PHL stresses dialogue as North Korea fires another missile
THE PHILIPPINES reiterated its stand for “meaningful dialogue” as it called on North Korea to stop its “provocative” actions after it fired another ballistic missile early Wednesday, Nov. 29.
“We call on Pyongyang to commit to making meaningful progress towards the peaceful resolution of the issues facing the Korean Peninsula,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement issued yesterday.
Mr. Cayetano expressed “serious concern over the launch of another ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), following a similar missile test on Aug. 29 which ended in the Pacific Ocean.”
According to the statement, “the missile was launched from a facility in Sain ni and landed in an area within Japan’s exclusive economic zone,” and it is actually “the 14th DPRK ballistic missile test for 2017 alone.”
“Meaningful dialogue can only happen when the DPRK ceases such provocative and highly dangerous actions,” Mr. Cayetano said.
The country’s top diplomat also reiterated the readiness of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) “to play a constructive role to help reduce tensions and promote peace in the (Korean) Peninsula.”
As for the safety of Filipinos living in the Republic of Korea and Japan, Mr. Cayetano said foreign service posts in those countries are closely monitoring the situation and vowed to “provide up-to-date information.”
HUMAN RIGHTS
On another issue, Mr. Cayetano said at the final meeting of the ASEAN human rights commission, which the Philippines currently chairs, that the country “has always been at the forefront of strengthening a rights-based approach in ASEAN.”
“While the promotion and protection of human rights should not be politicized, it is essential that we continue to work to make human rights central to the ASEAN agenda,” Mr. Cayetano said at the 25th meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) held in Bohol from Nov. 26 to Nov. 27.
The meeting was intended to review the progress of the implementation of the human rights priority programs and activities for 2014-2017.
The program covers promoting the rights of the child, mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of women affected by natural disasters, and the implementation of the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons.
At the meeting, the AICHR also discussed and finalized its priority programs for 2018, including the enhancement of public awareness on human rights within the 10 member states and promoting capacity building for the effective implementation of international human rights treaty obligations. — Arjay L. Balinbin
