After years of membership efforts, East Timor is now poised to turn into the eleventh member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The strategy of East Timor’s accession to ASEAN has been ongoing for several years. The country was recognized as an ASEAN observer in 2002 and joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2005. The newest Southeast Asian country formally applied to hitch the regional bloc in 2011.
The country’s leaders said that they had made a “strategic decision” to turn into an ASEAN member state in the longer term. In 2007, outgoing President Jose Ramos-Horta reiterated the message that joining ASEAN was his country’s top priority. After the 2012 presidential elections, the brand new government confirmed its commitment to membership within the regional bloc.
The nation state expressed interest in joining the regional group as early as 2003. At the time, only Thailand and Cambodia supported its membership bid.
East Timor formally gained independence in 2002, after a protracted and drawn-out struggle to secede from Indonesia. Its secession made East Timor one among the youngest countries within the international system.
This tiny Southeast Asian country has come a good distance within the last 14 years when it comes to economic, political and social development. According to the 2011 World Development Report, most post-conflict countries need between 15 and 30 years to emerge from fragility. East Timor’s economic development, fueled by offshore oil revenues within the Timor Gap, has helped improve social services and human development.
Timor-Leste currently ranks higher on the Human Development Index than its neighbors (Cambodia, Laos and Burma). In terms of per capita income, the small nation has overtaken other ASEAN members: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The country can also be gaining a repute as an outspoken advocate of democracy and human rights. Many Southeast Asian countries have been criticized for his or her poor human rights records. Vietnam and Laos remain one-party communist states, Brunei is an absolute monarchy that imposes Sharia law, and Thailand has fallen into military rule.
On the opposite hand, East Timor ranks higher as a democratic nation than its neighbors due to its multi-party democracy. To date, this small nation has held two presidential and legislative elections that international observer missions have deemed democratically free and fair. The country has also developed an energetic civil society that promotes human rights at home and abroad. Timor-Leste is a member of quite a lot of regional human rights bodies, corresponding to the National Forum of Human Rights Institutions and the Asia-Pacific Forum. This 12 months, when ASEAN Chairman Laos refused to host the ASEAN People’s Forum, the bloc’s annual civil society meeting, East Timor joined the initiative.
Ten years ago, East Timor was still fighting the withdrawal of Indonesian troops. Now it has not only achieved a peaceful reconciliation with its neighbor, but sees it as a key partner. Politicians in East Timor are in talks with Indonesia regarding border negotiations. About 98 percent of outstanding issues were resolved after the acceptance of land rights guarantees by families living along the 2 countries’ border.
ASEAN readiness
The country is strengthening its readiness for ASEAN membership by actively participating as an observer in meetings of ASEAN sector bodies and organizing workshops and seminars. Earlier this 12 months, the country sent a representative to the ASEAN Regional Forum workshop on improving fisheries management. This was the third meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum wherein East Timor participated. East Timor has also signaled that it’ll move towards even closer relations with ASEAN in the longer term.
Earlier this 12 months, Indonesia raised hopes for East Timor’s membership within the regional bloc. Indonesia’s ambassador to ASEAN, Rahmat Pramono, said the feasibility study on East Timor’s membership, launched in 2011, is sort of complete. The study focused on three pillars – politics and security, economy and socio-cultural aspects.
“An assessment of political, security and economic studies has been carried out, while the socio-cultural assessment is expected to be completed by the end of this year,” Rahmat said.
In addition to Indonesia, this country’s offer is supported by Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, the Philippines and Burma. Outgoing Philippine President Benigno Aquino even declared his support for East Timor’s membership in 2013 – which is particularly essential since the Philippines will chair ASEAN in 2017. Only Singapore and Laos have repeatedly blocked this country’s candidacy on the grounds that they will not be yet developed enough to hitch a regional organization. They imagine that East Timor must overcome quite a lot of obstacles before it could actually gain membership.
Timor-Leste’s history of transparent elections and high Human Development Index reflect the country’s importance in advancing nation-building. It can also be taking mandatory steps and processes to fulfill ASEAN requirements. If adopted, it could potentially bring economic prosperity to the country.
Author: Roshni Kapur
A graduate of the University of Sydney, majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies.
This article was first published on Diplomat on October 1, 2016
