Saturday, October 21, 2006
Asean should take a stand on N. Korea nuke test: senator
SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on Friday called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to take a collective stand on North Korea's nuclear bomb test.
"This matter is of supreme concern to the peoples of Southeast Asia, including our own, because North Korea is located in our region," he said.
"Moreover, North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons, if unchecked, could lead to instability in the region," he added.
North Korea's test detonation of a nuclear bomb last October 9 drew strong condemnation from world leaders. The UN Security Council has threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea and urged the communist country to return to disarmament talks.
"The Asean, as a regional group, should take a stand on this issue. It should not just leave the matter to the UN or to the US or even the IPU," Pimentel said.
"We should, as Asean, make our stand known to the world," Pimentel said.
The North Korea issue is expected to crop up during the annual Asean leaders summit to be held in Cebu City in December. The Philippines is the current Asean head. (CPB/Sunnex)
(October 21, 2006 issue)
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