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North Korea’s Central News Agency has announced that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is officially out of six-party talks.  This move is a reaction to the statement released by the UN Security Council - which condemned Pyongyang’s missile launch and reiterated the necessity for sanctions.  According to the Security Council meeting, North Korea broke resolution 1718, which does not allow “further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile”.  According to Pyongyang, the launch was not a military move, but rather a technological feat, setting a satellite into orbit - which was a success according to North Korea, and a failure according to the rest of the world.  

So now the talks, which began in the summer of 2003, are over.  Over a span of five years and six rounds, not much was accomplished in the first place.  North Korea wanted to be recognized as a respectable country in the world, as opposed to a blacklisted rogue state.  They also wanted an end to economic sanctions, a thaw on some of their foreign accounts, support for peaceful nuclear advancement, and the eventual right to pursue nuclear technology, basically a long list that was never going to be granted.  The US, China, South Korea, Russia, and Japan, wanted Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program completely, and disclose how far they had gotten.  Sanctions were imposed, tightened, loosened, and that was about it.  North Korea has consistently threatened to leave the talks, threatened to rebuild its nuclear facilities, and acts as if they have more military capability than they probably do.

Now, North Korea says they are no longer bound to any agreements made by the six-party talks, that they will never join the talks again, and will work to restore what was lost as far as their nuclear technology during the span of the talks.  And, they feel that the Security Council has “infringed upon their sovereignty” and has hurt “the dignity of the Korean people”.  

What will North Korea actually do?  That’s the root of the problem - nobody really knows.  They are extremely secretive, and always have been under Kim Jong-il.  Their is no doubt that they are a poor nation financially, but can anyone argue against their resolve?  Kim Jong-il could just be on a nationalist roll after the successful missile launch (semi-successful) and his recent return to the public eye.  Or he may be making the final push at the end of his career.  He can’t live forever, and perhaps had a few things left on his list-of-crazy-things-to-do-before-I-die.

Protesters, identified by their red shirts, stormed the ASEAN summit meeting on Saturday, forcing the Asian leaders to pack up and go home, and severely embarrassing the Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva.  The protesters wanted to make it clear that they are unhappy with their leader, who took office only four months ago after parliamentary elections, which they feel were unfair.  The red shirts support former PM, billionaire, Thaksin Shinawatra, who led until 2006 when he was ousted by the military.  Shinawatra is the man for the rural poor, the favorite of the majority, while Abhisit is the present man for business interests, and the military.  

The summit leaders had to be flown out of Thailand to ensure their safety.  Not that the protesters were violent, but they were chaotic, crashing through a huge window, and clashing with the blue shirts (men tied to the military or police).  The meeting, which included China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand had plans to discuss North Korea’s missile launch, as well as the economic and security issues unique to the region.  This whole fiasco makes Abhisit look out of control, and will have a huge impact on Thailand’s tourism industry - a huge part of their economy.  

There are reports that the Sri Lankan military has killed 15 rebels, although information about the war between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lanka is filtered through their own networks.  No media are allowed into conflict regions.  The Tamil Eelam homepage hasn’t posted anything new since 2006.  There is fear of a disastrous humanitarian crisis, but Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan Defense Secretary and leader of the offensive, says that the numbers of civilian deaths and people trapped in the battle zones are exaggerated.  According to International agencies, such as the Red Cross, at least hundreds have died, and there are around 250,000 people who need to get out of the conflict areas.  Although the Tamil Tigers have asked for a stop to the fighting, the Sri Lankan military refuses to allow even a cease-fire, which they believe would give the rebels an opportunity to catch their breath.  Right now, Sri Lankan fighters are dominating the Tigers, who have been pushed back into a small area.  Not only are they more equipped militarily and financially, but they have been employing the same guerrilla tactics that the Tigers have been subsisting off for years.  Where do the people stand?  The people seem to disappear with the Tigers when the Sri Lankan forces arrive to take more territory.  Without the presence of the media, it is very difficult to ascertain what they are going through.The Tamil Tigers, or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting since 1976 to secede from Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon.  They want autonomy for the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, a nation called Tamil Eelam, home to the Tamil people, who have a separate history, culture, and language.  Sri Lanka views the Tigers as a terrorist organization that needs to be put down.  We have set such a dangerous precedent by using terrorist as a blanket term to mean ‘enemy’.  Now any country can play the terrorist card, even against people they are oppressing.  And that of course raises the issue - are we oppressing people that we are naming ‘terro

I wrote earlier this month about the planned Pyongyang launch of a satellite, some time in the beginning of April.  The satellite will be launched with Taepodong-2 , a long-range missile, believed to be capable of reaching either Alaska or Hawaii.  Japan, the US, and South Korea are on edge over the launch, which according to South Korean sources could be set off earlier then expected.  Leaders from all three countries will meet in Washington tomorrow to discuss what should, and should not be done.

Japan is most concerned with such a strong show of force in their region.  They also have to worry about debris that is likely to fall over Japan, or at least Japan’s waters.  So far Tokyo has plans to deploy 2 Aegis-equipped destroyers with Standard Missile -3 interceptors from Japan’s coast.  They would of course try to shoot down a missile that was aimed at their own territory, but right now the concern is intercepting the potential debris.  South Korea has the economy to worry about, as the Pyongyang’s satellite will shake Korean markets, but hopefully only for a short time.  The United States has announced they could potentially, possibly, most-likely shoot down the satellite if they needed to, but the American innuendo is probably nothing more than a routine response.  North Korea has said that if the US interferes with Taepodong-2, then it will be considered an act of war.  Also - how would the US military appear to the world if they missed?  Since no one outside of North Korea known when exactly the missile will launch, it is impossible for anyone to coordinate an accurate missile defense.

As worried as Japan, South Korea, and the US are, Russia has pointed out that the aging Kim Jong-il is only making a necessary show of force - for his own country, and that the wisest move would be to leave him alone.  And what about China, the emerging superpower and closest thing that North Korea has to an ally?  They are remaining on the side lines for this one, promoting everyone to take a calm approach.  That is all anyone can do at this point.  We’ll wait and see how far Kim Jong-il will go to prove whatever it is he is trying to prove to the world, to his people, or maybe just to himself.

photo by wokar.net

He was arrested in China for having paraphernalia in his room - Tibetan paraphernalia.  Earlier this month he helped to take down a Chinese national flag and replace it with a Tibetan one at the prayer hall of his monastery.  According to the Central Tibetan Administration he committed suicide by jumping into the Yellow River to avoid being arrested.  Tashi himself was a Tibetan monk from the Tagya monastery.  He was only 27.  The Chinese police claim that he disappeared after he asked to use the bathroom, and they have no idea where he went.  Tashi Sangpo’s death was enough to incite a riot.  Around 4,000 monks and supporters gathered outside the police station in western China, shouting out for Tibetan independence and for the Dalai Lama.

Nearly 100 were arrested or surrendered today, and now face Chinese interrogation, which traditionally involves violence against Tibetan detainees.  Meanwhile, another man has died because of Chinese oppression - the nation that holds all the cards today as the entire world is competing for Chinese loans.

North Korea has pulled out the white glove, announcing it will launch a missile that will then launch a satellite into orbit.  Their official stance is that they are focused on the satellite, although the assumption is that they are expressing their ability to fire a long-range missile, one that could potentially reach either Alaska or Hawaii.  Taepodong-2 is scheduled to launch between April 4th and the 8th, anywhere between 2am and 7pm.  The time range announcement is supposedly a warning to any ships that might be in the Sea of Japan, where debris could fall.  But it is still vague enough to make it difficult for any precise defense.

Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defense has already said that the US is capable of shooting down a North Korean missile if necessary with Tomahawk missiles.  Japan announced today that they also could shoot down the Taepodong-2, and legally has every right to.  The question is, who is bluffing, and who isn’t?  North Korea could just be trying to instigate the US, or be making a regional show of power by way of a mere threat, and have no intention at all of launching a satellite.  If they do, will the hawks at the Pentagon shoot it down - risking serious embarrassment if they fail, and sparking off further confrontation, forcing themselves to extend an already over-extended military?  Will Japan take action, not wanting North Korea to gain to much power in Asia?  Or will North Korea successfully launch their satellite, with no interruptions, solidifying their position in the region and the world?

The Dalai Lama spoke in India for the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising against China.  For the first time, he showed frustration, calling what his people have experienced under Chinese rule “hell on Earth.”  In the past he has only mentioned a peaceful path, and still believes that Tibetan autonomy will happen.  The Dalai Lama offers a compromise relationship with China - that Tibet would willingly remain a part of the People’s Republic of China, holding no ill will for their oppressors, but only want to live as Tibetans, in Tibet, under their own law.  China claims that they were the liberators of Tibet, and even intend on making March 28th Serf’s Emancipation Day.  To them, the “rebels” of Tibet have always wanted to return their country to a feudal system in which they are in charge.  

There are reports that hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have been killed since China invaded Tibet and took control in 1951.  Tibetan culture has been at risk since then, and the people are afraid of the Chinese military.  Foreign journalists are only allowed into Tibet under tight restrictions.  Still, the Dalai Lama continues to ask only for a resolution that would appease everyone, despite the horrors the people of Tibet have faced, many for their entire lifetime.  As generous as this seems, President Hu Jintao seems to be having a different conversation.  The Dalai Lama will most likely continue with his peaceful pathway to justice as long as he is alive.  And China will probably continue only with its intermittent acts of aggression towards Tibet.  But what happens when the 73 year old Holy leader is gone?    

 The Rohingya people weren’t given any solace from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which met in Thailand to discuss the region’s issues.  The Rohingya are an ethnic minority in Burma - but the Burmese government refuses to recognize them.  They are horribly mistreated, with claims that they are undergoing an ethnic cleansing at the hands of the military junta that rules Burma.  Although the borders are guarded, some Rohingya escape the country, only to be turned away once they reach the sanctuary of other countries.  The Thai military has repeatedly sent the refugees to fend for themselves at sea, leaving them to drift, and often times die without food, supplies, or hope.

The Rohingya are native to Burma.  They are part of what was once the Arakan State, which was invaded by a Burmese King in 1784, and has since been annexed by Burma.  The Rohingya have no rights, and are often subject to forced labor and abuse.  Burma stated that they would take back the Rohingya only under the status of Bengali, not Burmese.  The Burmese consul explained that the Rohingya are not really Burmese because they are dark-skinned and “as ugly as ogres”.

The Rohingya refugees have no desire to return to the country that they ran away from, but they also aren’t being accepted elsewhere.  Their fate remains drifting at sea.