The U.N. flew its flag at half-staff this week for recently
departed North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il, honoring the passing of one of
the world's most repressive political leaders and ending an internal debate
about whether it was appropriate to do so.
When Kim's death was announced, the U.N. flew its flag
half-staff at its headquarters in Pyongyang, but not at U.N. headquarters, where
the flag is traditionally lowered upon news of the death of a head of state.
U.N. officials in New York debated whether Kim should be
granted the honor, since he had never been recognized within his own country as
the head of state.
That distinction had been reserved for his father Kim Il
Sung, who was posthumously named North Korea's president for eternity
following his death on July 8, 1994. In
1998, North Korea amended its constitution to "hold the great leader Comrade
Kim Il Sung in his esteem as the Eternal President of the Republic."
But the U.N., which has been expanding its humanitarian
operations this year in North Korea, known as the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, has been struggling to walk a fine line between avoiding being seen as
honoring one of the world's nastiest regimes while trying not to offend the
government as it goes through a delicate succession.
"This case is unique," a senior U.N. official explained to Turtle
Bay. "Everything in that country is unique. I can't think of another
country where the head of state is permanently dead."
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's office issued a
statement offering his condolences to the people of North Korea upon Kim's
death, though not to his government, and vowed continued support for the
desperately poor North Korean people.
"The Secretary-General has learned that the leader of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong-il, passed away," read
the Dec. 19 statement. "The Secretary-General extends his sympathy to the
people of the DPRK at this time of their national mourning."
But
on Wednesday, the U.N. relented and agreed to set its flag at half-staff at all
of its offices around the world after the North Koreans asked.
"We were requested by the DPRK mission [to fly the flag at
half-staff] on the day of the funeral and as a matter or protocol we did it,"
Ban's spokesman Eduardo Del Buey told Turtle Bay. "These
decisions are taken in consultation with the members states and when we take a
look."
Asked if this meant the United Nations had finally
recognized Kim as the country's head of state, Del Buey said "you have to ask
the DPRK mission to tell you who their head of state is and was." I'm still
waiting for the answer.
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