Philippines Impounds First North Korean Ship Under New UN Sanctions
Something I have been saying should be done for a long time is to seize ships caught violating UN sanctions and then sell them off to pay reparations to the families of people kidnapped or killed in provocations or terrorism launched by the Kim regime in the past. The cost of having to replace seized ships would definitely hurt the Kim regime’s bottom line while serving as a deterrent to third countries trying to smuggle goods into North Korea:
The Philippines will impound a suspected North Korean cargo ship docked at a port northwest of Manila and eventually deport its North Korean crewmen in compliance with tough new U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, officials said Saturday.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III said the U.N. sanctions would be applied to the MV Jin Teng, which arrived Thursday at Subic Bay, a former U.S. naval base that’s now a key commercial port. The ship has 21 North Korean crewmen.
“Our obligation is essentially to impound the vessel and not allow it to leave port and that the crew must eventually be deported,” Quezon said in a radio interview.
The 4,355-ton vessel is among 31 ships listed as being North Korean owned and that should be held under an “assets freeze” order, Philippine Foreign Assistant Secretary Gary Domingo said. [Associated Press]
You can read more at the link.
The idea is appealing but it could lead a corrupt UN to put sanctions on everyone with expensive goods and no veto…
@GIKorea – Thanks for reposting the article I posted in the forum section yesterday. One comment I found in the local media here is that the Filipino authorities have yet to find any contraband onboard this particular vessel. That is probably due to the fact that it was on its way back to NK when it was seized.
Second Ship Impounded:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/03/15/Philippines-seize-second-North-Korea-operated-ship/2611458059392/
Fatty Kim is down two boats, but here’s a concern: Neither ship had anything onboard that has been even questionable, let alone forbidden. Yeah, I remember the fighter jet hidden under sugar bags seized in Panama, but how long until the norK Propaganda Machine starts complaining about their crews being harassed while peacefully going about their business?
Oh, Theresa Begonia? Nice way to say “Harmless freighter, no way involved with anything shady.”
Need to make sure the norKs are not trying to desensitize people before doing something goofy and violent.
These two ships probably slipped through the net and unloaded their cargo of illegal booty before the UN resolution went into effect and before they were caught. Most likely these two ships were on the way back home after visiting the Middle East or some other questionable port of call. The stories never did say whether the Philippine Coast Guard inspected their manifests or ship’s log. It would be interesting to note where they had been before being seized in the Philippine ports.