Opinion | East Timor’s membership marks a new chapter for Asean
Dili can bolster Asean’s diplomatic outreach and action on shared concerns, while other members can lend a hand in East Timor’s development
Known officially as Timor-Leste, the country gained full independence on May 20, 2002, after a United Nations-supervised referendum in 1999. With a population of 1.4 million and its capital in Dili, East Timor is rich in oil and natural gas reserves located in the Timor Sea. The country also exports coffee, vanilla and scrap iron, as well as sandalwood, its national tree.
The long campaign for the nation’s accession to Asean was by no means smooth sailing. Its overreliance on oil and gas revenue, commodities with significant price fluctuations, and emerging state capacity limitations had, in the past, made some reluctant to incorporate the fledgling country into Asean.
Yet with their governments proactively pursuing greater integration and ameliorating internal inequalities, leaders of Asean and East Timor alike have worked consistently in bringing about this historic moment.