Will Myanmar block East Timor’s Asean entry? The junta draws a red line

As East Timor edges closer to joining Asean, Myanmar’s military rulers are seeking to block its entry, in a warning to it – and governments everywhere – against engaging with the war-torn country’s opposition forces.

Last week, sources cited by public broadcaster Thai PBS revealed that Myanmar’s military regime had formally notified Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of its intent to withhold support for East Timor’s membership when the bloc convenes in October.

Naypyidaw’s objection centres on accusations that East Timor has breached Asean’s foundational principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, as enshrined in the bloc’s charter.

The junta has called on East Timor’s government in Dili to “refrain” from any dealings with the National Unity Government (NUG) – a group of elected lawmakers ousted by the 2021 coup – and other resistance groups fighting military rule in Myanmar.

A soldier from the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group in Myanmar, puts on his shoes as he and his comrade cross a stream. Photo: Reuters

A soldier from the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group in Myanmar, puts on his shoes as he and his comrade cross a stream. Photo: Reuters

In a letter, the junta warned that if Dili continued to openly violate the non-interference principle when it came to Myanmar’s internal affairs, then “we must firmly reject any consideration of granting Asean membership” to East Timor. It was reportedly signed by Myanmar official Han Win Aung, the bloc’s director general for Asean-Myanmar affairs and an alternate leader of its Senior Officials’ Meeting.

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