On
N. Korea,
China Tells
ICP Process
May Not Move
Fast, DPRK
Feels
Threatened
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 12 –
After the
Security
Council on
Tuesday
morning issued
a press
statement
about North
Korea's
nuclear test,
many predicted
a quick and
straightforward
process toward
adopted a
full Council
resolution.
Inner
City Press, as
it did on the
January
resolution,
sought the
views of
the Chinese
delegation.
Asked about
the comments
made by the
US' Susan
Rice,
the response,
exclusive to
Inner City
Press, was
that it
does
not depend on
one side, it
depends on 15
members. You
have some
positions,
let's adopt a
resolution as
soon as
possible. You
can say
that, but it
depends on
many factors:
what you
propose,
what's the
content of
resolution?
How we can
conduct our
negotiations?
Then
a perspective
of Pyongyang
was proffered:
they
have
their
concerns, they
feel they are
threatened by
certain
countries.
How
does a
resolution
such as
appears is
being asked
for address
that? Have the
current
sanctions
against North
Korea been
effective? Not
enough to stop
this third
test, that
much is clear.
Will
South Korea
holding the
Security
Council
presidency
this month,
beyond being
seemingly
linked to
North Korea's
test or at
least its
timing, allow
them to better
impact a
resolution?
They have sent
a
lot of staff
to the
Council. But
if the last
resolution is
any guide,
it is largely
a game between
the US and
China, with
Russia having
some say at
the end.
The
US' Susan Rice
was asked
about the
difference
between this
time and
the past two
nuclear tests.
She said,
“North Korea
continues to
violate
repeated
Security
Council
resolutions
and that in
itself
makes this
different..
they are not
acceptable,
they will not
be
tolerated, and
they will be
met with North
Korea's
increasing
isolation and
pressure under
United Nations
sanctions.”
More
than eight
hours after
the press
statement and
stakeouts,
speeches
continued in
the Security
Council on the
topic of the
Protection of
Civilians. But
the
Presidential
Statement on
that had
already been
adopted, and
most of the
Permanent
Representatives,
other than
those
speaking were
long gone. And
so it goes at
the UN.
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