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ASEAN rebukes India, Pakistan for nuclear tests

The Association of South East Asian Nations has rebuked India and Pakistan for exacerbating security tensions in the region and ignoring international outrage against nuclear tests, a top official said in Manila today.

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said the nine-member grouping toughened its stand on the nuclear tests by the two south Asian nations after one ASEAN country balked at earlier decisions to simply express ''grave concern'' over the explosions.

''The statement was weak,'' Baja explained, prior to the final closed-door session of the two-day 31st ASEAN ministerial meeting, ''but they are not prepared to condemn.'' Diplomatic sources said it was Malaysia which initiated the stronger statement.

In the spirit of the new outspokenness over regional concerns, ASEAN officials have kept up a stream of protests against India and Pakistan's nuclear tests and the lack of commitment from major powers to implement a test-ban treaty.

''The recent nuclear tests conducted by two south Asian states are particularly worrisome to us,'' said Philippine President Joseph Estrada, in his keynote address yesterday. ''Nuclear proliferation is simply wrong, and the utter disregard for world opinion against nuclear weapons is unconscionable.''

While noting the need to protect national security, Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas expressed deep regret over the developments. As a signatory to the treaties, he said Jakarta ''cannot condone nuclear tests by any country at any time.''

''Indonesia acknowledges the sovereign right of states to determine their own security and the means to ensure them, but we also firmly believe that such a policy can and should be implemented without recourse to nuclear arms,'' he said.

Alatas lashed out at ''the double standards and hypocrisy'' prevailing in the international community, noting that states possessing nuclear weapons are conferred ''untenable privileges'' that serve as an incentive to acquire nuclear capability.

''Hence, we call on all nuclear weapon states to fully implement both the letter and spirit of agreements relating to non-proliferation and disarmament,'' he said.

The ASEAN Regional Forum, which meets on July 27, is expected to tackle the nuclear tests and issue a stronger statement, despite India's strong lobbying. ARF, which comprises of ASEAN members and 12 dialogue partners including India, is the sole political and security forum in the region.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary and ASEAN standing committee chairman Domingo Siazon said ASEANRF will focus on warding off further tests. One plan, he said, is to offer New Delhi and Islamabad financial assistance to motivate them to concentrate on economic development instead of nuclear programmes.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Its meetings will be expanded on July 27 to include the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Canada, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, the European Union and India.

UNI

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