Safeguarding Peaceful Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia: Asean Commitments and Strategic Challenges to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the Indo-Pacifics

Abstract

The emergence of the AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States America) defense pact forces centered in Australia has become a new disaster for the commitment of Non-Proliferation in the ASEAN-Pacific Region, especially ASEAN-Oceania, as well as has betrayed the trust in the disarmament and prohibition of nuclear weapons in the Region. The emergence of AUKUS from a defence perspective is considered an important step for the Western Bloc in placing nuclear warheads in Australia to minimise the potential for their defence failure from a future defence attack by the Eastern Bloc, but in terms of peace ASEAN is the most disadvantaged region of this defence pact. Asean through the presence of AUKUS is then faced with the problem of its defense strategic position, on the one hand ASEAN must maintain its commitment to peace by not participating in any bloc defense pact, but on the other hand ASEAN countries are certainly threatened by nuclear warheads placed close to their territory. Indonesia's role as the most strategic country in the ASEAN Region is in the spotlight, geopolitically Indonesia must continue to try dialogue efforts without being affected by the flow of any pact or bloc, the principle of free and active activity as the foundation of Indonesia's geopolitics must be maintained, this will be a new and great challenge for the credibility of Indonesia's geopolitical diplomacy and the ASEAN Region to maintain world peace which must start from the peace of the region itself.