The Hindu : Jakarta for Dili in ASEAN

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

International

International

Jakarta for Dili in ASEAN

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE May 24. Indonesia supports the idea of East Timor becoming a member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Jakarta today that Indonesia had an interest in East Timor becoming a member of ASEAN as this could help maintain the stability and security of South-East Asia. The spokesman, however, added that the decision to become a member of ASEAN or other regional groupings had to be taken by East Timor itself. In the past, there has been some opposition from within ASEAN against East Timor becoming a member. Myanmar, for instance, had objected to membership of East Timor, given the contacts of the East Timor leadership with the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.Interestingly, Papua New Guinea still enjoys observer status within ASEAN — it doesn't have the status of a full member. There have been voices within the ASEAN region about new members such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, which are less developed, dragging the regional grouping as a whole. The argument has been that a country like Papua New Guinea would further affect the prospects of ASEAN, whose advanced members have been dogged with problems of slowing economic growth and enhanced competition from countries like China.

For their part, East Timor leaders have referred in the past to the possibility of linking up with Pacific Islands Forum given its proximity with other Pacific nations. In a recent interview, the East Timor Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, spoke about Dili taking membership of ASEAN.

"We should develop an active foreign policy based on membership in important international and regional bodies, such as ASEAN....'' ``We should also develop strong bilateral ties with nearby countries like Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and others in Asia. I view East Timor's relationship with the European Union and the United States as being of strategic importance. Both have been very much engaged in supporting us,'' Mr. Ramos-Horta said.The East Timor President, Xanana Gusmao, who personally invited the Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, to attend the May 20 independence day celebrations, is to pay his first visit abroad to Indonesia.

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