US says not ready to accede to ASEAN non-aggression pact

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2005

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said it has no plans to sign a non-aggression treaty with Southeast Asia even though other big powers Russia, China and India have become signatories to underscore security commitment to the region.

Australia, a key US ally, has also agreed to accede to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, abandoning Canberra's option to launch preemptive military strikes against terrorist bases in the region.

The three-decade old treaty bans signatories from using violence to settle conflicts in the region, a key policy of ASEAN, which was established during the height of the Cold War.

But the United States is reluctant to sign the treaty, which is also a precondition laid down by ASEAN for those...