Burma's armed forces have been using Swedish made M-3 Carl Gustav anti-tank weapons against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Burma, according to journalist and Burma expert Bertil Lintner.
Writing in the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper on Tuesday, Lintner revealed that the KIO recently acquired an M-3 launcher and assorted shells following clashes with government forces. Lintner discovered the weapon's seizures during a recent trip to Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) controlled territories in Kachin state. Photos of the shells including their serial number have been posted on the website of the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet
The M-3 Carl Gustav weapon and shells found in Kachin state were produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics, part of Saab group - one of Europe's largest weapons exporters. The sale of weapons to Burma's military is a clear violation of the European Union arms ban on Burma and Sweden's own arms exports regulations. But both Sweden and the EU do little to ensure that the weapons they sell are not re-sold to countries like Burma. Although it’s unclear how the M-3 Carl Gustav weapons fell into the hands of Burma's military, likely the government bought them from a third party and not directly from Europe. Based on the serial numbers obtained by photographs of the weapon and shells Saab Bofors Dynamics can identify who they were initially sold to.
The Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP) has launched an investigation into the matter, according to London's Independent newspaper. Saab Bofors Dynamics spokesperson Sebastian Carlsson told the Independent that his firm would fully co-operate with the ongoing investigation. Carlsson acknowledged that Saab Bofors Dynamics exports M-3 Carl Gustav weapons to 20 countries but refused to name them.
Fighting between the KIO and Burma's military has taken place on a daily basis since June 9, 2011, following the collapse of a 17-year ceasefire between Burma's second strongest armed ethnic group and the central government. According to the latest estimates provided by UN agencies working in Burma at least 75,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Kachin and parts of western Shan state since the conflict began. Nearly 40,000 civilians are taking shelter in territory controlled by the KIO. Aid workers on the ground say the number of refugees living in KIO territory is considerably higher than the UN estimates.
