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Timor Leste deserves to join ASEAN
Timor Leste deserves ASEAN support for its efforts to further integrate and engage with the wider region.
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Children in Timor Leste. This small country of some 1.2 million people is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of democracy in a once-turbulent region. (*/Okky Madasari)
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right blue election boxes and indelibly inked index fingers. These are just some of the vivid colors of democracy that come to mind as I think back to something momentous that just happened in Southeast Asia.
When contemplating the future of the vibrant Southeast Asian region, the tiny island nation of Timor Leste is unlikely to be top of-mind among the top diplomats who have gathered in Manila this week for the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Yet this small country of some 1.2 million people is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of democracy in a once-turbulent region, and provides a powerful model for an Asia and Pacific that has encountered some worrying backsliding in recent years when it comes to democracy.
Indeed, as ASEAN celebrates five decades and faces new challenges, it is worth pausing to consider who’s in and who’s out of this grouping of now 10 nations.
I had the privilege of serving as an election monitor for Timor Leste’s recent parliamentary election as part of the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) election observation mission.
Throughout my visit, I was struck by the passionate commitment of the Timorese people to the democratic process, and inspired by their optimism about their country’s future.
I believe that the country is in a strong position to continue progressing in its own development and make a positive contribution to the development of Southeast Asia. Timor Leste deserves ASEAN support for its efforts to further integrate and engage with the wider region.
