On the occasion of the celebration of ASEAN 56th Anniversary
DILI |BIDIKDUNIA.Com) –
Excellency Prime Minister Xana Gusmão, Deputy PM,
Minister and Deputy MFA,
Esteemed ASEAN Ambassadors
Esteemed Members National Parliament,
Distinguished Members
of the Diplomatic community
Esteemed UN Res Rep, Members of the UN family
It is an honour to join you all here today to celebrate ASEAN DAY which is officially on 8th August.
Special warmest greetings to HE PR Joko Widodo who guides ASEAN in 2023
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations founded on 8th August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
It took several years before Brunei Darussalam joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.
ASEAN aspirational and inspirational goal is economic growth, social progress and cultural development. Thriving towards regional peace and stability with the rule of law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter as its bedrock was very much part of ASEAN founding fathers vision.
With some of the fastest growing economies in the world, notwithstanding inevitable uneven regional economic growth, the combined GDP of the ASEAN countries became the envy of many and earned them the nickname “Tiger Economies”.
In 2003 ASEAN launched the the ASEAN Community based on three pillars, namely, the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
The ten stalks of rice in the ASEAN flag and insignia symboloses the bond should glue the Southeast Asian countries in a community committed to solidarity.
Two words, one concept, could be added…Human Fraternity. In this concept each of us exists in the acceptance and respect of the other being, regardless of the outer layer of each community, skin colour, language, culture, traditions, spiritual and religious beliefs, political organisation. In fact an immutable richness of the Southeast Asian community is its unique diversity and the success of the organisation should be measured how it has evolved and progressed in such rich diversity.
At its 56th Anniversary celebration there should be justified jubilation for the undeniable achievements though tempered by profound sorrow over the setbacks and tragic loss of life occurring in an ASEAN Member State.
And in such circumstances every diplomatic resource available to the regional family should be mobilised to treat the wounds and root causes of the extreme ills threatening the family member and the good name of the entire community.
Timor-Leste was born over centuries of gestation, first from early arrivals and settlements 40,000 years ago, followed by a second wave some 10,000 ago and a third wave less than 1,000 years ago. What is the modern day concept of Timor-Leste began its gestation some 500 years ago in the encounter between the peoples of Southeast Asia and European adventurers, opportunity and wealth seekers, mixed with few Christian missionaries. Came Portuguese traders, then the Dutch pirates and amateur aspiring empire builders, who squeezed the weakened Portuguese out of the region, and then borders agreed by the Europeans.
Fast forward to 1976… as part of Indonesia between 1976 and 1999, Timor-Leste had almost a quarter of a century of ASEAN family membership. Logic would suggest that this membership should have continued from being part of Indonesia and ASEAN and continue on as a Member State. This did not happen and it was entirely understandable. In 2000 and 2002, still under a temporary UN Administration, I accompanied His Excellency Xanana Gusmão in a tour of all ASEAN capitals to reach out, clarify past differences and wrongs, shake hands, reconcile, thank ASEAN countries for their critically important role in the stabilisation, Peace Building and State Building of the new Timor-Leste.
ASEAN countries played central roles in 1999 to 2003 and again 2006 to the end of 2012. Your engagement continued after the departure of the last UN peace-keeper. Timorese by the hundreds went on to study in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam. Timorese civil servants, diplomatic officials, development workers, civil society members undertook training and capacity building trips to Brunei, Cambodia, Laos.
Trade between Timor-Leste and other ASEAN countries began to see figures going up. Today more than half our trade is with fellow ASEAN neighbours. This will only increase in the years to come.
We have established Embassies in all 10 ASEAN Member States and soon an Ambassador will be appointed to ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.
Timor-Leste has consistently supported ASEAN Countries candidatures for UN bodies. To the extent that there’s a consensus among ASEAN countries on specific country situations in the region or globally we voted with our ASEAN partners and friends.
We are prepared to join ASEAN and in becoming a Member we will always strive for consensus, promote dialogue and support early regional mediation and dialogue to prevent differences and tensions from escalating into open armed conflict. We would join ASEAN with a vast wealth of experience and wisdom but tempered by humility and cognizant that we will be new to the organisation and must continue learn, to listen more than talk, learn more than lecture, be ready whenever asked to share our rich but modest experience.
Congratulations ASEAN for this marvellous experiment, for the long journey beginning in the height of the Cold War, witnessing its end, and now in the Digital Age witnessing extraordinary innovations, being creators of new solutions for new challenges, anticipate the challenges of the next 50 years.
J Ramos-Horta)