Alatas opens UN backed disarmament conference

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas opened a conference on disarmament yesterday by calling on regional nuclear powers to respect Southeast Asia's desire to remain free of nuclear weapons and to support a landmark treaty signed last year enforcing this.

Alatas said that the aim of the United Nations-sponsored meeting was to "bring about the limitation and reduction of armaments and to enhance security in our region."

About 50 participants representing 25 countries will discuss nuclear disarmament, nuclear weapons-free zones and regional confidence-building measures at the three day conference.

The UN Under Secretary-General for Disarmament, Jayantha Dhanapala, said the conference came at an opportune time "to review the current situation in the disarmament field and identify priority areas to be addressed by the international community."

Delegates included representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- as well as China, Japan, the United States and Russia. North and South Korean rivals were also represented.

Alatas said a treaty in force since last march declaring Southeast Asia a nuclear weapon free zone, "acknowledges the right of other states to freedom of the high seas and innocent passage and archipelagic passage."

"The protocol attached to the treaty is open for signature by the nuclear-weapon states," he said, adding "their respect and support for the protocol is indispensable to the effectiveness of the zone."

Alatas was alluding to complex discussions going on for nearly a year involving the United States. Washington has been holding talks with Indonesia on the issue of the transit of U.S. nuclear warships through its waters when crossing from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, Director General for Political Affairs Nugroho Wisnumurti was quoted by Antara as saying that Asia Pacific countries are potential victims of nuclear weapons. (swe)