"Indonesia's Warning: Nuclear Weapons Pose Catastrophic Threat to Southeast Asia"

Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, warned that Southeast Asia is "one miscalculation away from apocalypse" due to the threat posed by nuclear weapons, urging world powers to sign a treaty to keep the region free from such arms. While ASEAN's agenda includes discussions on Myanmar's civil strife and tensions in the South China Sea, the U.S.-China rivalry looms large over the meetings. Marsudi highlighted that none of the world's leading nuclear powers have signed the treaty committing to a nuclear weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia. A draft communique suggests that a first nuclear weapons state, likely China, may sign the treaty with written assurances of ratification. Myanmar's military leaders have been banned from attending the ASEAN summit due to their refusal to address the deadly civil strife in the country. ASEAN members appear divided on how to proceed, with Thailand recommending easing punitive actions against Myanmar's generals.