East Timor has a historic opportunity to break ASEAN deadlock on Myanmar

East Timor finally looks set to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year. The country’s accession to the bloc has been a long time coming. More than a decade ago when I first moved to Dili, the Timorese capital, government officials and ordinary people regularly touted the opportunities ASEAN membership presents.

The economic motivation for East Timor’s bid to join ASEAN is as clear now as it was then, but in the current context, its membership will also bring a strong moral and democratic voice to the bloc.