The U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative: Participation and Concerns of the ASEAN Member States.

On 31 May 2003, President Bush announced the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) in Krakow, Poland, which aims to counter the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). At present, there are 106 States endorsing the Statement of Interdiction Principles and are participants of the U.S.-led initiative. The PSI participating States are asked to inspect ships suspected of carrying WMD-related cargoes that sail to or from the States or non-State actors of proliferation concern. While all ASEAN members have participated in the PSI activities and most of them are PSI partners, they have doubts about the legality for PSI interdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This article examines the development of the PSI, legality for PSI interdiction, and explore possible ways to reduce ASEAN Members' concerns about legal authorities for interdiction actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]