EDITORIAL
Time to rethink position on Korea
Thailand must stay out of the missile crisis and focus instead on developing a united front among Asean members
Listening to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon talking about the nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula, one only can say: Please, mind your own business. The issues related to North Korea and its nuclear ambitions are complicated, and they are outside the purview of Thailand and policymakers here. It is one thing to comment and express grave concerns over the firing of Taepodong missiles by North Korea recently; it is another to say that Thailand can play a role in this nuclear missile crisis.Indeed, Thailand and North Korea are considered an odd couple. As the first hard-core communist country to be recognised by Thailand, in May 1976, some Thai officials have a strong attachment to North Korea. Exchange visits between officials from both countries have continued unabated. Whenever there is a crisis involving North Korea, Thailand is prepared to play the role of mediator. It is a pretty bizarre thing for Thailand to be so enthusiastic about this rogue state. For years, Thailand has wanted to play a mediating role in reducing tensions in the Korean Peninsula. In the past, Malaysia hosted the US-North Korean talks in 1995. Kantathi has said repeatedly that Thailand's proposed role has been well received by all concerned parties involved in the current six-party talks trying to neutralise North Korea's nuclear arsenal. The Thai government's first priority in the Korean Peninsula should be to pressure the government of North Korea to disclose the whereabouts and fate of Anocha Panjoy, a Thai lady who was allegedly kidnapped by intelligence agents from the North in 1978 in Macau. So far, Pyongyang has ignored repeated enquiries from the Thai government. Embassy officials here dismissed the kidnapping story as groundless. Both the Foreign Ministry and members of Anocha's family have made requests for information. Many political pundits have said that Thailand has been too soft on North Korea for fear that it would upset the country and jeopardise its role as mediator. Moreover, Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia have cause to be concerned over the potential of North Korean missiles because they could potentially hit their capitals. North Korea has a long history of defiance against any acceptable norm or international standard. When Pyongyang was admitted into the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), it was thought at the time to be the best way to engage North Korea. After six years of trying, ARF members realised that Pyongyang was not interested in discussing and resolving the problems in the Korean Peninsula. What it wants is to attract attention from around the world. It will hold other countries hostage for more food and humanitarian aid by threatening an Armageddon scenario in the peninsula. The recent missile firing has already propelled Japan to beef up its defence system. Japan has already relied too much on the US to counter threats from Pyongyang. If Thailand really wants to play a role in the Korean crisis, it can convince ARF members to pick up the important issues surrounding the North and push for further discussion. So far, issues pertinent to the Korean Peninsula have been dominated by the US, Russia, Beijing, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Indeed, Southeast Asian countries still lack knowledge of this isolated nation. Asean should forge a common position on North Korea, urging Pyongyang to stand down for the sake of regional stability and encouraging its integration with the Asian economy. With such a common position, Asean would be far more effective in dealing with the vital issues in the Korean Peninsula.
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