North Korea’s non-aggression

Recent peace initiatives being taken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have “shocked” many as the foreign policy behaviour of the country has been fast changing after it conducted a nuclear detonation on October 9, 2006. However, later the country’s decision to bring its nuclear programme under international supervision intensified the peace process of the Six-Party talks and virtually ended the US “award” of the “axis of evil” and writing off the country from the list of Terrorist States.

DPRK has given a blueprint to the international community to verify its nuclear dismantlement steps being taken. More surprisingly, by signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on July 24 during the annual gathering held in Singapore on July 20-24, DPRK has showed that it is keen to go ahead with other East Asian countries and others in promoting a common environment in the region hitherto remained divergent as a result of the Cold War divide.

The 28-member ARF is a major security umbrella of East Asian countries involving major players such as the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Australia, Republic of Korea, and ASEAN member countries that came into being on July 25, 1994. The sole purpose of the regional forum was to foster constructive dialogue on the political and security issues of common interests, and to make contributions toward confidence building in the Asia-Pacific region. The other members of the regional forum are Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, European Union, India, Indonesia, Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, United States, and Vietnam. DPRK has joined the ARF in 2000 by becoming its 27th member.

Long before a comprehensive security thinking that emanated from the ARF, ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation came into force on February 24, 1976 signed by the ASEAN members at Bali (Indonesia). The treaty embodied the spirit of the 1955 Afro-Asian Conference held at Bandung (Indonesia), UN Charter, and ASEAN Declaration of 1967. The treaty requires signatories to renounce the use or threat of force and calls for the peaceful settlement of conflicts.