Australia deploys maritime force to enforce sanctions against North Korea
An Australian spy plane and navy frigate have been deployed to join international efforts to enforce economic sanctions against North Korea.
National
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Australia is to join an international maritime flotilla to enforce sanctions against North Korea in a significant ratcheting of tensions to our north which is also likely to involve protests from China and Russia.
Defence today revealed it was deploying a P-8A Poseidon maritime spy plane for surveillance missions to link with a re-tasked HMAS Melbourne which is to conduct patrols with maritime partners the US, UK and Japan.
“Since 2018, Australia has supported international efforts to deter and disrupt illicit trade and sanctions evasion activities by North Korea and its associated networks,” Defence said in a statement.
It added: “These deployments support ongoing economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. Australia, working with international partners, is committed to maintaining pressure on North Korea until it takes concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.”
The P-8A, with its advanced suite of sensors, radars and high definition cameras, will be based with about 30 crew in Japan although it is not clear who will be doing its tasking and leading the international effort.
Frigate HMAS Melbourne had been taking part in exercises in North East Asia.
Both have already been involved in operations in East China Sea.
It is understood the Melbourne has been ordered not to intercept suspect ships but to “observe and report” with its mere presence hoped to disrupt illegal activity.
The announcement came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, meeting yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, accused the United States and specifically its president Donald Trump on acting in bad faith on negotiations for a denuclearisation program.
The North Korean leader met with Trump in February and believed he had secured relief of economic sanctions which have crippled his half of the Korean peninsula in exchange for a denuclearisation commitment. But he said Trump refused to make that pledge.
“Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DARK will gird itself for every possible situation,” Kim told Putin yesterday.
Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures.
Last year during rising tensions before the talks, Australia’s allies had also sought Australian Defence Force commitment to putting pressure on North Korea and the RAAF deployed maritime patrol aircraft on three occasions, in April, September and December.
Defence Force chief of joint operations Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld said patrols were designed to gather intelligence and encourage further investigation of illicit transfers.
“We would aim to provide those surveillance aircraft to observe particularly elements of ship-to-ship transfers. It’s a needle in a haystack,” he said.
“Not only that (illegal transfers) but there is a huge amount of legal trade that occurs in that area through ship-to-ship transfers.”
North Korea has been skirting sanctions deploying “ghost ships” across the Asian region buying assets such as coal, claiming to be from third countries.
Other ships flying flags of convenience, registered in countries with little oversight such as Panama and Dominica, have also been actively breaching the sanctions.
The UN last month said it would be investigating possible UN violations of sanctions from at least 20 countries.
Singapore is also running its own investigation into tankers registered in their country which allegedly have been breaching the sanctions.
Originally published as Australia deploys maritime force to enforce sanctions against North Korea
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