United Nations, Dec 19 (AFP) The United States has askedthe UN Security Council to blacklist ten ships for carryingbanned cargo from North Korea, according to the requestobtained by AFP today.
The vessels including two Hong Kong-flagged ships and twoNorth Korean tankers will be barred from entry into portsworldwide if the council approves the request.
A sanctions committee set a deadline of 3:00 pm (localtime) Thursday for council members to raise objections to theproposed global port ban.
The request targets the Hong Kong-flagged oil tankerLighthouse Winmore, the Palau-flagged oil tanker Billions No.
18, the cargo carrier Xin Sheng Hai from Belize and the HongKong-flagged cargo ship Kai Xiang.
Two North Korean cargo vessels, Ul Ji Bong 6 and Rung Ra2 along with two oil tankers Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1are on the proposed blacklist as are the Chinese tugboat YuYuan and the Glory Hope 1 (also known as Orient Shenyu), aPanama-flagged cargo ship.
In October, the council slapped a global port ban on fourvessels found carrying North Korean coal, seafood and ironore, which are banned under UN council resolutions.
The Security Council has slapped export bans on coal,iron, lead, textiles and seafood, restricted joint venturesand blacklisted a number of North Korean companies in responseto Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests.
It has capped oil deliveries to North Korea and theUnited States has asked China to cut off crude suppliesaltogether, a move that would deal a crippling blow to NorthKorea's economy.
The sanctions are aimed at choking off revenue toPyongyang's military programs and piling pressure on leaderKim Jong-Un to come to the negotiating table.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the council lastweek that North Korea must "earn its way back to the table"and vowed that the "pressure campaign must and will continueuntil denuclearization is achieved."The blacklisting of the ten vessels is allowed under aprovision of a resolution adopted in September that bars shipsfrom carrying goods banned from export from North Korea.
(AFP)MRJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
