SOUTHEAST ASIA NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONE
Treaty of Bangkok

A decade after the Rarotonga Treaty and as a consequence of the Cold War end, the treaty creating a nuclear weapon free zone in South-East Asia, known as the Bangkok Treaty was signed in the said city on December 15, 1995. Like its precedents, it has its roots in the Cold War and reflects the ASEAN States perception of facing political, economic and security challenges all together. This Treaty was originated by the Declaration of Kuala Lumpur signed in 1971, which defined the determination of the ASEAN States to assure recognition and respect for a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) in South-East Asia. Afterwards, in December 1995, the 7 States of the ASEAN which are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar signed the Treaty creating NWFZs in South-East Asia. This Treaty also has been supplemented with an additional protocol intended for being signed by the great nuclear powers. However it is the only additional protocol of the Bangkok Treaty because in this geographic region there is no state having territories under its jurisdiction in the application area.