South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ)

 

WEEK 7: South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ)

INTRODUCTION

Nuclear weapons and bombs may have a huge impact on people's health, as can be seen by tragedies at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when large populations were affected by radiation. Moreover, 80 000 people was estimated be killed when the incident happens. This incident was recorded as first atomic bombing that has happened during the first World War. Hence, ASEAN member country has taken an initiative to prevent such event happens in Southeast Asian country by established Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ) in 1995. This treaty is shown commitment of ASEAN to preserve Southeast Asian region as free nuclear weapons and other weapons. Besides SEANWFZ, this treaty is also known as Bangkok Treaty. The founding five members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed the Declaration on ASEAN Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) in Kuala Lumpur (ASEAN). This agreement also prohibits any ASEAN member from developing, manufacturing, possessing, or controlling nuclear weapons, installations, or testing nuclear weapons. Besides that, this treaty has outlaws dumping radioactive waste or materials to anywhere respective zone which required to following Fullscope of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards over their nuclear facilities. Southeast Asia has become the fifth region are that are declared free from any nuclear weapons with SEANWFZ Treaty. Other nations are also support with this deal since they have implemented similar treaties such as the Antarctic Treaty, Treaty of Tlateloco, Treaty of Rarotonga, and Treaty of Pelindaba. This means that most of Southern Hemisphere has transformed as region that are free nuclear weapon.

RATIFICATION OF SEANWFZ: ORIGIN OF THE COMMON IDEA AND ITS CONSISTENCY

“WHAT”

In order to sustain the peace and harmony in ASEAN, South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ) is one of the initiatives or agreement made in 1995. 10 members of ASEAN has approved this treaty. South East Asea Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ) was recognized as response to Hiroshima – Nagasaki on how dangers of nuclear weapons. Security is one of the important matters because can give big impact to the countries. The actual mechanism of the agreement to regulate the security is the permission of control and exclusion of weapons, such as Non-Proliferation Treaties. ASEAN Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) was signed in Kuala Lumpur in 1971 which involves five members of ASEAN. ZOPFAN consists of two main body which are overview and two main passages that highlight that ASEAN members ensuring gratitude and respect for Southeast Asia which are peaceful, neutral and free from other possession of power. Essentially, this declaration reflected ASEAN member states' wish to maintain peace and stability, not just within ASEAN, but also throughout Southeast Asia, in the spirit of peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding. Consequently, SEANWFZ is one of the components of ZOPFAN and play vital role in ensuring peace and security in ASEAN. The increasing of weapon and nuclear at that time becomes one of the concerns among ASEAN members that will give effect to their regions and forced them to take action which is the establishment of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in Southeast Asia. At first, ZOPFAN was not getting fully participation from ASEAN and having delayed. Then, this agreement was taking part in 1995. ASEAN members that involve in this agreement are Indonesia Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. SEANWFZ is part of ZOPFAN which is to respond to the matters related with military bases and weapons transfer involving five nuclear weapons states that will enter ASEAN region through both sea and air. In effort to harm the usage of weapon, there are two restrictions which are vertical restriction and horizontal restriction. On top of that, the establishment of SEANWFZ can be the guarantee that ASEAN regions will be free and safe from nuclear even ASEAN are not capable in doing that. ASEAN members became more eager to ensure their safety of region right after the ending of Cold War and conflict of Cambodian. 

“HOW”

The SEANWFZ settlement has come into effect on 28 March 1997. It was expressed obviously at the launch of The Bangkok Treaty that the arrangement was not restricted to denuclearization in Southeast Asia. It takes meaningful steps toward achieving comprehensive nuclear disarmament. This treaty has included several vital contexts which are guidelines, consist of geographical zone, protection, uses, and supervisory bodies and also to resolve dispute between countries. This treaty consists of 22 articles to cover those matters. Besides on this treaty also, SEANWFZ have covered certain region which are land area, inland waters, archipelagic sea, territorial sea, continental shelf and also the exclusive of economic zone of South East Asian countries. All Southeast Asian members are prohibited to use or making nuclear as mention in SEANWFZ because can give bad impact to others ASEAN regions. This treaty underlines the term of making, obtaining, or using nuclear weapons which are all prohibited under the Article 3 of the SEANWFZ.

In order to safeguard against the hazards of radioactive material contamination, governments are also barred from disposed of radioactive materials on land, at sea, or in the air. Besides on this treaty also consist of article 4 and 5 which underline the usage of nuclear power. In this context, somehow the use of nuclear power can be useful for peaceful purposes in a condition that has permission and has signed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards. Furthermore, the disposal of radioactive material or nuclear waste is permitted if it follows the International Atomic Energy Agency's standards for ensuring the country's stability. In conflict resolution or disagree regarding the provisions, must be settled peacefully. If the dispute cannot be resolved within one month, each party can request to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice with the permission of the other party. The establishment of SEANWFZ has empowered ASEAN member nations to safeguard regional security. SEANWFZ was accepted by nine Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, in addressing regional security issues. Despite the fact that there was no threat of nuclear proliferation in Southeast Asia at the time, ASEAN was worried that China's nuclear weapons program was growing as a result of territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines. Other worries have been raised up about North Korea's nuclear programmed, which might impact Japan's nuclear weapons development. The NWFZ, which covers land and marine zones in Southeast Asia, was emphasis in ensuring regional security challenges and the best way to secure the regional security efficient and effective way in long-term basis.

The Factor of Establishment SEANWFZ

1.    1. Nuclear weapon is a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD)

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945 illustrated the devastating effects of weapons. Hundreds of thousands peoples died due of the bombings. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapon by ASEAN member countries will ensure continuity of mand kind and civilization. In addition, on nuclear weapon can destroy the cities and kill most of people or it can kill tens of millions of people. The consequences of this nuclear explosion can also lead to various diseases such as and eventually lead to death. Furthermore, this nuclear weapon is the most dangerous weapon in the world so it could cause long-term damage to our planet and to the massive short-term loss of life. It has the potential to seriously disrupt the earth's ecosystem and lower global temperatures, resulting in global food shortages. Therefore, A number of international agreements have committed states to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and achieving nuclear disarmament including the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free (SEANWFZ).

1.    2. Can be used as sources of de facto power

Nuclear weapon can be used as a bargaining power or sources of de facto power. Country who has nuclear weapon may threaten other country to follow their command and this create unbalance scenario. For example, according to Betts 1987, nuclear weapons played a similar coercive role in crisis situations during the Cold War. While it is almost certain that nuclear weapons have an impact on state power balances. As we know de facto power or bargaining give inequality. Inequality of bargaining power is widely believed to jeopardize contract freedom, resulting in a disproportionate level of freedom between parties, and to be a point at which markets fail. Furthermore, bargaining power inequality refers to a situation in which one party to a bargain, contract, or agreement has more and better options than the other. As a result, one party has more power than the other to refuse the deal, making it more likely that this party will obtain more favorable terms and negotiating power.

2.   3. It may create regional arm race and military development.

Next, the factor that lead to the creation of this agreement is nuclear weapon will create a  regional arm race and military development. It means, ASEAN do not want their members being the state that compete each other to show who the better state by have this nuclear weapon. As we can see at the others countries which is the develop country that have this nuclear weapon like USA and China how they compete each other and how their relationship. If this happen in our state whether Malaysia or other ASEAN members, the peace and harmony life of our citizen is not can be achieve anymore. Where the government will focus to do the development on this weapon only and the subsidy to the citizen will not get anymore. As we can see here, the first country that have this nuclear weapon is USA, and follow by Russia, Britain, and so on. So, here actually the competition of nuclear weapon already happens in this world within these countries. By that if it happens in ASEAN members it is possible to this competition will happen in ASEAN and they will do something to show that their weapon is the best. That why ASEAN establish this agreement.

3.    4. Environmental Pollution.

Last but not least, environment also be the one of factor of this SEANWFZ agreement establish under ASEAN. It is more focus on environmental pollution which is by have the nuclear thing or weapon in their region the environment will be destroyed. Where the process to make itself already have a radioactive waste and toxic materials. As we all know, this agreement is one of initiative to create and maintain peace and harmony. If we as a human do not take care of our environment do we have a peace and harmony life? As we all know environment is one of the basic things for human life. As we can see the history of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Where there is a lot of human and others living thing that affected because of this nuclear boom. Where this place until nowadays still do not have a living thing stay there. After this happen the environmental pollution happen in Japan is really worsted. Actually, until now at this place at Japan people still cannot stay there. By that it shows how this nuclear will be affected to the environment in our state.

 

CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, SEANWFZ or the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty is the initiative to protect the Southeast Asia Region free from any nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The Southeast Asia Region must obey towards this treaty. At the same time, this treaty also freeing the Southeast Asia region from the political superpower, avoid the possibility of a nuclear arms race in Southeast Asia and guarantee the safety. The most important part about this treaty is to ensure that all the ASEAN area is free from the threat of nuclear weapons. It is because the nuclear weapon can give impact towards the country, people, and environment such as dangerous nuclear waste, nuclear proliferation, potential terrorist attacks, accidents involving nuclear, cancer risk, high cost, inadequate location, and mores. (Suhaimi, 2019) So that, SEANWFZ not only strengthen the concept of ZOPFAN but also protect the Southeast Asia Region from the nuclear and want to achieve the objectives that have been agree together.

REFERENCES

Ahmad, Anwar. (2018). Ratification of SEANWFZ: Origin of the common and its consistency. Ratification of SEANWFZ: Origin of the common and its consistency, 13-28.

The ASEAN Secretariat. (2020). Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ). Retrieved from asean.org: https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-political-security-community/peaceful-secure-and-stable-region/southeast-asia-nuclear-weapon-free-zone-seanwfz/

United Nations. (n.d.). Treaty of Bangkok. Retrieved from un.org: https://www.un.org/nwfz/fr/content/treaty-bangkok

Zhao, T. (2017, February 10). Nuclear Weapon States and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. Retrieved from carnegieendowment.org: https://carnegieendowment.org/2017/02/10/nuclear-weapon-states-and-southeast-asia-nuclear-weapon-free-zone-pub-67965