ASEAN finalizing nuclear-free zone treaty<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Senior officials of the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) are scrambling to complete the final text
\nof the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone treaty in time
\nfor a meeting of the region's 10 leaders in December.<\/p>\n
\"We are working to finish the text of the treaty so that
\nhopefully we can soon complete the text which will be signed by
\nthe heads of state and governments in the coming summit,\"
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The treaty, he told reporters, would be signed by the seven
\nASEAN members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and three non-ASEAN members:
\nCambodia, Laos and Myanmar.<\/p>\n
Alatas made the disclosure after opening a three-day meeting
\nof the ASEAN Standing Committee to prepare for the Bangkok summit
\nat the ASEAN Secretariat.<\/p>\n
\"In the treaty we're laying the foundations which will
\nguarantee that our region will be nuclear (weapon) free, meaning
\nthat we will not produce or store nuclear weapons in any form,\"
\nAlatas said.<\/p>\n
The treaty has been in the works for some time, with officials
\nrevealing that it is currently in its eighth draft.<\/p>\n
When asked if he believed the treaty could be completed in
\ntime, Alatas only replied: \"We hope it can be finished so that it
\ncan be signed at the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok.\"<\/p>\n
The seven ASEAN leaders will hold their fifth Summit in
\nBangkok on Dec. 14-15, which will then be followed by a summit
\ngathering the leaders of the ten Southeast Asian countries.<\/p>\n
The United States has lately eased its objection to the
\nplanned treaty as long as its nuclear fleet is allowed to pass
\nthrough.<\/p>\n
On Washington's condition, Alatas remarked: \"We shall ferret
\ncertain provisions which will allow innocent passage so that our
\narea does not restrict other countries who just want to pass by,\"
\nhe said without elaborating further.<\/p>\n
Another issue which officials are sorting out is the creation
\nof a mechanism that will allow countries outside the Southeast
\nAsian region to accede to ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
\n(TAC).<\/p>\n
The treaty, one of the cornerstones of ASEAN, encourages the
\nnations to peacefully cooperate and not to intervene in each
\nother's domestic affairs.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has insisted that a separate protocol be set so that
\ncountries outside the Southeast Asian region can associate
\nthemselves with the treaty.<\/p>\n
However, a number of ASEAN members feel that non-regional
\ncountries should be allowed to sign the TAC.<\/p>\n
\"In our opinion, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation is meant
\nas a treaty for Southeast Asian countries. Nevertheless, we do
\nagree that it would be good for the principals contained in the
\ntreaty to be observed by outside countries,\" Alatas said
\nexplaining Jakarta's position.<\/p>\n
\"This is one of the topics we shall be discussing more deeply
\nbetween ASEAN, which hopefully can be resolved before the
\nsummit,\" he said, adding that the finalization of the two
\ntreaties is \"imperative at this juncture.\"<\/p>\n
Speaking of the future membership of Cambodia, Laos and
\nMyanmar, Alatas called for a coordinated ASEAN effort to
\nfacilitate their membership.<\/p>\n
\"I believe it is now time to consider how we can coordinate
\nour assistance to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar on the basis of an
\nintegrated plan to help prepare for membership,\" he said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is currently assisting Cambodian and Laotian officials
\nwith training in English, the official language in ASEAN.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Alatas told officials at yesterday's meeting to
\ndevelop ways for ASEAN to expand popular participation and to
\nforge a common political culture. (mds)<\/p>",
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