Britannia Radio

What brewing in South Asia?

Three Sri Lankan fishermen taking two Indian coast guards as hostages and their boat turning into a fireball after the release of hostages and the detention of a heavy weapon laden mystery aircraft from North Korea by Thai authorities with initial reports indicating it was heading to a South Asian destination are two episodes that have created ripples in the region. In the case of the hostage drama of course the Indo-Lanka relations remain too strong to allow a bizarre-sounding hostage incident to create cracks despite the volatility of the incident. However many informed Sri Lankans claim to have felt that there's an element of mystery surrounding the entire episode. They refuse to buy the story as it is and argue that there should be something more to it Then came the news that a mysterious plane from North Korea had been detained at Don Mueang domestic airport of Thailand when it landed there for refueling. A spokesman for the Thai government Panitan Wattanayagorn was quoted by Al Jazeera saying that the aircraft was to make another stopover in Colombo for refueling. Some agency reports indicated Colombo as the final destination triggering a slew of conspiracy theories here. Sri Lanka flatly denied the story and airport authorities insisted they were not expecting a North Korean flight at all. Some Thai officials hinted that its destination would have been Pakistan however there was no confirmation. The declaration by the crew that the plane was carrying oil drilling equipment when it actually carrying weapons weighing some 35 tons, including missiles and having a crew from Kazakhastan a country which has lately become a synonym for illegal weapon deals are all indications of a major arms racket. North Korea which is reeling under tough UN sanctions appeared to have made a desperate bid to earn money for the cash-strapped state. However what a cost it has to pay for the move. Ironically the scandal broke just two days after a two day visit by US special envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea. At the end of his visit Bosworth said the two countries 'shared some understanding' in reviving stalled talks. North Korea withdrew from the six-nation nuclear discussions that included US, Russia China, Japan and South Korea after the U.N. Security Council condemned its rocket launch in April. While a humiliated North Korea now owes an answer to the rest of the world as to why it misled the world and engaged in illegal weapon deals, global and regional powers must be busy exchanging information to find out as to what would have been the final destination of the flight. Though the  bulk of the reports pointed towards South Asia as the next stopover however there was no indication of a final destination. Chances are there that the arms dealers were heading to  a totally different destination, perhaps Africa, as their final landing point since many State and non-State actors in the region deal with disgraced states through third parties. The crew would have lied just like the way they lied about the cargo. However even by last afternoon there was no clue about the destination.