A uniting of world rogues

Bangkok Post
It has now been a year since Burma and North Korea announced their intentions to renew diplomatic relations. In the ordinary course of events, such an announcement between two nations at loggerheads would be a welcome sign.

But these are not two ordinary countries. From the beginning, this somewhat strange relationship caused more concern than optimism among the neighbours, both in Northeast Asia and around here. Neither the Pyongyang regime nor the Burmese dictatorship has provided any reason to trust this renewed and secretive restoration of full diplomatic relations.

Individually, Burma and North Korea are each a thorn in the sides of their neighbours. Burma is a reclusive, secretive country which has acquiesced in drug trafficking and built a massive military and state security system by ruining the country economically. Thailand and others are testimony that Burmese policy encourages the outflow of hundreds of thousands of economic refugees who affect all its neighbours.

North Korea is a hermit nation which also has squandered the national economy in the name of building a huge army. The Pyongyang regime has developed nuclear weapons, actually fired missiles on and over neighbours including Japan. It has peddled nuclear and missile technology almost around the world, and can be said to enjoy cordial diplomatic relations with not a single nation.

Together, it is starting to appear that the sum of a renewed relationship between Burma and North Korea is greater than its two distinct parts. After 25 years with little contact and no official relations, Burma and North Korea have found certain common interests. These did not even exist in 1983. That is when North Korean agents invaded Burma, launched a terrorist attack against the visiting South Korean president and his cabinet, and caused Rangoon to cut all ties.

What one publication dubbed last year as the uniting of world rogues has heightened concern. It now appears that secret Burmese-North Korean military cooperation pre-dated the decision to exchange ambassadors once again. At least one Australian expert has testified that Pyongyang has been supplying conventional weapons and technology to Burma for several years - probably since 1999, according to a respected Thailand-based Burma watcher. For perhaps six years, a group of up to 20 North Korean technicians may have been based at the naval base near Rangoon, and have fitted Burmese naval vessels with surface-to-surface missiles. This would directly affect Thai security.

Then there are the reports that North Korea has become involved in the Burmese desire for a nuclear reactor. While no one thinks the Burmese junta wants a nuclear weapon, its secretive search for a research or medical reactor is highly troubling. It would be wrong to trust North Korea, which has lied about its nuclear programme for two decades, anywhere near a Burma nuclear project. Yet it now is known that Burma has sent technicians for nuclear training in North Korea. There are legitimate questions here, including whether Burma wants to join the nuclear club.

Pyongyang and Rangoon are entitled to have diplomatic relations. But their secretive nature should trouble the Thai government and the neighbours of both countries. Secrecy promotes suspicion, distrust and tension. Neither of these pariah nations has goodwill to help it look respectable. The strongest diplomatic pressure should be put on both countries to clear up their questionable behaviour, military acquisitions and nuclear programmes.


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