An inquiry has been launched after Myanmar soldiers were found to have used Swedish-made weapons against ethnic rebels, in breach of European Union sanctions, reports Bangkok Post.
The Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP) confirmed it had begun an investigation after it was given details of several high-performance M-3 Carl Gustav anti-tank rifles recovered by Kachin rebels from Myanmar government troops in ongoing clashes.
“We have the serial numbers for these weapons and with this you can know the where, when and what – the detailed information,” said an ISP spokesman, in comments reported by The Independent.
“We hope we will be able to trace how they got there.”
An EU ban on the sale of weapons to Myanmar remains in place despite recent reforms led by the nominally-civilian government of President Thein Sein.
The M-3 is produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics, part of the Saab group and one of the world’s top 30 producers of arms. Company spokesman, Sebastian Carlsson, said it was cooperating with the inquiry.
“We don’t like our products ending up in Burma. We don’t sell to Burma,” he said.
