Time to get tough with North Korea

Malaysian police this past week charged two women – an Indonesian and a Vietnamese –for the killing last month of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The two women used a nerve agent that appeared to have been supplied by North Korean agents. South Korea accused the North of orchestrating the assassination, while Malaysian authorities said 
the investigation is still ongoing 
and confirmed that they would like to question seven North Korean men.
Two of the suspects have reportedly taken refuge in the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Four others are believed to have left the country and the whereabouts of the seventh person is still not known. 
Up until this week, North Korean citizens were permitted to enter Malaysia without a visa. Such a privilege has been revoked following the assassination of Kim, whose identity North Korea would not confirm or deny.
But that’s the way Pyongyang does things when its back is against the wall – unabashedly deny allegations and bad-mouth the accusers. About 1,000 North Korean citizens have set up companies in Malaysia where they are permitted to tap into the global financial system. 
But because Pyongyang wanted the estranged brother of its dear leader Kim Jong-un dead, its agent would go to any lengths, even if it jeopardises bilateral ties with foreign governments, like Malaysia, and places the future of businesses owned by its people in jeopardy. 
For North Korea, agent VX may have been the ideal weapon for assassination. Besides being odourless, the substance permits the assassin to kill cleanly, not immediately, thus giving the killer time to get away. 
The Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997 required member states to destroy their VX inventory. Malaysian authorities have been trying to determine how the assassins managed to get hold of the chemical. The needle of suspicion points to Pyongyang. 
In spite of the fact that the assassination was carried out in Malaysia, China is feeling the heat. China is North Korea’s closest ally and one who guaranteed safety and protection to Jong-nam. 
A thorough autopsy by Malaysian physicians showed the nerve agent caused a “very serious paralysis” that killed the North Korean.
Not unexpectedly, North Korea rejected the finding and sent one its top diplomats to the country for what appeared to be an attempt at damage control and to convince Kuala Lumpur that the body of this “North Korean national” should be returned to the rightful country.
Malaysia and the international community must be firm in dealing with North Korea on this very serious matter. We are not talking about violating a two-decade old convention. We are talking about a state-sponsored assassination that took place at a major international airport. 
It could have been Bangkok or any other city Kim Jong-nam decided to stop over. 
The reaction and the response must be firm and North Korea must be taught that such a conduct has no place in this day and age.
Moreover, countries that have offered asylum to former North Korean officials and agents need to seriously think about similar retaliation. 
Pyongyang has practically written the book on how to shun world opinion and there is no reason to think that it would change their ways because it has been proved that their agents have carried out assassination of its leader’s estranged half-brother. The world must stand united with Malaysia and not permit North Korea to mislead and bully the international community to do whatever it pleases.