Myanmar has officially informed Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), that it will not support Timor Leste’s accession in October, according to informed sources.
Naypyitaw’s official position was recently conveyed to the chair, stating that Timor Leste has failed to adhere to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.
According to the sources, the State Administration Council (SAC) urged Timor Leste to “refrain” from engaging with entities that are explicitly opposed to or in conflict with the positions of ASEAN member states.
These entities include the National Unity Government (NUG), the government in exile, and resistance forces currently fighting the military junta.
The letter, signed by Han Win Aung, director-general and alternate Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) leader of ASEAN-Myanmar, reiterated that if the Timor Leste government continues its blatant violation of the non-interference principle in Myanmar’s internal affairs, “we must firmly reject any consideration of granting ASEAN membership to Timor Leste.”
At the ASEAN-related summit in May, the bloc’s leaders agreed to admit Timor Leste as the 11th member during the upcoming ASEAN Summit in late October. In a joint statement, the leaders tasked relevant officials with carrying out the procedural steps for Timor Leste’s admission.
Myanmar has urged the ASEAN chair and the ASEAN Secretariat to “suspend all related procedural considerations until Timor Leste revises its approach and demonstrates a clear commitment to rectifying its policy towards Myanmar,” according to the letter seen by Thai PBS World.
In May, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held a video conference with leaders of the National Unity Government, including Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann, following his in-person meeting with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok to discuss humanitarian assistance and the peace process in Myanmar.
The talks marked the first publicly acknowledged meeting between the NUG and an ASEAN member.
Sources added that during the upcoming ASEAN Ministerial Meeting from July 9-11, the chair will face a delicate task in welcoming Timor Leste while seeking Myanmar’s support.
At the May summit, Myanmar’s representative, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe, did not comment on the issue of Timor Leste’s membership, they noted.
This article first appeared in Thai PBS World.
