# Australia bans N.Korean ships



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

From the BBC - 

_Australia is to ban North Korean ships from entering its ports in response to its claimed nuclear bomb test, the foreign minister has announced. 
Alexander Downer told Parliament the move would help Australia make a "quite clear contribution" to other sanctions agreed by the UN on Saturday. 

The move came as US envoy Christopher Hill arrived in Tokyo for talks on how to enforce the sanctions. 

The UN resolution imposes both weapons and financial sanctions on the North. 

Despite the unanimous vote, disagreements have emerged between the members of the council. 

Beijing has indicated that it still has reservations about carrying out the extensive cargo inspections that Washington says are called for in the resolution. 

But reporters in the Chinese border city of Dandong saw increased checks on cargo trucks bound for North Korea on Monday. 

Ship inspections 

NEW UN SANCTIONS 
Bans sale to, or export from, N Korea of military hardware
Bans sale or export of nuclear and missile related items
Bans sale of luxury goods
Freezes finances and bans travel of anyone involved in nuclear, missile programmes
Allows inspection of cargo to and from N Korea
Stresses new resolution needed for further action


Who stands where 

Australia is one of the few countries to have diplomatic relations with North Korea, but its trade ties are limited. In 2005, imports amounted to A$16m ($12m). 

"If we are to ban North Korean vessels from visiting Australian ports then I think that will help Australia make a quite clear contribution to the United Nations sanctions regime." 

Christopher Hill is expected to spend two days in Japan before heading on to South Korea. Talks will focus on US-Japan co-operation over the North Korean crisis. 

Japan, which banned North Korean ships from its ports last week, is looking at whether it can provide logistical support for US vessels if they start trying to inspect cargo ships going to or from North Korea. 

The restrictions imposed by Japan's pacifist constitution may require the government to pass new laws to allow that to happen. 

In a further diplomatic drive, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to arrive in Japan on Wednesday. 

She reportedly intends to reassure the country that Washington will provide adequate protection in the event that North Korea obtains a viable nuclear weapon - a message she will later take to South Korea. 

'Heavy responsibility' 

The UN resolution against North Korea was agreed after lengthy negotiations. 

It imposes tough weapons restrictions, targets luxury goods and imposes a travel ban on some North Korean officials. 


Mr Hill will go on to South Korea after talks in Tokyo 

It also allows the inspection of cargo vessels going in and out of North Korea for banned materials, although the resolution was weakened slightly at China and Russia's insistence, to make this provision less mandatory. 

Beijing's UN envoy, Wang Guangya, said immediately after the vote that China urged countries to "refrain from taking any provocative steps that may intensify the tension". 

Both Russia and China are concerned that inspections could spark naval confrontations with North Korean boats. 

But the US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, told American television that China had voted for the sanctions and therefore "China itself now has an obligation to make sure that it complies." 

North Korea reacted angrily to the resolution. Its UN envoy, Pak Gil-yon, condemned the move before storming out of the meeting in New York. 

The isolated communist state announced on 9 October that it had carried out an underground nuclear test near Gilju in Hamgyong province. 

US officials said on Saturday that preliminary results of scientific tests appeared to confirm that that claim was true, but they stressed that more tests were needed to reach a conclusion. _

Rushie


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## david (Oct 14, 2004)

Rushie,
Pardon my cynicism, but I wonder just how many N Korean vessels actually trade to/from Oz ports?
Anybody out there know?
All this huffing and puffing by Mr Downer is all about point scoring. When it comes down to the bottom line, there is zilch our govt can do to prevent those very clever, conniving militraists and their "Dear Leader" from doing precisely what they want to do, when they want to do it!!.
I am not a member of a political party!!
Regards,
David D.


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## dom (Feb 10, 2006)

*dom*

go along with David on that,last N Korean ship i heard of wanted to trade here had a cargo of heroin


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## aleddy (Apr 8, 2006)

Just as long as we don't do anything to help them do it David.
I'm not a member of any political party either.
Ted


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## Jan Hendrik (Feb 14, 2005)

Indeed, I never heard of any North Korean ships entering OZ waters, does it also include ships with destination North Korea? What about ships which leave OZ and call on to several ports including a North Korean port?

Further, how will they check container vessels on their way to North Korea? Just the paperwork or would they remove 5 stacks TEU from the top in open sea to check the contents of a certain container?
It is virtually impossible to police this and going by the paperwork alone can be just a waste of resources.
(I do not vote.)
Jan


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## Doug Shaw (Jan 20, 2006)

Regarding the _Pong Su_, the North Korean ship carrying the heroin and which was sunk by the Royal Australian Air Force on 23 March, Alexander Downer (Australia's Foreign Minister) said, "I'm not familiar with any other North Korean shipping coming into Australian waters. North Korean shipping is not a big thing, obviously, because North Korea's economy is a very weak and a very small economy. Most of their trade is with China. So I think it'd be pretty unlikely that there'd be, very often, be North Korean ships visiting Australian waters."

Doug
(I don't vote either.)


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

I am sure that with this firm and drastic action by the Australian Government the North Korean dictatorship will immediately renounce any nuclear activity.

JB
(I vote sometimes)


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## aleddy (Apr 8, 2006)

Not likely and they probably think we are a country in the middle of Europe.
Cheers 
Ted


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

No, no Ted. I believe the heirarchy are huddled in smoke filled rooms at the moment trembling over this drastic announcement by the brave Australian Government. Banning their ships will cripple commerce and bring them to their knees. You mark my words they will quickly crumble.


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## Jan Hendrik (Feb 14, 2005)

There was some footage on OZ TV last night about the one and only big bridge connecting China with North Korea.
The traffic with full containerloads and other goods traffic in the one direction only was busier than the morning peak hour on Melbourne's main roads.


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## cboots (Aug 16, 2004)

Stands to reason mates, its got to bring them to their knees. How they gonna get their Vegemite now!
CBoots


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## aleddy (Apr 8, 2006)

If enough other countries ban them then they might just need to come here, so possibly for the first time our government is actually thinking ahead.
"Have boats will travel"!!!.
Without out prejudice,
Ted


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