Southeast Asia: Location of Transit of Nuclear Weapon Components

The Southeast Asian region is believed to be the transfer location of various components which can be used in the development of nuclear weapons by nuclear proliferation supporters in the world. If the government is not vigilant and does not impose strict regulations to govern it, the ideal of global nuclear weapons disarmament will be more difficult to achieve.
This opinion was asserted at a seminar entitled "Nuclear Energy, Nonproliferation and Strategic Trade Management: The Nexus of Security and Economic Management" in Jakarta on 19 July 2011. The seminar was held by the US Embassy in Jakarta and the Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) of the University of Georgia, US.
According to CITS senior analyst, Seema Gahlaut, in a number of disclosed trade plots of nuclear weapon components, it was discovered that some Southeast Asian countries has become the transit points or even the producers of the components. The most famous case is the disclosure of the nuclear proliferation network of Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Khan was considered as the father of the Pakistani nuclear weapons after he successfully developed the centrifuge technology for the uranium enrichment process. That technology was then transferred to North Korea, and had allegedly been shipped to Iran and Libya.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
According to Gahlaut, some of the centrifuge components such as the steel material for the rotor and the cap were actually produced by Singaporean and Malaysian companies. In another case it was found out that components of strategic weapons technology which were prohibited by European countries to be shipped to China were actually shipped to that country through Malaysia.
Gahlaut emphasized that what happened in Malaysia could possibly happen in Indonesia as well. She said: ‘After Singapore imposed stricter (export-import) regulations in 2004, the proliferation network moved to other countries in Southeast Asia.’
In those cases, according to Gahlaut, the country used as a transit route or companies producing such components did not realize that the products could be used in the assembling process of illegal weapons of mass destruction.
In addition to the lack of technical knowledge among law enforcers in the concerned country, the components also have other usages in the civilian fields such as in medicine, so that they can pass the customs service.
In the Asher Karni proliferation network case in 2004, the transferred device was a triggered spark gap. This component can be used not only in a machine to break kidney stones in hospitals, but it can also serve as a detonator for nuclear bombs.
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
From the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali, the South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEAN WFZ) agreement was agreed upon to not only bind ASEAN member countries, but also countries possessing nuclear weapons that want to show their forces in South East Asia.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that an understanding emerged that the agreement should also regulate the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This is in line with the three basic pillars of the nuclear issue, namely nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Afghan President’s India Visit: New Delhi and Kabul Establish Strategic Cooperation

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, came to India for a two-day visit on 4 October. Karzai’s trip to New Delhi is seen as one laden with significance where the deepening of bilateral ties between the two countries are concerned. The two countries entered into a strategic partnership under which India will, among other things, assist the war-ravaged nation in training, equipping and capacity building programs for Afghan National Security Forces.

The landmark agreement was signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Karzai after their wide ranging discussions on the situation in the embattled nation and how India could strengthen its capacity building programs in that country.

Political and Security Issues

The agreement envisions bilateral ties on an altogether different and broader plane, encompassing areas such as security and economic cooperation. The most significant aspect of the strategic partnership is the political and security cooperation it envisages in areas such as combating international terrorism.
The agreement provides for the training, equipping and capacity-building of Afghan national security forces, which is being seen as a preparation for the drawdown of US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces by 2014. Thus far, treading carefully, New Delhi had been largely pumping aid to help build Afghanistan’s infrastructure.

Security cooperation between the sides was intended to help enhance their respective and mutual efforts in the fight against international terrorism, organized crime, illegal trafficking in narcotics, money laundering and so on, the text of the strategic partnership document said. India agreed to assist, as mutually determined, in the training, equipping and capacity building programs for Afghan National Security Forces.

The two countries also concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of development of hydrocarbons and another on cooperation in the field of mineral resource development.

Under the agreement, the two sides will engage in close political cooperation by establishing a mechanism for regular bilateral political and Foreign Office Consultations. Political consultations will be led by the Foreign Ministries of both countries and include summit level consultations convened at least once a year.

The two sides will also consult and cooperate at the United Nations and other international, regional and multilateral fora. India and Afghanistan also agreed to establish a Strategic Dialogue to provide a framework for cooperation in the area of national security. The dialogue will be led by National Security Advisers (NSAs) and involve regular consultations with the aim of intensifying mutual efforts toward strengthening regional peace and security.

Support for UN Reforms

The strategic agreement also comprises joint initiatives on key international issues and support for UN reforms, including permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council. It entails a strategic dialogue to provide a framework for cooperation in the area of national security. "The dialogue will be led by NSAs and involve regular consultations with the aim of intensifying mutual efforts towards strengthening regional peace and security.

The two countries committed themselves to strengthening trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation, as well as cooperation between other bodies of business and industry representatives, with a view to expanding trade and economic relations.

The major pacts signed include:

* An MoU on cooperation in the field mineral resource development concluded. The two sides will engage in close political cooperation
* India to assist in training, equipping and capacity building programmes for Afghan security forces
* Both nations committed to strengthening trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation

Value of Land Decreasing in Thailand’s Deep South Provinces Since Unrest

Sophon Phonchokchai, CEO of Agency for Real Estate Company Limited, revealed that Thai Real Estate Information and Evaluation Center found that the value of residences and agricultural lands in the three southern border provinces has dropped down over 52,178 baht during 2005-2007. It is believed that now the value has been reduced to over 200,000 million baht from the former value 497,777 million baht in 2005.
Impact of Racial Wars
It was found that some of the plantations were sold with a cheap price and old residents, both Muslim and Buddhist escaped the unrest in the three southern border provinces to other localities. This kind of situation can be a way for interested people to do investment and speculate the profit, while general people especially outsiders might not dare to take the risk.
Thus, if there is a fund set up for mortgages from the landlords, the value will double when the situation is relieved. The land's value will increase and gives a good compensation while the landlords will not have to lose their lands. When the situation calms down, the people can move back to their homelands. However, this will take a period of time such as Aceh, Indonesia that took 15 years, Sri Lanka racial war that took 25 years and Indochina Wars that took 35 years etc.
Short-Term Political Conflicts
‘Wars and politics have an effect on real estate especially long-term security. Short-term political conflicts may affect the capital market but have no direct effect on the real estate market, because the real estate changes slowly. For example, the unrest in the country in 2010 caused more than 100 deaths and more than 2,000 injured, but the opening of the new real estate doubled compared to that in 2009 -- 116,791 units in 2010 from 57,604 in 2009.
So, the government must not let the unrest happen for too long but must restore reconciliation and stop the conflict in the country.’
Positive Effect on Provinces
However, in the case of the three southern border provinces there are some places that are still vivid such Betong District and Sungai Golok District which are important border trading zones. In Sungai Golok District there was a construction of the bridge liking with Malaysia. Whereas, Betong District, in which general people have good income and a lot of Malaysian people cross the border for expenditure, still has a good quality of agricultural products especially Para rubber. This is why Betong and some other border areas are still generally vivid. Moreover, the unrest situation has a positive effect on other provinces especially Songkhla's Hat Yai District that is the central of economic in the southern region. There were numerous housing developments of which the residents are partly from the three southern border provinces. It has been found that there have been several housing developments constructed even in Nakhosri Thammarat' Muang District and Surat Thani' Muang District during these past three years, which is the effect of the migration of the people from the areas.