| This week, APLN Chair released a statement congratulating the Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. We revisited two commentaries focusing on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and the need to educate younger generations about nuclear dangers. We also hosted the third virtual roundtable on climate change-related risks, bringing together experts from the Pacific and Asia.
As always, we share recent activities from our network, analysis on US-Indonesia relations, inter-Korean relations, China’s evolving nuclear policy, Iran-Israel conflict, and more. |
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APLN Chair’s Statement on the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)
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| APLN Chair Dr. Marty Natalegawa greets the Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) on being awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. 🕊
APLN salutes the extraordinary leadership of the Hibakusha in fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons, and will continue to strive to achieve a world in which nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction are contained, diminished, and eventually eliminated. |
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Hibakusha: The Human Cost of Nuclear Weapons
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| Elaine Natalie and Katherine Yoon explore the devastating physical and psychosocial repercussions of nuclear weapons as experienced by the hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. They also highlight the hibakusha’s advocacy efforts to abolish nuclear weapons and prevent future nuclear disasters, emphasising the importance of heeding the voices of survivors to avoid the recurrence of such tragedies. |
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Nuclear Education as a Way to Prevent
Another Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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| Manpreet Sethi points out that while nuclear risk has grown, public awareness of its dangers has diminished since the end of the Cold War, especially among younger generations. She stresses the need for widespread education on the consequences of nuclear weapons use, through both structured initiatives and popular media, to galvanize public engagement and drive efforts toward non-proliferation, risk reduction, and, ultimately, nuclear disarmament. |
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| As part of our Voices from the Pacific Islands project, APLN recently hosted two virtual roundtables exploring security concerns and opportunities for collaboration between nations from the Pacific and Asia. The first roundtable focused on Asia-Pacific geopolitics and the US-China competition, while the second addressed the impacts of rising nuclear risks and humanitarian crises. This week, the third roundtable took place with participants discussing current and emerging climate change-related risks and impacts in the region. |
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APLN has over 150 members from 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.
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| Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Research Professor at the Research Center for Politics-National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), joined a Quincy Institute discussion to explore the potential shifts in US-Indonesia relations under the presidency of Prabowo Subianto. She shared insights on Jakarta’s stance toward escalating tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan, and how Indonesia’s rise may influence the Global South’s role in US foreign policy. |
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| Elina Noor, Senior Fellow in the Asia Programme at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, writes for South China Morning Post, arguing that for the small businesses dominating Southeast Asia’s consumer electronics industry, ensuring against external tampering would be a costly burden. |
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| Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow with Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program and Carnegie China, was featured in a discussion hosted by Carnegie, where he analysed China’s evolving nuclear policy and the internal dynamics driving its recent strategic shifts. |
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| Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, writes for The Tribune on the recent missile strikes between Iran and Israel, arguing that such a conflict could have severe consequences not only for Iran but also for neighbouring countries, including India, which may face disruptions to energy supplies and increased instability. |
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| Eunjung Lim, Associate Professor of International Studies at Kongju National University, was quoted in Deutsche Welle regarding the potentially incendiary events on the Korean Peninsula in recent days. She believes that younger generations in North Korea are increasingly skeptical of the Kim regime’s propaganda, making the situation there unstable. |
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