the process of “affirming” the CWC regulations after signing the deal but the affirmation process has to be approved in parliament. 

“After we obtained affirmation from parliament, we have to change the local laws in conformity with that convention. For instance, when private industries import the chemical compounds which have two purposes i.e. medicinal and chemical weapons production, we have to check those compounds complying with the convention,” he added.

Local resident Tin Tin Kyi noted that there are five villages around the plant. For the construction, Lay Pin Ai village was moved out. 

“Since the beginning of the factory project, our paddy lands have been seized without any compensation. We know it as a defence equipment production factory as they say,” Tin Tin Kyi said.

On January 23, 2014, the Unity Journal featured an investigative story exposing the existence of a “secret chemical factory in Pauk” which was rephrased in the January 30 edition with a follow-up stating that No. 24 Defence Equipment Factory was not a chemical plant.

In the wake of these stories, the CEO of Unity Journal and four reporters were arrested and are currently facing charges of having leaked official secrets under the Official Secrets Act. 

Lt-Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Oo, head of the admin department of the factory, filed a case against the Unity Journal on February 14 and they are still on trial and could face up to 14 years in prison.