DATE= 10/6/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-37714
TITLE=NORTH KOREA / FOOD & POLITICS
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: WHENEVER THE PROBLEM OF NORTH KOREA'S FOOD SHORTAGE IS
EXAMINED, THE ISSUE OF DISTRIBUTION COMES UP. HOW CAN DONOR
COUNTRIES BE SURE THE MOST NEEDY PEOPLE ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE FOOD
AID? IS IT WRONG IF SOME OF THE FOOD IS DIVERTED FOR CONSUMPTION
BY THE MILITARY? FOOD AID TO NORTH KOREA WAS AMONG THE TOPICS
DISCUSSED AT A RECENT (9/30) CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, AS
STEPHANIE MANN REPORTS.
TEXT: ROBERT GALLUCCI IS A FORMER DIPLOMAT WHO LED THE U-S
NEGOTIATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA THAT RESULTED IN THE 1994 NUCLEAR
AGREEMENT. AMBASSADOR GALLUCCI, WHO IS NOW DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF
FOREIGN SERVICE AT WASHINGTON'S GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, SAYS IT IS
NOT REALISTIC TO EXPECT THAT ALL THE FOOD AID WILL GO TO
STARVING CHILDREN. AND HE URGES DONOR GOVERNMENTS NOT TO MAKE
THE DISTRIBUTION ISSUE INTO A PROBLEM.
// GALLUCCI ACT //
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT FOOD
DELIVERIES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO GO JUST WHERE THEY OUGHT
TO GO IN HUMANITARIAN TERMS. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE
EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS, BUT WE SHOULD
ASSUME THAT FOOD IS FUNGIBLE, LIKE MONEY, IN THAT PEOPLE
WHO CARRY WEAPONS IN A CONTINGENCY, IN A CONFLICT, WILL
BE BETTER FED AS A RESULT OF US ATTEMPTING TO FEED
STARVING CHILDREN. I WOULD BE WILLING TO STIPULATE THAT
AND NOT FIGHT THAT FIGHT. // OPT // I WOULD DO
EVERYTHING I CAN TO ASSURE THAT THE DISTRIBUTION WAS FOR
HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES, BUT I THINK I WOULD BE REALISTIC
AND RECOGNIZE THAT YOU COULDN'T AVOID SOME IMPACT THAT
WOULD BE USEFUL FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE. THAT WOULD
JUST COME WITH THE TERRITORY. // END OPT //
// END ACT //
ANOTHER SPEAKER AT THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE, LEON SIGAL,
BELIEVES THE FOOD AID MONITORING ISSUE IS MOSTLY IRRELEVANT. MR.
SIGAL, WHO HAS JUST WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT DIPLOMACY WITH NORTH
KOREA, SAYS THE LAST PEOPLE WHOM ANYONE IN THE WORLD WOULD WANT
TO STARVE IS THE POWERFUL NORTH KOREAN MILITARY.
LEON SIGAL AND AMBASSADOR GALLUCCI AGREE THAT FOOD AID SHOULD
CONTINUE. THEY CRITICIZE THOSE WHO SAY FOOD AID MERELY PROPS UP
AN UNFRIENDLY REGIME. MR. GALLUCCI CALLS IT POLITICALLY
IMPRUDENT AND MORALLY REPUGNANT TO USE 'THE HUMAN MISERY' OF THE
NORTH AS LEVERAGE IN THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS AIMED AT BRINGING A
LASTING PEACE TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THE LATEST ROUND OF
TALKS, LAST MONTH IN NEW YORK, STALLED PARTLY OVER PYONGYANG'S
REQUEST FOR MORE DONATIONS OF FOOD.
LEON SIGAL SAYS FOOD AID IS ONE WAY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND
SOUTH KOREA TO CONVINCE THE NORTH THAT NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE A
COOPERATIVE EFFORT.
// SIGAL ACT #1 //
THAT MEANS FOOD IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY A LEVER.
THAT'S A FOOLISH UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD. FOOD IS A
SIGNAL TO THE NORTH THAT YOU DO NOT INTEND TO STARVE
THEM TO DEATH. IF THEY COLLAPSE, THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM.
BUT YOU DON'T INTEND TO STARVE THEM TO DEATH.
// END ACT //
ROBERT MANNING, WITH THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, IMPLIES
THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN USING FOOD AS A POLITICAL TOOL. HE
SAYS NORTH KOREA HAS BEEN PLAYING WHAT HE CALLS THE "FOOD FOR
MEETINGS CARD" -- AGREEING TO ATTEND NEGOTIATING SESSIONS ONLY
AFTER MORE FOOD AID HAS BEEN PLEDGED.
IN ADDITION, MR. MANNING SAYS NORTH KOREA IS PREPARING TO DEPLOY
LONG-RANGE MISSILES THAT COULD TARGET SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN OR U-S
TERRITORY. NORTH KOREA'S ACTIONS, HE SAYS, MAY HAVE PROMPTED
SOME POLICY-MAKERS IN SEOUL AND WASHINGTON TO CONSIDER SENDING
FOOD AID IN HOPES OF AVERTING CONFLICT.
// REST OPTIONAL //
// MANNING ACT //
SO, THEY'VE MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE, WHILE PEOPLE ARE
STARVING, TO CONTINUE THEIR MILITARY PREPARATIONS. THE
MORALITY, I THINK, IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX THAN IT
USUALLY GETS PORTRAYED. ... WE HAVE BASICALLY A POSTURE
FROM NORTH KOREA THAT I CALL 'FEED ME OR I'LL KILL YOU.'
// END ACT //
AND MR. MANNING SAYS THAT SHOWS THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT CARES
ONLY ABOUT ITS OWN SURVIVAL AND NOT WHETHER ITS PEOPLE STARVE.
HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THERE'S ANY LINK BETWEEN THE FOOD PROBLEM AND
THE STABILITY OF THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT, SAYING PYONGYANG
WILL NOT START A WAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STARVING. LEON SIGAL
DISAGREES.
// SIGAL ACT #2 //
THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAS SHOWN ME THAT THEY CARE
ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THEIR PEOPLE, BECAUSE THIS IS A
GOVERMENT THAT DOES NOT ADMIT TO FAILINGS VERY EASILY.
AND THAT THEY HAVE MADE A PUBLIC APPEAL FOR FOOD, I
THINK SUGGESTS THAT AT LEAST THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY
THAT PRICE IN THEIR MINDS FOR SECURING FOOD FOR THEIR
PEOPLE.
// END ACT //
AND MR. SIGAL SAYS THE MAJOR DONOR GOVERNMENTS HAVE ALL COME TO
UNDERSTAND THAT, FROM A SECURITY STANDPOINT, IT IS NOT
REASONABLE TO WITHHOLD FOOD FROM NORTH KOREA IN HOPES OF BRINGING
DOWN THE REGIME. (SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/RRM
06-Oct-97 1:41 PM EDT (1741 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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