| This week, we welcome Mohan Pieris to the APLN network. Sadia Tasleem argues that the normalisation of violence may erode the tradition of non-use of nuclear weapons, citing Israel’s war in Gaza as an example of failed deterrence. We also share details about our upcoming webinar next week, which will explore the critical dynamics shaping the China-US relationship and its impact on regional stability. Additionally, we hosted a workshop in Seoul focused on regional perspectives regarding South Korea’s nuclear armament.
As always, we share recent activities from our network, analysis on US-ASEAN relations, nuclear stability, Indonesian foreign policy, and more. |
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| APLN is pleased to welcome Ambassador Mohan Pieris as our newest network member. He is a distinguished legal professional with an illustrious career spanning several decades. Throughout his career, he held several prestigious positions, including President’s Counsel in 2004, Attorney-General of Sri Lanka in 2008, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 2013.
Beyond Sri Lanka, Ambassador Pieris has made significant contributions to international arbitration and represented the country at key international forums, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council. Since his appointment as Permanent Representative to the UN in 2021, he has been actively engaged in critical global issues, including disarmament, human rights, and peacekeeping missions. |
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War in Gaza: Imperative to Strengthen Tradition of
Nonuse of Nuclear Weapons
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| Sadia Tasleem argues that nuclear weapons are ethically repugnant, militarily ineffective, and politically useless, citing Israel’s war in Gaza as a case where nuclear deterrence failed to prevent military conflict, while also warning that the normalisation of violence and disproportionate use of force could lead to a breakdown of the tradition of non-use of nuclear weapons. |
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| Join us on October 29th at 10am KST for a report launch webinar examining how Asia-Pacific states view the China-US relationship and the long-term roles they wish China and the US would play in the region.
Manpreet Sethi and Joel Petersson Ivre, co-authors of the recently published APLN report “Regional End-States and Beyond” will share insights from their research, based on interviews with regional policy practitioners. They will be joined by Zack Cooper, Melissa Conley-Tyler, and Yu Tiejun. The discussion will be moderated by APLN Policy Fellow Tanvi Kulkarni. |
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| This week, APLN organized a workshop on regional perspectives on South Korea’s nuclear armament, with the support of the East Asia Office of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Seoul. The workshop featured discussions on papers presented by participants from Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, focusing on how South Korean nuclear proliferation would impact the country’s international prestige and national interests. APLN network members Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, Akira Kawasaki, Sang Hyun Lee, Jun Bong-Geun, Eunjung Lim, APLN Associate Fellow Karla Mae Pabeliña, Policy Fellows Elaine Natalie and Joel Petersson Ivre participated in the workshop. |
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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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| Gary Quinlan AO and Dewi Fortuna Anwar will participate in an event hosted by Asialink, where they will discuss the outlook for Indonesia’s international political, economic, and security relations under its new President. |
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| Rakesh Sood, Distinguished Fellow at the Council for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR), New Delhi, argues that a doctrinal shift toward no-first-use and the implementation of technical measures for de-alerting can go a long way in mitigating growing nuclear risks. |
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| Natalie Sambhi, Founder and Executive Director of Verve Research, writes for Brookings on US-ASEAN relations, arguing that the US should respect Southeast Asian states’ sovereignty and legitimate interests, rather than viewing the region solely as a site of geopolitical competition. |
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| C Uday Bhaskar, Director of the Society for Policy Studies (SPS), New Delhi, writes for the South China Morning Post and emphasises that we cannot afford to forget the catastrophe unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as the world lurches towards nuclear conflict. |
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| Eunjung Lim, Associate Professor of International Studies at Kongju National University, argues that while there is growing public support in South Korea for nuclear armament, pursuing such a path would have severe international consequences, destabilising the global nonproliferation regime. [This article is written in Korean.] |
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