McCully’s
Condemnation of Satellite Launch Sadly Predictable
Foreign Minister
Murray McCully’s condemnation of North Korea’s launch of an earth
observation satellite was predictable - he never strays far from
American guidance. It was also sadly short-sighted. As a small
country it is in our long-term interest to defend the norms of
international law, not condone their violation. The centrepiece of
international law has to be the equality of nations. We cannot have
one law for powerful countries and another for small ones. Satellites
are an important, indeed essential, part of the modern scientific
environment. They have been launched by a large number of countries,
including South Korea. Why condemn only North Korea?
Mr McCully’s
repetition of the argument that the satellite launch employed
‘ballistic missile technology’ is disingenuous. All satellites
are launched by ballistic rockets, but a satellite carrier rocket is
not a missile. There are distinct and important differences.
However, the same
principles of the norms of international law apply to missiles. Many
countries test and deploy missiles, including the United States,
Russia, China, India, and South Korea. We may well think that
missiles, along with strategic bombers and nuclear weapons, should be
banned but this must happen on the basis of equality. All countries
should be equal before the law. Condemning one country, North Korea,
for doing what other countries do just because that aligns with
American foreign policy takes New Zealand down a slippery slope, to
our detriment.
As a small
country it is vital that New Zealand upholds the principles of
international law because they offer us the best, and enduring,
protection in a volatile global environment.
Tim Beal,
Chairman
Peter Wilson,
Secretary
NZ-DPRK Society
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