Time for infographic artists and geography teachers in the region to update their work on ASEAN.
As Reuters reported, on Sunday, October 26, Timor-Leste officially became the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It was welcomed by the rest of the members at an ascension ceremony held in Malaysia.
While the occasion was largely symbolic, the ASEAN membership represents a historic moment for its President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, both central figures in the island nation’s struggle for independence, first against Portuguese colonization and later Indonesian occupation.
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is located on the eastern half of Timor Island, which it shares with Indonesia. Its capital is Dili and its official languages are Portuguese and Tetum. The nation’s GDP is about US$2 billion, ASEAN’s lowest, with revenues from oil and gas production making up over 90% of the economy. There are about 1.4 million East Timorese living on the island at the moment.
In the 16th century, Timor-Leste was colonized by Portugal and remained under European rule for many centuries until 1975, when Portugal abandoned the colony following the 1974 Portuguese revolution. Indonesia annexed the country in the same year. In 2001, a UN-sponsored referendum showed overwhelming support by East Timorese for independence. A year later in 2002, Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century and Asia’s youngest country.
ASEAN was established in 1967 with five founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The regional organization aims to promote economic, social, and cultural development, alongside regional peace. Vietnam became a member in 1995. Timor-Leste first applied for membership as early as 2011 and spent most of the following years as an observer to ASEAN.
As the latest member, Timor-Leste can leverage the bloc’s near-zero tariffs to diversify its economy and seek more trade opportunities. ASEAN-led security might also stabilize the country’s political situation, bringing about more foreign investments.
Photo by Anadolu/Global Times.
