The Peace Party is very concerned and more than a little saddened to hear of the development of any weapons of war, their testing and production, whether it be in the UK, another NATO country – or even North Korea. The Party is reluctant to “condemn” the recent testing of some form of nuclear device, be it bomb or warhead, in the latter country when the major parties in the UK itself are contemplating spending billions of pounds when they are in government in replacing its nuclear devices over the coming years.

The United Nations Security Council is said to be considering drawing up further sanctions against the bomb-testing nation. The Peace Party has serious doubts that sanctions will be in any way effective in showing world displeasure at the current underground test or in stopping further tests. Sanctions haven’t worked in the past – there is no evidence that they would be likely to work now.

Why does North Korea, one of the poorest in the world, want to have nuclear capability? It must have a great feeling of fear of the outside world – it must feel immensely insecure, that it is threatened for the third time in around 80 years with subservience to foreign powers. Japan conquered the peninsula in the 1930s, followed by the United States, UK and other nations in the 1950s and today what must seem to be enormous threats to its safety from US Military-supported South Korea.

With influence on power, the Peace Party would be encouraging UK representatives on the United Nations to work to reduce and then eliminate that fear that must dominate the foreign relations of that very young and immature nation. It needs help and guidance from the world community not more sanctions and condemnation. We are all human. Safety, security, defence and protection can come better through “Positive Peace” than through threats of retaliation and war.