Secret Diplomacy

WAR IS ONLY A CONTINUATION OF STATE POLICY BY OTHER MEANS. GENERAL CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ (1780-1831)

Clausewitz continued to say that War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means. # He also said that war is the means and the means must always include the object in our conception. Thus, in other words, war is the continuation of political means with an act of violence. # In his definition of war, Clausewitz said again that war therefore is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will. # So, when the political means collapsed, the means of war would take place as the other means of political instrument to initiate to accomplish the strategic policy of the nation. To end the war or to prevent the war, however, we have to use diplomacy between or among the nations. It is in time of peace, alliances or adversaries, to manipulate their foreign policies to achieve their goals in trade or in security, would be into practice of diplomacy for the sake of their own national interests. But diplomacy itself is very sensitive and subtle. Some strategic policy issues could not be solved within a few years. The several meetings of the head-ofstates or diplomats or special envoys could not gain the result perfectly and immediately. Sometimes, facts finding alone would take times a lot.

In certain extraordinary cases, Secret Diplomacy or Quiet Diplomacy is unavoidable and obligatory rather than Gun-boat diplomacy which is backed by threat of force or Public diplomacy which makes use of publicity. The entire story of the Nixon-Kissingers historic diplomacy with Mao Zedong had apparently revealed how Sino-US relationship was successfully rebuilt and how China became the international figure and how the balance of power was reshaped and revitalized in new designs but with the old mantras. It was the great example of the exercise of Secret Diplomacy between US and China successfully well before the global society. Quiet Diplomacy is in other words known as Preventive Diplomacy that is the range of peaceful dispute resolution approaches mentioned in Article 33 of the UN Charter. One form of diplomacy which may be brought to bear to prevent violent conflict or to prevent its recurrence is Quiet Diplomacy. * When one speaks of the practice of quiet diplomacy, definitional clarity is largely absent. Multiple definitions are often invoked simultaneously by theorists, and the activities themselves often mix and overlap in practice.* The following, though not intended as an exhaustive list, provides a brief overview of the primary options for quiet diplomatic engagement for the prevention of violent conflict: good offices, special envoys, facilitation, mediation, conciliation, adjudication and arbitration. * Diplomacy describes the conduct of international relations through the interaction of official representatives of governments or groups. It encompasses a broad range of activities and approaches to exchanging information and negotiating agreements which vary widely according to the actors and situations involved.* For the purposes of this typology, we distinguish such activities from coercion or the use of force thus excluding sanctions and military interventions from consideration

while acknowledging that non-coercive diplomacy may well take place in contexts where these factors are present.* So, if the issue is not concerned with Article 33 of the UN Charter, Secret Diplomacy should be considered as the most appropriate technique. As sanctions issues are becoming at major consideration, practical engagement should be silent and secret. Public diplomacy should be totally set aside and the most appropriate technique should be Secret diplomacy. It is because the genesis of the issue is not the sanction but the relationship. Let me say again that diplomacy itself is very sensitive and subtle. As the political means collapsed, the means of war would take place as the other means of political instrument, similarly, if or when the diplomacy would be collapsed, the war might come into place.

YE KYAW SWA Sunday, July 24, 2011 mahathuriya.yks@gmail.com References: Carl Von Clausewitz On War Volume I # Craig Collins and John Packer - Options and Techniques for Quiet Diplomacy (2006) * Henry Kissinger White House Years

N.B., This article was originally published as Epilogue in No. 2 of the selected news, views & opinions by the same author on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.