Protesters chant slogans in Seoul, yesterday, to denounce North Korea's missile launch. - REUTERS
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters):
JAPAN, BACKED by the United States and Britain, called yesterday for a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea for its series of missile launches.
But Russia and China, after an emergency council meeting, made clear they would oppose any sanctions. Both nations, who have veto power, favour a weaker council statement.
The Japanese-drafted resolution demands that countries withhold all funds, material and technology that could be used for North Korea's missile programme.
The document, obtained by reporters, also condemns the launch and calls on North Korea to "immediately cease the development, testing, deployment and proliferation of ballistic missiles and reconfirm its moratorium on missile launching."
MISSILE TESTING
It also urges an immediate return to faltering six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
North Korea test-fired a barrage of missiles yesterday, including a long-range weapon said to be capable of reaching Alaska, ratcheting up tensions in north Asia and drawing condemnation from around the world.
The key provision in the draft would decide that U.N. member states prevent "the transfer of financial resources, items, materials, goods and technology to end users that could contribute to (North Korea's) missile and other weapons of mass destruction programmes."
Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima said North Korea's 1998 missile launch "was serious enough." But he told reporters "the seven launches of missiles this time - and there may be more - was far more serious."
Saying Russia had "serious concerns" about North Korea's actions, Ambassador Vitali Churkin said he opposed sanctions and favoured a diplomatic solution.
"In my mind we could consider the format of a presidential statement," Churkin said. "I would caution you against whipping up emotions too much."
China held a similar position, said France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, whose country holds the council presidency for July.
The resolution was not distributed to council members in a morning session but will be discussed by junior diplomats in the afternoon, Sabliere said. No vote is scheduled.
STRONG SIGNAL
Sabliere, Churkin, Oshima, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton and British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry all said the 15-member council wanted to send a strong signal to North Korea.
"We hope the response of the council will be swift, strong and resolute. I think this is the general wish, as I heard it, this morning in the council, of the members," Oshima said.
Said Jones Parry: "All members of the council expressed clear concern about what happened. There was a strong view that we should respond quickly, that we should preferably retain a united council, and we should be robust in what we say."
Bolton told reporters that "no member defended what the North Koreans have done."
