The Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, said that East Timor will not join ASEAN as long as the crisis in Myanmar is not resolved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“We are looking at when we can join ASEAN as a member. However, as the Prime Minister of East Timor, I want to announce that East Timor does not believe in ASEAN unless ASEAN forces the Burmese Military Council to do what it should do,” Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said yesterday.
East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta has said that he hopes that East Timor will be able to join ASEAN as a Southeast Asian country no later than 2025. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao’s comments came after a meeting with President Jose Ramos Horta. Xanana Gusmao said that despite the violence in East Timor, the presidential and parliamentary elections were held, and the democratic culture was shown to the world and there was no military coup.
There are some people urging us to join ASEAN as a member. However, there are still human rights violations in Myanmar, and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said that he should not come to East Timor to teach about civil rights and democracy while these violations are being committed by the military council.
East Timor won’t join ASEAN without solving the issue of Myanmar crisis (Prime Minister of East Timor)
