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North Korean vessel owned by VI-based co. seized in the Philippines

The Jin Teng which is being held by the Philippines as part of sanctions against North Korea. Photo: Reuters
Writing on his Facebook page regarding the impounding of the North Korean vessel in the Philippines, Leader of the Opposition Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3), left, said US hypocrisy is something that he spoke about just recently. Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith did not respond to calls when we sought a comment from him on the matter. Photo: VINO/File
Writing on his Facebook page regarding the impounding of the North Korean vessel in the Philippines, Leader of the Opposition Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3), left, said US hypocrisy is something that he spoke about just recently. Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith did not respond to calls when we sought a comment from him on the matter. Photo: VINO/File
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has impound a suspected North Korean cargo ship docked at a port northwest of Manila and is to eventually deport its North Korean crewmen in compliance with tough new U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, officials said, according to an article on Virgin Islands Free Press.

Despite flying a Sierra Leone flag, the Jin Teng was seized on Monday March 14, 2016 on suspicions the vessel was operated by a North Korean shipping group that had been blacklisted by the UN and faced an asset freeze.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III said the U.N. sanctions would be applied to the MV Jin Teng, which arrived Thursday at Subic Bay, a former US naval base that’s now a key commercial port. The ship has 21 North Korean crewmen.

“Our obligation is essentially to impound the vessel and not allow it to leave port and that the crew must eventually be deported,” Quezon said in a radio interview.

The 4,355-ton vessel is among 31 ships listed as being North Korean owned and that should be held under an “assets freeze” order, Philippine Foreign Assistant Secretary Gary Domingo said.

It’s one of the first known impositions of the toughest Security Council sanctions on the reclusive country in two decades, reflecting growing anger at Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch in defiance of a ban on all nuclear-related activity.

Vessel owned by VI-based company

Philippine Coast Guard regional commander Raul Belesario, however, told The Associated Press that Jin Teng’s papers show that it’s a Sierra Leone-flagged ship owned by a company based in the Virgin Islands and managed by a firm in China’s Shandong province.

“On paper, it’s not North Korean,” he said.

The North Korean crewmen have not been restricted since they arrived and showed their travel papers, Belesario said, adding that there were no available records to check whether the Jin Teng has traveled to North Korea in the past.

Coast guard personnel with two bomb sniffer dogs boarded the vessel Thursday March 10, 2016 after it arrived from Indonesia. The inspectors did not find any suspicious materials, but spotted minor safety deficiencies, including missing fire hoses, a corroded air vent and electrical switches without insulation.

Aside from those deficiencies, which were being dealt with by the crew, there were no other issues with the ship, which is scheduled to sail next to southwestern China’s Zhanjiang port, Belesario said.

Domingo said the Philippine government will proceed to hold the ship in line with the latest Security Council sanctions order and submit a report to U.N. officials.

Asked about the ownership issue, Domingo said it can be checked if the ship was using “a flag of convenience” to hide its true owner, adding that Philippine officials will meet soon to determine what to do next with the ship in coordination with the U.N.

The latest Security Council sanctions include mandatory inspections of cargo leaving and entering North Korea by sea or air, a ban on all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to Pyongyang, and the expulsion of diplomats from the North who engage in “illicit activities.”

Hon Fraser responds

Writing on his Facebook page, Leader of the Opposition Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3) said US hypocrisy is something that he spoke about just recently.

"A few weeks ago I wrote about US hypocrisy. Today I can cite yet further evidence of same, as indicated in the article [above]," he wrote.

Hon Fraser, one of the few politicians who understands the financial services sector, writing on March 7, 2016 on his Facebook page, blasted a report that listed the Virgin Islands as one of some fourteen nations in the wider Caribbean that were named by the United States as “major money laundering” countries in the 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) released by the US State Department on Wednesday March 2, 2016.

The Opposition Leader labeled the United States as a “hypocrite.”

Hon Fraser, a former Deputy Chief Minister under a Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government, went on to say that the countries listed as ‘Money Laundering’ countries “were all created by the United States.”

The feisty Leader of the Opposition asked readers not to waste time reading the report coming from the “world’s number one hypocrite- The United States of America.”

Meanwhile, CEO of BVI Finance Julien N. Johnson, when approached for a comment on the North Korean vessel being impounded, said he needed to read the article first. Efforts to reach Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the BVI Financial Services Commission Dr Robert A. Mathavious for a comment proved futile.

Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith did not respond to calls when we sought a comment from him on the matter.

18 Responses to “North Korean vessel owned by VI-based co. seized in the Philippines”

  • ABC (18/03/2016, 09:21) Like (10) Dislike (4) Reply
    is this what the unwise Asia office has brought us? Not good
  • that's a fact (18/03/2016, 09:26) Like (15) Dislike (8) Reply
    Fraser is way ahead of Smith when it comes to the outside world.
    • wize up (18/03/2016, 10:51) Like (10) Dislike (11) Reply
      @ that's a fact: yea right and you actually believe this; no wonder Smith is Premier and fraser is just a district rep: knows all about the outside world yet he can not get 14 of his own collogues together to form a political party... now that's ting to talk!!?
      • @ wize up (20/03/2016, 23:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        . oh lawd a next NDP MISFIT?????...like NDP MANUFACTURING allyuh?????..
  • wize up (18/03/2016, 09:35) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    how long was this company registered in the Virgin Islands
  • rio (18/03/2016, 10:34) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Seize the time. more will come out in due course. You cannot address what you are not willing to confront.
  • Poor Leadership (18/03/2016, 11:56) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    Leadership in BVI politicians is at an all time low. We need some new strong leaders to run this country who will be engaged not only in local matters but international matters as well. They are suppose to be able to answer any question the media challenges them to answer. Our leaders are behind when it comes to strong leadership and this has to be addressed. I'm not a VIP or NDP supporter but atleast Hon. Fraser is aware of what's going on in other countries.
  • Impossible (18/03/2016, 11:59) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Can't believe this. VI and North Korea - Impossible!
  • Enforcement is Key (18/03/2016, 12:28) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
    Precisely why Hon. Fraser would be very poorly placed at the helm (or any place) of BVI politics, with comments like this: "The feisty Leader of the Opposition asked readers not to waste time reading the report coming from the “world’s number one hypocrite- The United States of America.”
    • right (18/03/2016, 13:16) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      They are hypocrites because they are exposing everything that is swept under the rug here in the BVI. There is whole lot more that is going to be exposed. Honestly, I would rather believe the United States than the leaders of this Country. Embelishers + Conartist = NDP & VIP.
  • ABC (18/03/2016, 13:09) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    Fraser can not get the S. C. Bay harbor project off the ground but he is going to take on the USA. They should have deported him when he was there trying to get his RA.
    • @ ABC (18/03/2016, 14:11) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
      Ok funny man stop while you ahead
    • usa (18/03/2016, 15:12) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
      We are hypocrites. But we allow him to come here and further his education. If anything, he is a damn user and a loser. Can't even hold down his own district.
  • ss (18/03/2016, 13:19) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    @ABC, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sit back, there is much more to come behind this.
  • A (18/03/2016, 13:59) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    Ladies and Gentlemen of the BVI, put on your seatbelts and get ready for turbulence.
  • bed time story (18/03/2016, 20:08) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dr. Smith fast asleep
  • Poliitical Observer (20/03/2016, 08:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    In biblical times, David the Liliputian, took on Goliath, a giant, and slayed him. That was biblical times but this is now. Does the VI, a speck in the Caribbean Sea, want to take on the U.S., a suoer power? Is the U.S. perfect? No. Are they going to look out for its own interest? Yes. Can they put a strsnglehold on the VI? Yes. Politicians must exercise due diligence and not spout off their mouth for political gain, pretending they are up on issues, but in the end causing the territory harm. Transparency, accountability and open communication yes. Nonetheless, diplomacy is needed on some issues. I leave you with the question. Can the US take action not in the best interest of the VI and Virgin Islanders?
  • 2019 (21/03/2016, 22:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    the people must decide if they want the country to change or stay the way it is.


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