Timor Leste ASEAN Membership: 14-Year Wait Ends

Author: Tommy Walker/DW Indonesia

KOMPAS.com – Timor Leste will be the latest member of the Southeast Asian Association (ASEAN) Association Block in October, after 14 years the youngest and smallest state in Southeast Asia proceeds to become a member of ASEAN.

The membership was confirmed last week during the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the capital city of Dili.

“Timor Leste’s membership in ASEAN will be very beneficial for all of us,” explained Anwar in a press conference after his meeting with Timor President Leste Jose Ramos-Horta.

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“We will hold a big celebration for the entry of Timor Leste into ASEAN in October 2025,” Anwar added.

ASEAN membership can open new opportunities for Timor Leste in a broader regional involvement and better economic integration with neighboring countries.

Timor Leste was once known as East Timor Merdeka in 2002. The country first submitted an ASEAN membership request in 2011. The membership process officially began in 2022.

Sharon Seah, a senior researcher at the Isaof Isaac Institute in Singapore, says to DW that Timor Leste has been waiting in front of the ASEAN door for 14 years.

“It is said that it is easier to enter heaven than entering ASEAN. Timor Leste submitted a request for membership in 2011, about nine years after independence. Timor Leste from the beginning realized that joining regional organizations was needed to guarantee economic and political sovereignty as a new country,” he added.

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The quality of Timor Leste democracy

Not long ago, around 2,000 people took to the streets to protest the government’s plan to provide Toyota Prado SUVs for free to 65 parliamentary members.

The demonstration changed chaos when the protesters threw stones and burned tires and vehicles.

The police responded by firing tear gas. After three days of protest action, the Timor Leste government decided to cancel the purchase of a vehicle worth 3.6 million euros (Rp. 70 billion).

Michael Leach, professor of international relations at the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, told to DW That the fast deescalization proves the quality of Timor Leste democracy.

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“Timor Leste is the most democratic country in Southeast Asia, with freedom of gathering and freedom of opinion that is guaranteed well,” said Leach, who is also the founder of Timor Leste Studies Association.

“When compared with some neighboring countries, the level of civil freedom is relatively higher, so that protests and conflicts with authority can be more controlled,” he added.