ID :
172446
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 12:15
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https://oananews.org//node/172446
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CRITICALLY TESTING E TIMOR'S AMBITION TO JOIN ASEAN
News focus: CRITICALLY TESTING E TIMOR'S AMBITION TO JOIN ASEAN
by Rahmad Nasution
Jakarta, April 1 (ANTARA) - East Timor`s ambition to gain full membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has got its momentum thanks to Indonesia`s strong support.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself had hinted his support for Timor Leste to join the 10-member regional organization at his meeting with East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao at the Merdeka Palace here on March 22, 2011.
President Yudhoyono`s aide, Teuku Faizasyah, said Indonesia`s backing would be so meaningful for the accepting of East Timor to become ASEAN`s full member state in its position as the regional organization`s president.
The East Timorese government has recently submitted an official application for joining the organization but Xanana Gusmao has actually expressed his country`s wish when attending the third Bali Democracy Forum in December 2010.
At that time, he highlighted the significance of his country`s entry into ASEAN both for the benefit of his people and regional security and stability.
"More than providing economic benefits, membership of ASEAN will give Timor Leste an opportunity to be an active agent in promoting regional peace and stability," Xanana Gusmao said.
East Timor`s admission in Indonesia`s leadership would not only be a "great symbol" but would also provide a"profound meaning" for East Timor, Indonesia, and ASEAN member states as a whole, he said.
Considering its geographical position, East Timor`s ambition to become ASEAN`s 11th member state along with Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Viet Nam, is arguably acceptable.
Moreover, the country itself was once able to become part of Indonesia before seceeding the unitary state after the majority of its people opted to abandon Indonesia in a UN-sponsored and organized plebiscite in 1999.
However, looking at its real economic condition, East Timor can be left behind by its ASEAN neighbors, such as Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
According to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)`s "World Fact", the country`s unemployment rate was expected to reach 20 percent for rural areas and more than 40 percent for urban youths (2006 data).
The oil and gas sector becomes the prime source of the country`s revenues. The CIA`s World Fact has noted that the East Timorese goverment`s revenues have even been supplemented by its offshore oil and gas resources.
Realizing East Timor`s economy, its Foreign Minister Zacaria Albano da Costa had recently hinted that East Timor would not pose a burden on ASEAN if it fully became the regional organization`s 11th member state.
He argued that with its tremendous oil and gas reserves, East Timor was able to maintain its economic development and its economic growth had even reached two digits over the past years.
For Indonesia, the acceptance of East Timor will not affect the ASEAN`s efforts to create its regional economic integration, widely known as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), by 2015.
At that time, ASEAN is expected to have such characteristics as "a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy".
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa argued that ASEAN had experience in dealing with the economic gaps among its member countries.
Apart from Indonesia`s optimism, Guspiabri Sumowigeno, director of political studies at the Center for Indonesian National Policy Studies (CINAPS), has asked Jakarta`s wisdom in responding to East Timor`s wish to gain full ASEAN membership.
As the ASEAN chair, Indonesia should be wise in responding to East Timor`s wish due to the fact that a decision to accept a new member state was always made by a consensus among all ASEAN member states, he said.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had told Xanana that Indonesia and eight other ASEAN member states had agreed to back East Timor`s application, he said.
Referring to this statement, it meant that one member country had objections to East Timor`s wish to join the 10-member regional organization, Sumowigeno said.
He argued the country, which had voiced the objection was the one that did not want to see ASEAN`s integration into one community in 2015 delayed.
The integration process had so far burdened ASEAN to pay special attention to so called "CLMV" (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Viet Nam), the countries that joined ASEAN before the five founding members, whose socio-economic developments were relatively left behind.
East Timor`s entrance into ASEAN could potentially disrupt the ASEAN`s integration process if there were no significantly economic improvements in the country with unproven political stability.
"With East Timor`s entry, ASEAN`s image can be affected in the eyes of the world community," he said.
ASEAN had so far been regarded as a regional organization that had been quite successful in fostering its member states` economic development, he said.
Instead of forcing itself to join ASEAN, East Timor was suggested to develop an economic cooperation with Indonesia if it needed an access to ASEAN`s economic progress, he said.
The economic integrity model that could be adopted by East Timor was the one used by France and Monaco because despite the fact that Monaco was not an EU member country, it could still enjoy the EU`s economic benefits.
In this context, Guspiabri Sumowigeno said Indonesia and East Timor could look at an economic integrity scheme, which will allow free capital flow, people, goods, and services as well as use of Rupiah currency in East Timor.
(T.R013/A/H-NG/A/R013)
by Rahmad Nasution
Jakarta, April 1 (ANTARA) - East Timor`s ambition to gain full membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has got its momentum thanks to Indonesia`s strong support.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself had hinted his support for Timor Leste to join the 10-member regional organization at his meeting with East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao at the Merdeka Palace here on March 22, 2011.
President Yudhoyono`s aide, Teuku Faizasyah, said Indonesia`s backing would be so meaningful for the accepting of East Timor to become ASEAN`s full member state in its position as the regional organization`s president.
The East Timorese government has recently submitted an official application for joining the organization but Xanana Gusmao has actually expressed his country`s wish when attending the third Bali Democracy Forum in December 2010.
At that time, he highlighted the significance of his country`s entry into ASEAN both for the benefit of his people and regional security and stability.
"More than providing economic benefits, membership of ASEAN will give Timor Leste an opportunity to be an active agent in promoting regional peace and stability," Xanana Gusmao said.
East Timor`s admission in Indonesia`s leadership would not only be a "great symbol" but would also provide a"profound meaning" for East Timor, Indonesia, and ASEAN member states as a whole, he said.
Considering its geographical position, East Timor`s ambition to become ASEAN`s 11th member state along with Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Viet Nam, is arguably acceptable.
Moreover, the country itself was once able to become part of Indonesia before seceeding the unitary state after the majority of its people opted to abandon Indonesia in a UN-sponsored and organized plebiscite in 1999.
However, looking at its real economic condition, East Timor can be left behind by its ASEAN neighbors, such as Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
According to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)`s "World Fact", the country`s unemployment rate was expected to reach 20 percent for rural areas and more than 40 percent for urban youths (2006 data).
The oil and gas sector becomes the prime source of the country`s revenues. The CIA`s World Fact has noted that the East Timorese goverment`s revenues have even been supplemented by its offshore oil and gas resources.
Realizing East Timor`s economy, its Foreign Minister Zacaria Albano da Costa had recently hinted that East Timor would not pose a burden on ASEAN if it fully became the regional organization`s 11th member state.
He argued that with its tremendous oil and gas reserves, East Timor was able to maintain its economic development and its economic growth had even reached two digits over the past years.
For Indonesia, the acceptance of East Timor will not affect the ASEAN`s efforts to create its regional economic integration, widely known as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), by 2015.
At that time, ASEAN is expected to have such characteristics as "a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy".
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa argued that ASEAN had experience in dealing with the economic gaps among its member countries.
Apart from Indonesia`s optimism, Guspiabri Sumowigeno, director of political studies at the Center for Indonesian National Policy Studies (CINAPS), has asked Jakarta`s wisdom in responding to East Timor`s wish to gain full ASEAN membership.
As the ASEAN chair, Indonesia should be wise in responding to East Timor`s wish due to the fact that a decision to accept a new member state was always made by a consensus among all ASEAN member states, he said.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had told Xanana that Indonesia and eight other ASEAN member states had agreed to back East Timor`s application, he said.
Referring to this statement, it meant that one member country had objections to East Timor`s wish to join the 10-member regional organization, Sumowigeno said.
He argued the country, which had voiced the objection was the one that did not want to see ASEAN`s integration into one community in 2015 delayed.
The integration process had so far burdened ASEAN to pay special attention to so called "CLMV" (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Viet Nam), the countries that joined ASEAN before the five founding members, whose socio-economic developments were relatively left behind.
East Timor`s entrance into ASEAN could potentially disrupt the ASEAN`s integration process if there were no significantly economic improvements in the country with unproven political stability.
"With East Timor`s entry, ASEAN`s image can be affected in the eyes of the world community," he said.
ASEAN had so far been regarded as a regional organization that had been quite successful in fostering its member states` economic development, he said.
Instead of forcing itself to join ASEAN, East Timor was suggested to develop an economic cooperation with Indonesia if it needed an access to ASEAN`s economic progress, he said.
The economic integrity model that could be adopted by East Timor was the one used by France and Monaco because despite the fact that Monaco was not an EU member country, it could still enjoy the EU`s economic benefits.
In this context, Guspiabri Sumowigeno said Indonesia and East Timor could look at an economic integrity scheme, which will allow free capital flow, people, goods, and services as well as use of Rupiah currency in East Timor.
(T.R013/A/H-NG/A/R013)
