Timor-Leste downplays Myanmar’s objection to its full membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Originally published on UCA News
Timor-Leste has dismissed Myanmar’s reported objection to it becoming the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as “inconsequential and irrelevant.”
Myanmar has formally objected to Timor-Leste’s accession to the Southeast Asian regional bloc, accusing Dili of violating the bloc’s core principle of non-interference in internal affairs of other nations, media reported on July 2.
President José Ramos-Horta dismissed the accusation as inconsequential, while reaffirming that the path to full membership of ASEAN has already been secured.
“Myanmar’s opposition is irrelevant. The formal decision for Timor-Leste to join ASEAN has already been made and is reflected in the final communiqué,” said Ramos-Horta, adding that the “ceremony to mark our full membership is scheduled for the ASEAN Summit in October this year.”
“If the ASEAN Chair wishes, they may respond to Myanmar’s objection, but preparations for Timor-Leste’s accession are well underway,” he added.
Media reports said Myanmar submitted an official letter to Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, asserting that Timor-Leste “does not adhere to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.”
The letter, signed by Myanmar’s Director General and Alternate Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) Leader, Han Win Aung, further stated that if Timor-Leste continues its “blatant violations” of this principle, ASEAN must “firmly reject any consideration of granting membership” to the country.
Myanmar, which has been under ASEAN sanctions and excluded from high-level meetings since the 2021 military coup, currently holds limited influence within the organization.
President Ramos-Horta emphasized that Myanmar’s pariah status undermines its capacity to influence major decisions within the bloc.
Valentin da Costa, executive director of the Timor-Leste NGO Forum (FONGTIL), also pushed back against Myanmar’s accusations, saying the objection stems from Timor-Leste’s consistent support for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
“Myanmar’s stance is a reaction to Timor-Leste’s principled solidarity with democratic movements. Both Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and President Ramos-Horta have publicly criticized the Myanmar junta and supported the National Unity Government [NUG],” da Costa said.
Established by elected lawmakers deposed in the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) claims itself as the country’s legitimate government, in contrast to the unelected and widely despised military junta.
“What truly unsettles the junta is the democratic example Timor-Leste sets — a society where citizens can openly challenge both domestic and international governments without fear,” da Costa added.
Timor-Leste’s firm support for democratic values in Myanmar has been consistent. In August 2023, Prime Minister Gusmão warned that his country might reconsider its ASEAN membership bid if the bloc continued legitimizing military regimes.
Shortly after, President Ramos-Horta invited officials from the NUG to official events in Dili, prompting a backlash from the junta in Naypyidaw, which expelled Timor-Leste’s chargé d’affaires in retaliation.
In March 2024, Gusmão met with members of the Myanmar diaspora in Melbourne, Australia, where he reiterated his support for their struggle and urged the junta to respect the Five-Point Consensus, ASEAN’s post-2021 coup roadmap for peace and democratic restoration in Myanmar that has so far gone unimplemented.
“We urge the junta to respect democratic principles, human rights, and the freedoms of the Myanmar people,” Gusmão said at the time.
As preparations continue for Timor-Leste’s formal ASEAN induction this October, the country positions itself not only as the bloc’s newest member but also as a vocal advocate for human rights, civic freedoms, and democratic integrity in Southeast Asia.
