For decades Pyongyang has thrived on intimidation and threats, either with missiles or weapons of mass destruction. The tactic has so far worked to the benefit of this rogue regime, which has never complied with any international norm or standard. North Korea has become an example to new rogue states that, to be noticed, one has to be really bad and possess dangerous weapons. Its strategy is based on the thinking of only one man, supreme leader Kim Jong-il, who it turns out is a rather shrewd and manipulative leader who has managed to keep the world's security confidence constantly on tenterhooks.

What is interesting here is that North Korea's threat to regional peace and stability has so far been addressed under the framework of the six-party talks initiated in 1994. These talks have been confined to the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas. Up to this point, Pyongyang's nuclear ambition has been addressed at the international level simply because it threatens two of the United States' most important allies, Japan and South Korea. For them, North Korea is a menace - a country that could do anything at all. The unpredictability of the world's last remaining Marxist-Leninist state has been the major problem.

But other countries in the region could do more. When North Korea was persuaded to join the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in 2000, it was hoped that membership in the only security forum in the Asia-Pacific region would enable Pyongyang to build up confidence and network with its friends, which include most members of the UN Security Council. But those hopes were in vain as Pyongyang's attitude has been a discerning one. It has not shown seriousness in treating the ARF members with respect.

As the driving force of the ARF, Asean should be more assertive in bringing pressure to bear on North Korea. One thing is clear as the ARF moves towards a role of preventive diplomacy: Pyongyang's constant missile threats do not augur well for this pivotal confidence-building measure. These missiles are capable of destroying the capitals of Asean as they are all within firing range. The threat has not yet dawned on the Asean leaders but, sooner or later, they will come to grips with the reality of this pariah state.

Unfortunately, Thailand has had its first bitter taste of dealing with North Korea. When a story surfaced last November that a Thai woman was allegedly kidnapped from Macau in 1987 and taken to North Korea by its secret agents, all official enquiries by the Thai government were curtly dismissed. Thailand was wrong all along to think that the first communist country that it established ties with, in 1976, would treat the matter with due attention. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon has repeatedly expressed dismay at Pyongyang's lack of sincerity and clarity. His hope that this case could be treated as a bilateral issue is no longer tenable. If there is no proper response in the near future, the Thai government plans to up the ante by joining the international chorus in the United Nations for broader condemnation of North Korea's human-rights violations.

Apart from Thai citizens, reports have also surfaced that Malaysians and Filipinos were also kidnapped and taken to North Korea over a span of three decades. This is a serious issue that must be cleared up as soon as possible. As long as Pyongyang issues flat denials, it is imperative that these Asean members get together and press for credible and complete accounts of the reports. To effectively contain North Korea, regional and international pressure must jointly be brought to bear on the rogue state as Pyongyang's security threat could prove detrimental, if not destructive, to the global community.