Two important Irish diplomatic developments passed almost without notice and comment in recent weeks, writes Miriam Donohoe
At the end of December, Ireland quietly established diplomatic relations with North Korea. This was followed last Friday with a press release on the Department of Foreign Affairs' website announcing it had established diplomatic relations with Burma.
Run-of-the-mill diplomatic matters, you might say, except both countries rank among the most despicable dictatorships in the world, with appalling human rights records.
The Government said both events are linked to Ireland's presidency of the European Union. However, they shocked and dismayed democracy campaigners here.
There have been long-standing concerns about human rights violations and famine in North Korea under the strict rule of Kim Jong-il. Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression are suppressed in this Stalinist state. Torture, the death penalty, arbitrary detention and imprisonment cause huge concern.
Kim Jong-il is spending millions of dollars developing nuclear arms at the expense of the well-being of the population. There have been acute food shortages in the country since the mid-1990s. The true extent of the famine is not known as there are still provinces in North Korea that are "no-go areas" to western non-governmental organisations such as the UN's World Food Programme and Concern.
In Burma, the human rights situation has deteriorated significantly, according to Amnesty International. It reported that the Burmese military regime continues to make arbitrary arrests and detain people without trial. During a visit the human rights organisation was denied access to National League for Democracy (NLD) leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under de facto house arrest for several years.
Suu Kyi is one of the most courageous women of our age. She and the NLD have appealed to all western tourists not to visit Burma because of the economic and political boost it gives the military rulers. Her remarkable battle for the rights of ordinary Burmese has touched a chord with Irish people and she is a freewoman of Dublin. U2 dedicated a song to her, Walk On, in their most recent album.
Burma Action Ireland this week said it was surprised and dismayed at the Government's decision to recognise the military regime. It was not told of any plans to establish diplomatic relations in advance, despite having regular meetings with the Department. It says the move is particularly baffling given that the review of the European Union's Common Position on Burma is due in April.
In both cases diplomatic relations are established on a non-resident basis, so at least we don't have an embassy in either country. But surely the decision is a boost for both regimes, giving them a respectability they do not deserve?
There is an argument that it is important to engage with such countries and that isolating them makes matters worse for those who suffer. But given that neither North Korea nor Burma has moved towards promoting democracy or improving human rights, the timing is wrong.
The least the Irish people deserve is a detailed explanation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, about the reasons for and the timing of these diplomatic initiatives.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs should also debate the issue.
And what about Bono? Is he comfortable with Ireland cosying up to the hardline military rulers who have brought Burma to its knees?