ASEAN cautious on East Timor membership

ASEAN cautious on East Timor membership

Chris Foley, Agence France-Presse, Singapore

East Timor's arrival as a sovereign state has bolstered its claim
to a seat at the ASEAN table, but the 10-nation bloc faces deep
soul-searching on whether to provide the extra chair.

As the world's newest nation, East Timor is eager for instant
recognition at international forums and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become an obvious and
immediate target.

But ASEAN's desire to embrace the entire region in recent
years has led to questions about its effectiveness and stinging
accusations it was hamstrung by "institutional paralysis" because
of its golden rule of consensus.

Myanmar, whose 1997 admission to ASEAN drew wide condemnation
because of reported human rights abuses, most recently used the
consensus requirement to block Dili from observer status when
ASEAN foreign ministers met in February.

Ironically, Myanmar held out because of East Timorese leaders'
"past dealings" with Myanmar opposition forces led by Aung San
Suu Kyi. Three months later Myanmar released Aung San Suu Kyi
from 19 months under house arrest.

Myanmar's ruling junta on Monday denied it had blocked
observer status for East Timor and said it must simply follow
procedures.

"It is not correct to say that Myanmar is objecting to the
attainment of ASEAN observer status by East Timor," a junta
spokesman said. "Our stand regarding East Timor's application is
simply that it must follow set procedure.

"First, there must be consensus on the question. Next, there
are certain steps and procedures to be followed before a nation
can become an observer in ASEAN.

"These steps include the acceptance and adherence of the
principles enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
"Therefore, East Timor must be in a position to fulfill its
obligations."

East Timor has been given "guest" status for the July ASEAN
Regional Forum in Brunei where its application will again be
discussed, but Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar warned
there would be no rushed decision.

"I believe it will proceed cautiously ... step by step," he
said, adding ASEAN would like to focus more on consolidation
before accepting new members.

There was also the issue of whether East Timor seriously
wanted to be a member of ASEAN or was after quick access to
member countries and international confirmation of its new
status.

"There are competing voices within Dili, where there have been
questions about the non-democratic tendencies of ASEAN," a
Singapore-based political scientist specializing in ASEAN
analysis told AFP.

East Timor had previously criticized ASEAN as being pro-
Jakarta, ignoring the drive for self-determination, and failing
to prevent Indonesian military-backed militias conducting a wave
of violence and murder after the 1999 independence vote.

One of the biggest critics was Jose Ramos Horta, East Timor's
new foreign minister and a now strident voice for ASEAN observer
status now, and a full role in five years.

There were also problems with Indonesia, despite President
Megawati Soekarnoputri attending the independence celebrations,
the Singapore-based analyst said.

"Megawati's appearance at the flag-raising ceremony could be
seen as (ASEAN membership being) a fait accompli, at least at a
formal level.

"But some in the Indonesian military are not happy," he said.

The division in the existing ASEAN ranks was highlighted soon
after East Timor made its intentions known in late 1999, when
Cambodian leader Hun Sen reportedly said: "Some leaders do not
want East Timor as part of ASEAN."

After Myanmar blocked the observer status request in February,
a Filipino official said there had also been misgivings in ASEAN
over the "political, administrative and logistical implications
of East Timor's eventual membership".

East Timor is also keen to join the proposed West Pacific
Forum (WPF) being considered by Indonesia and Australia, "as long
as that does not mean exclusion from ASEAN", Horta said, adding
that he had been told by some ASEAN countries, which he did not
identify, that WPF membership would exclude East Timor from
ASEAN.

Observer status, now enjoyed by Papua New Guinea, would allow
East Timor to attend ASEAN's annual ministerial meetings and hold
informal consultations with the group.

ASEAN, formed in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam.