DPRK: AUSTRALIAN REACTION TO JULY 5 NORTH KOREAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001009

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2021

TAGS: PARM MNUC MOPS KNNP MARR AS KN

SUBJECT: DPRK: AUSTRALIAN REACTION TO JULY 5 NORTH KOREAN
MISSILE LAUNCH

REF: A. LAKDHIR-MATTHEWS E-MAIL OF 5 JULY 2006


B. CANBERRA 929


C. STATE 98659

Classified By: CDA Michael P. Owens, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
SUMMARY
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1. (C/NF) Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer issued separate statements to local
media on July 5 publicly condemning the North Korean Taepo
Dong-2 missile launch and calling on the DPRK to return to
the Six-Party Talks. The Foreign Minister's media statement
also pledged Australia's full support for "robust
international action" in response to the DPRK's "provocative
act," including at the United Nations, and announced
Australia would further restrict travel to Australia by DPRK
officials, cancel a planned visit to North Korea by a senior
GOA official, and send GOA delegations to Washington and
other capitals to coordinate an international response. In a
further reaction to the missile launch, Foreign Minister
Downer telephoned the DPRK Ambassador on July 5 with a
strongly-worded protest. The DPRK Ambassador responded along
familiar lines, accusing the United States of "insincerity"
and asserting North Korea's sovereign right to protect
itself, including the right to launch missiles. End Summary.

2. (U) Australia acted quickly to condemn North Korea's July
5 launch of a Taepo Dong-2 long-range intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM) and other short-range missiles. In
two separate radio interviews on July 5, Prime Minister
Howard said Australia was "very concerned" about North
Korea's "extremely provocative act", and called on North
Korea to return immediately to the Six-Party Talks. He
invited condemnation of the DPRK's missile launch by other
six-party members. Prime Minister Howard, who had raised
Australian concerns about DPRK launch preparations with
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on June 28 in Beijing, said North
Korean actions were in "total breach of international
obligations" and that they ran counter to North Korea's
interests as well as regional interests. Howard said
Australia wanted the issue to be settled diplomatically and
urged all parties, particularly Japan and China, to pressure
North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

3. (C/NF) Foreign Minister Downer, who was visiting Adelaide
when news of the North Korean missile launch broke,
telephoned DPRK Ambassador to Australia Jae Hong Chon to
protest the launch and to register Australia's "grave
concerns at North Korea's provocative action," according to
Alice Cawte, Acting First Assistant Secretary of the North
Asia Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT). Cawte, who was joined by Northeast Asia Branch
Assistant Secretary Thomas Connor, said FM Downer told
Ambassador Chon that DPRK's actions would further isolate
North Korea and called for North Korea to return to the
Six-Party Talks without delay. FM Downer used most of the
points DFAT prepared for him in his telephone conversation
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with Ambassador Chon, which he also used in his media release
(para 6) and with the press (see para 7 below),although he
omitted a final point stating Australia's intention to
continue humanitarian aid despite the missile launch.

4. (C/NF) Cawte and Connor said that Ambassador Chon
responded that the launch was a military matter that had not
been briefed to him in advance. He went on, however, to
press familiar complaints, accusing the United States of
"insincerity" and reiterating North Korea's sovereign right
to launch missiles and to do what was needed to protect
itself. Cawte said FM Downer replied that the DPRK's action
were not so much a matter of legal obligations but rather of
the DPRK living up to its commitments, as expressed in its
self-imposed 1999 moratorium on missile testing and the
September 19, 2005 Statement of Principles.

5. (U) Foreign Minister Downer later issued a media
statement (see full text in para 6 below) strongly condemning
the Taepo Dong-2 ICBM launch and calling on the DPRK to
return to the Six-Party Talks. In it, FM Downer pledged
Australia would give its full support to "robust
international action" in response to the DPRK's "provocative
act" and announced Australia would further restrict travel to
Australia by DPRK officials, cancel a planned visit to North
Korea by a senior official, and send GOA delegations to
Washington and other capitals to coordinate an international
response. (Note: DFAT officials explained that North Asia
Division First Assistant Secretary Peter Baxter, en route to
the United States for previously scheduled consultations
constituted the Australian "delegation" to the United States.
End note.) FM Downer added in two subsequent interviews
that Australia was "very angry" North Korea had launched a
Taepo Dong-2 ICBM and other missiles, which had breached the
1999 moratorium on ballistic missile testing and reneged on
the September 19, 2005 Statement of Principles. Downer told
the press that he had earlier urged the United States to take
the issue of the DPRK's missile launch preparations to the UN
Security Council. In response to a press question, Downer
dismissed the likelihood that the United States would
consider a pre-emptive strive on nuclear facilities within
North Korea.

6. (U) Below is the text of the July 5, 2006 media release
from Foreign Minister Downer.
Begin text:
5 July 2006
MEDIA RELEASE: DPRK LONG RANGE MISSILE TEST
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Australia strongly condemns the test launch of a Taepo Dong-2
long range intercontinental ballistic missile by the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 5 July. The
DPRK also test-fired four short-range missiles. I have
expressed deep disappointment to the DPRK Ambassador today
about these developments, which cast serious doubt over the
DPRK's genuine willingness to engage the international
community and to resolve the nuclear issue. The missile test
has placed additional strain on an already deadlocked
six-party process, and undermined rather than enhanced the
DPRK's security.
The Taepo Dong-2 test runs counter to the DPRK's 1999
self-imposed moratorium on ballistic missile testing and to
the Statement of Principles, signed by the DPRK on 19
September 2005. It shows North Korea does not honour its
commitments. A DPRK ICBM capability poses a serious threat to
the security situation in Northeast Asia and more broadly.
In addition, we are deeply concerned that the DPRK conducted
its missile tests in an atmosphere of secrecy without the
notification that other countries routinely provide.
I call on the DPRK to refrain from any further provocations
and return to the six-party talks immediately and
unconditionally.
I am deeply troubled that the DPRK is devoting its national
resources to developing long-range ballistic missiles at a
time when its humanitarian situation is dire.
In response to the DPRK's provocative act Australia will give
full support to robust international action, including at the
United Nations. We will also further restrict travel to
Australia by DPRK officials and cancel a planned visit to
North Korea by a senior Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade officer.
We will also send a delegation to Washington and regional
capitals to discuss appropriate mechanisms through which to
coordinate an international response.
Australia stood with the US, Japan, the EU and Canada at the
22-23 June meeting of the Hague Code of Conduct Against
Ballistic Missile Proliferation in issuing strong national
statements against a long-range missile test.
Australia has played an active role in the prevention of
missile proliferation in the region and further afield. We
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are an active member of the Missile Technology Control Regime
which seeks to prevent such proliferation by means of
harmonised export licensing arrangements among the Regime's
member states.
End text.

7. (U) Below is the text of Foreign Minister Downer's press
interview given immediately following his telephone call to
DPRK Ambassador Chon.
Begin text:
TRANSCRIPTION: PROOF Copy E & OE
DATE: 5 July 2006
TITLE: Doorstop, Adelaide
MR DOWNER: Let me just say in relation to the decision by the
North Korean Government to conduct missile launching - first
of all, we strongly condemn the decision by the North Korean
Government to launch missiles. We believe that there have now
been six missiles launched, five of those short range
missiles, one of them we believe to be a long-range
intercontinental ballistic missile, the launch of which was
unsuccessful. But this decision by the North Koreans to
launch these missiles is in contradiction of the stated
position of the North Korean Government, going back to 1999
when they brought in a self-imposed moratorium on missile
testing and the agreement they signed in 2005 on principles
for peace and security in North Asia - an agreement signed
with the other five parties of the Six-party talks.
I've spoken to the North Korean Ambassador myself this
morning. I told the North Korean Ambassador that we condemn
the testing of the missiles, that it did very much heighten
concerns about the security of North Asia, particularly
bearing in mind that North Korea was apparently testing
long-range missiles, and that it was a country that was
developing nuclear weapons. So this is of particular concern,
obviously to countries in North Asia, not least Japan, but
it's of grave concern to us as well as part of the region.
Naturally enough it's of great concern to countries like the
United States.
I have also spoken to our Ambassador in Washington who in
turn has spoken to the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice
and through our Ambassador, made it clear to the Secretary of
State that it's our view that the United States should take
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this matter to the United Nations Security Council. This is a
challenge to international peace and security and it is a
matter that should be discussed and considered by the
Security Council itself. I understand the Americans are
positive about taking this matter to the Security Council, I
think it's very likely that they will, but in any case, we've
made it clear to the Americans that it's our view that this
is a matter that should be taken to the Security Council
JOURNALIST: Could the missile range actually encompass
Australia and is that missile nuclear capable?
MR DOWNER: We don't know the extent to which the Taepo
Dong-2 missile, at this stage, could be nuclear weaponised.
But obviously in theory it could be, whether they have the
capacity to do that right now is rather an open question.
According to intelligence estimates, the Taepo Dong-2, which
is an intercontinental ballistic missile, has a range of
several thousand kilometres and it would have the capacity to
travel to Australia - not of course that I am suggesting that
North Korea launching this missile is targeting Australia,
that wouldn't be right. But nevertheless, this is the point -
here is a country with a government which is a government, if
I may say so, of very great concern - a country with scant
regard for human rights which has developed a nuclear weapons
programme in defiance of its obligations under the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty from which it has withdrawn. And now
is testing long-range missiles - intercontinental ballistic
missiles. Understandably, the international community as a
whole is very concerned about this and Australia will
certainly not be alone in its condemnation of what the North
Koreans have done.
JOURNALIST: Have you spoken to the (Inaudible) government at
all or their representatives?
MR DOWNER: I have spoken to their Ambassador, I have spoken
to the North Korean Ambassador myself this morning. Obviously
because I am in Adelaide I am not able to call the Ambassador
into my office which I would normally do in these
circumstances. But instead I have spoken to him on the
telephone. And I have made it clear to him that we condemn
what has happened and we see this as a real challenge to
international security.
I made another point to him too. I made the point to the
Ambassador that North Korea is a very poor country - I have
been there - a very poor country. It is a country where there
is malnutrition in the north for the ordinary people of that
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country and yet they are spending their money on nuclear
weapons programmes - on intercontinental ballistic missiles
and short and medium-range missile systems. And I said to him
that it doesn't seem to make any humanitarian sense to me for
a small country like North Korea, in such dire straits, to be
dedicating resources to those sorts of purposes. Now, the
Ambassador's response was the normal North Korean response -
that North Korea is threatened by the United States and that
the United States shouldn't threaten North Korea and that the
United States was wrong to demand that North Korea should
unilaterally disarm its nuclear weapons and so on. But, the
fact is, as I explained to him - the United States isn't the
issue here, North Korea is a very real threat to
international peace and security and we think this is a
matter that should be brought to the United Nations Security
Council.
JOURNALIST: What sort of response are we likely to see from
China?
MR DOWNER: Well it's a good question. I mean, the Prime
Minister spoke to Premier Wen about this when he was in China
last week and the Chinese of course have been trying to
persuade the North Koreans not to test missiles. So, what our
view is is that the Chinese should continue to do everything
they can, not only to stop the North Koreans from conducting
further missile tests - and we think they probably do intend
to launch more missiles in the next day or two, but, that the
Chinese should do everything they can to persuade the North
Koreans to come to the Six-party talks, to get back into
negotiations leading to the abandonment of North Korea's
nuclear and missile programmes and obviously their greater
involvement in the mainstream affairs of the international
community.
JOURNALIST: But how fragile are those talks now?
MR DOWNER: I think they are extremely fragile, and they
haven't taken place for quite some time in any case.
Obviously it's important that North Korea abandon this kind
of rogue behavior and try to get back into the mainstream of
North Asian politics and the broader international community.
JOURNALIST: Minister, what sort of pressure can be brought to
bear to try to change North Korea's mind. So few countries
seem to have trade relations with North Korea, that's
obviously not a strong option, the Security Council have been
flouting, something they know that, so where do you go from
here?
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MR DOWNER: Well it's not really a matter that's been
considered by the Security
Council and obviously if it is considered by the Security
Council that constitutes a very serious deterioration in
North Korea's relations with the broader international
community. I have often said in the past that the country
that has the most leverage over North Korea, in so far as
anyone does, is China. North Korea depends on China for about
half of its international trade and about 70% or 80% of its
aid. So, at the end of the day they are very dependant on
China and China is a country with the leverage. But in this
case I don't doubt China's goodwill- China has been trying to
persuade them there's nothing to be gained from conducting
these tests and they've gone ahead with it anyway, so we just
have to keep up the pressure.
JOURNALIST: Did the North Korean Ambassador actually say
(inaudible)?
MR DOWNER: NO. he didn't. He actually said that this was a
matter for the military and that he hadn't been really
informed about it.
JOURNALIST: But you understand that there is going to be
further launches?
MR DOWNER: I think it's possible that there will be further
launches, yes. We have information that there may be, not
that there will be, but that there may be.
JOURNALIST: How do you expect the United States might react,
do you think they might take pre-emptive action?
MR DOWNER: I don't think the United States - the United
States position is always that they don't rule in or rule out
military action in any circumstances. That's a stock
standard United States position and has been for a hundred
years. But I don't think the United States is going to take
military action in response to this, but I think
appropriately they are likely to go to the United Nations
Security Council and we certainly urge them to do that.
End text.
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