One dead body vs nine lives?

The diplomatic dispute is over one North Korean diplomatic passport holder’s dead body versus nine Malaysian diplomatic officials and family members who are alive and well in North Korea.

In any crisis, the question of resolving a problem should not be complicated. Ideally, a win-win situation will be the solution especially when diplomatic ties have taken a serious dip between both countries.

We are talking about the North Korean demand - returning the dead body (Kim Jong-nam) and nine diplomats and family members to return to Malaysia.

We are already beginning to see the light at the end of tunnel. According to the New Straits Times’s front page yesterday, “Kim Jong-nam’s family members have 14 days - as stipulated in a government circular - to claim his body. Kim Jong-un’s half-brother and the leader of North Korea is among rightful claimants. But if no one comes forward the embassy can take the body.”

I am confident the Malaysian government will act wisely in returning the diplomat’s dead body in exchange for nine Malaysians stranded in North Korea. It is not fair to the next of kin in Malaysia to let the nine be in North Korea any more. This is a question of using simple logic - one vs nine.

It is now evidently clear that Malaysian leaders have taken a conciliatory stand now to engage in formal discussions.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman. after meeting family members of the stranded Malaysians, told reporters: “Eventually, we have to hand over Kim Jong-nam’s remains to someone, whether from the government or family members.”

Wisma Putra is aware that ‘preventive’ diplomacy refers to diplomatic action taken to prevent disputes, instead of merely reactive diplomacy.

Since the death of Kim Jong-nam, there has been mud-slinging by North Korean and Malaysian leaders. North Korea demanded that since the deceased was a diplomatic passport holder, the body, according to them, should be returned to the North Korean government.

Its leader Kim Jong-un has a willingness to test the boundaries of international law through unwarranted missile tests which have made the nation suffer in poverty because of its isolationist policies.

Malaysia, from its tough position in the beginning, changed to an amiable position when North Korea did not allow nine Malaysian diplomats and family members to return.

Was there anyone one in the Foreign Ministry advising our politicians to tone down the rhetoric? Wrong decisions, pre-judgments and undiplomatic moves worsened the diplomatic ties between both countries. A tit-for-tat attitude will not help in a crisis situation.

Even a newspaper ran a front page headline, ‘Tit-for-tat’.

Containment and reduction of tensions

The purpose of crisis management should be the containment and reduction of tensions, if possible through mediation to avert the outbreak of actual conflict. All negotiations goals should be to prevent and avoid the souring of diplomatic relations or the spread of further conflict.

A former Malaysian ambassador said Malaysian leaders should tread a peaceful path amicably as North Korea could be erratic, impulsive and irrational.

Yes. Both countries have to respect international diplomatic rules. The aim of any conflict resolution in a crisis should be continuous wise dialogue, compromise and the peaceful resolution of tensions.

Preventive diplomacy in a crisis can also encompass the involvement of the Security Council, the secretary-general of the United Nations and others to discourage the use of violence at critical moments.

A crisis can end soon if the negotiators use their intellect, heart, mind and soul.

Every problem has a solution, and ultimate on Malaysia’s agenda is the return of nine Malaysians and handing over the dead body.

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M KRISHNAMOORTHY is the author of ‘Flying Through Crisis MH370: Lessons in Crisis Communications’. He is a freelance journalist for Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC and several other foreign television networks. Formerly a journalist with The Star and New Straits Times, he has authored five books and teaches journalism.- Mkini