CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The current tour of some ASEAN capitals by East Timorese hero Xanana Gusmao has triggered soul-searching in various places around the region.
His first point is an eventual association of East Timor with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The idea is not new: It surfaced at the time of the dramatic independence struggle of the former Portuguese colony. Some analysts focus on ASEAN's support of Jakarta during East Timor's struggle, which has left bitter memories in Dili. Seen through the institutional prism of the time, however, ASEAN's position was not so abnormal. The crux of the matter is how best to integrate East Timor into ASEAN, if the fledgling state desires to join.
The East Timor issue also invites a broader discussion of ASEAN's expansion. Here we are talking about two different things: expansion in membership and in dialogue partners on one hand, and expansion of observers of various degrees on the other.
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