{"id":6155,"date":"2025-05-20T03:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T21:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=6155"},"modified":"2025-05-20T03:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T21:11:09","slug":"a-torch-to-drop-on-aseans-lap-part-1-by-theo-zaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/05\/a-torch-to-drop-on-aseans-lap-part-1-by-theo-zaw\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0A Torch to Drop on ASEAN\u2019s Lap (Part 1) by Theo Zaw"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Torch to Drop on ASEAN\u2019s Lap (Part 1) by Theo Zaw<\/strong>
MoeMaKa, May 18, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

Saying \u201cASEAN issues aren\u2019t worth shedding blood over\u201d may not raise eyebrows anymore\u2014ASEAN no longer stirs much emotion. But on the flip side, it\u2019s still essential to pay attention to how international positions\u2014including that of the UN\u2014trail behind ASEAN’s stance. That\u2019s why ASEAN\u2019s position remains crucial regarding the military council’s sham elections and its various efforts to gain legitimacy. The question is not whether ASEAN will support our side, but rather whether it will avoid siding with the junta<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Neighboring China, which seeks to meddle in relations between the resistance forces and the National Unity Government (NUG), does not need to exert much effort to influence how ASEAN member states engage with Myanmar. A regional power that competes politically with global powers can easily use ASEAN as its diplomatic mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

One key difference between Western governments and Myanmar\u2019s regional neighbors in ASEAN is that the latter are more historically entrenched in Myanmar\u2019s affairs and therefore more familiar with its political dynamics. So it\u2019s not that they are unaware of Myanmar\u2019s internal crisis\u2014they simply prioritize their own strategic interests<\/strong> over democracy, human rights, and justice. Put bluntly, most ASEAN governments are not thinking about the Myanmar people first.<\/p>\n

Look at how ASEAN reacted to Thailand\u2019s repeated military coups or Cambodia\u2019s sham elections suppressing opposition parties. There\u2019s no need to elaborate. Even in the late 1970s, when Suharto\u2019s Indonesia invaded East Timor and the UN General Assembly condemned it through Resolution 3485, ASEAN refrained from criticizing Suharto\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

Since Malaysia assumed the ASEAN chair this year, we have seen some constructive moves, but time will tell how strong their political will really is. At this moment, ASEAN must be urged to not simply go along<\/strong> with China\u2019s cozy dealings with Myanmar\u2019s junta.<\/p>\n

As the saying goes, you only know pain when the flame lands on your own skin. In that spirit, we believe it\u2019s time to metaphorically drop a nuclear torch<\/strong> onto ASEAN\u2019s lap to spark awareness and accountability.<\/p>\n

A Nuclear Torch?<\/h3>\n

This isn\u2019t just about ASEAN\u2014nuclear security issues impact the entire region. But this article focuses specifically on ASEAN\u2019s complacency<\/strong>. So far, ASEAN has failed to treat Myanmar\u2019s military junta as a threat to regional peace and stability. They still assume the junta abides by ASEAN norms, despite its egregious domestic crimes.<\/p>\n

What needs to be exposed is how Myanmar\u2019s military continues to deceive ASEAN<\/strong>, all while hoping to maintain its place at the regional table.<\/p>\n

ASEAN\u2019s Treaty Commitments<\/h3>\n

ASEAN countries are signatories to the Bangkok Treaty<\/strong> (South East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty), signed in 1995 and ratified by Myanmar in 1996. This treaty prohibits member states from developing, manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, or using nuclear weapons\u2014within or outside the region.<\/p>\n

If any member violates these commitments, it could threaten regional security and damage ASEAN\u2019s credibility. That\u2019s why we\u2019re raising these nuclear-related concerns\u2014to push ASEAN to take its own treaties seriously.<\/p>\n

The Ebisawa Case<\/h3>\n

Enter Takeshi Ebisawa<\/strong>, who recently confessed in a New York court to trying to illicitly obtain weapons-grade plutonium<\/strong> from Myanmar. This is a rare and highly dangerous material that cannot be produced without a nuclear reactor<\/strong>, which Myanmar does not publicly possess. His statement linked the source to Myanmar and mentioned possible connections to ethnic armed groups<\/strong>, with speculation pointing to RCSS.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Justice and the DEA have confirmed Ebisawa\u2019s confession through forensic nuclear testing. According to former IAEA inspector and SIPRI expert Robert Kelley, weapons-grade plutonium cannot be obtained<\/strong> on black markets. This lends serious weight to Ebisawa\u2019s claim that the material came from within Myanmar.<\/p>\n

If this is true, then the question becomes: who inside Myanmar has access to such high-level nuclear materials?<\/strong> All signs point to the military, which has denied any nuclear ambitions in the past\u2014most notably during a 2012 Shangri-La Dialogue appearance, when Myanmar\u2019s then defense minister publicly claimed the program had been halted.<\/p>\n

But if those claims were true, how did this plutonium surface? Is this not a violation of ASEAN\u2019s Bangkok Treaty?<\/p>\n

Time for ASEAN to Wake Up<\/h3>\n

This is why we\u2019re calling for ASEAN to take responsibility. If it is to uphold its own nuclear-free treaty, it must investigate Myanmar\u2019s possible violations<\/strong> and take a firm stance. The \u201cnuclear torch\u201d has been lit\u2014now it must not be ignored.<\/p>\n

(To be continued\u2026)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Torch to Drop on ASEAN\u2019s Lap (Part 1) by Theo ZawMoeMaKa, May 18, 2025 Saying \u201cASEAN issues aren\u2019t worth shedding blood over\u201d may not raise eyebrows anymore\u2014ASEAN no longer stirs much emotion. But on the flip side, it\u2019s still…<\/p>\n

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