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Enlargement of ASEAN

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██ ASEAN full members
██ ASEAN observers
██ ASEAN candidate members
██ ASEAN Plus Three
███ East Asia Summit
██████ ASEAN Regional Forum

The enlargement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is the process of expanding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through the accession of new member states. This process began with ASEAN's five original members, who founded the association through the signing of the Bangkok Declaration in 1967. Since then, the ASEAN's membership has grown to ten with the accession of Cambodia in 1999.

Currently, three states are seeking accession to ASEAN: Bangladesh,[1][2][3] Papua New Guinea[4][5] and East Timor.[6]

Criteria

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The ASEAN Charter defines the following criteria for membership:[7][8]

  • The state must be geographically located in Southeast Asia.
  • The state must be recognized by all ASEAN member states.
  • The state must agree to be bound by the ASEAN Charter.
  • The state must be able and willing to carry out the obligations of membership.

One of the obligations of membership is that a prospective member must agree to subscribe or accede to all the treaties, declarations and agreements in ASEAN, starting with those outlined in the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967 and those elaborated and developed in various subsequent treaties, declarations and agreements of ASEAN. One common concern that must be addressed through negotiations is the ability of a prospective member to participate in ASEAN Free Trade Area and all other economic co-operation arrangements. One important means of orientation for a prospective member is its attendance at ASEAN meetings and participation in co-operation projects.[9] Other obligations of membership are that a state must maintain embassies in all current member countries of the bloc,[10] and the country must attend all ministerial meetings and summits.

The Bangkok Declaration lays down no conditions for membership other than location in Southeast Asia and the usual principles of inter-state relations. ASEAN has no membership criteria related to the character of government, ideological system and orientation, economic policy, or level of development. If there were such criteria for membership, a regional association would not be possible in Southeast Asia, given its diversity.[11]

ASEAN senior officials agreed in 1983 that observer status should be granted only to potential members of ASEAN who satisfy the criteria set for ASEAN membership.

Criteria for ASEAN Regional Forum

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ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the multilateral dialogue among Asia Pacific countries is aimed for fostering dialogue and consultation, also promoting confidence-building and preventive diplomacy throughout the region.[12] The membership criteria for ARF, as well as other Dialogue Partners, were outlined during the second ARF in 1996, in Jakarta, Indonesia. ARF ministers adopted the criteria that ARF participants must be sovereign states, which, at China's behest, was evidently meant to exclude Taiwan. They must "abide by and respect fully the decisions and statements already made by the ARF". The criteria stress that ASEAN members "automatically" take part in the ARF.[11]

Historical enlargements

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Founding members

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ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967, when foreign ministers of five countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – met at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok and signed the ASEAN Declaration, more commonly known as the Bangkok Declaration. The five foreign ministers: Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand are considered as the organisation's Founding Fathers.[13]

a map
The accession of members from 1967 to 1999

Continued expansion

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The flags of current ten ASEAN members

In 1976, the Melanesian state of Papua New Guinea was accorded observer status.[14] The bloc then grew when Brunei Darussalam became the sixth member after it joined on 8 January 1984, barely a week after the country became independent on 1 January.[15]

Vietnam became an ASEAN observer state in 1993[16] and the seventh full member on 28 July 1995.[17]

Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia

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The latest three members of ASEAN began their application in joining the bloc in the 1990s.

Laos became an ASEAN observer at the 25th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Manila, Philippines, in July 1992. At the 28th AMM in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, the Lao foreign minister announced that he wished to see Laos join ASEAN in 1997, stated in a letter of application for membership dated 15 March 1996.[9]

Cambodia was accorded observer status at the 28th AMM in July 1995. The Cambodian foreign minister applied for membership in a letter dated 23 March 1996. Like Laos, Cambodia also wished to join ASEAN in 1997.[9]

The foreign minister of Myanmar attended the 27th and 28th AMM as a guest of the host governments. During the 28th meeting, Myanmar acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and applied for observer status.

The heads of government of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia met with those of ASEAN during the Fifth ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on 15 December 1995. The representative of Myanmar expressed hope that his country would be accorded observer status at the 29th AMM in 1996.[9]

The ASEAN Security Committee (ASC) established a working group, chaired by ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Mahadi Haji Wasli, to look into all issues on the potential membership of Cambodia and Laos. On 17 July 1996, the working group held consultations with the director-general of the ASEAN Department of Laos in Jakarta.[9]

At the 29th AMM, Myanmar was accorded observer status, and participated in the ARF for the first time. On 12 August 1996, Myanmar submitted application for membership in ASEAN, with hopes for joining by 1997 along with Cambodia and Laos.[9] The ASC then extended the mandate of the Working Group on the Membership of Cambodia and Laos to also include the membership of Myanmar.[9]

Laos and Myanmar became members of ASEAN on 23 July 1997.[18] Cambodia's membership was deferred due to the country's internal political struggle; following the stabilisation of its government, Cambodia joined on 30 April 1999.[18][19]

In addition to the growth in membership, the bloc experienced a drive for further integration in the 1990s. In 1990, Malaysia proposed the creation of an East Asia Economic Caucus[20] composing the then-members of ASEAN and the People's Republic of China, Japan, and South Korea, with the intention of counterbalancing the growing influence of the United States in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and in the Asian region as a whole.[21][22] This proposal failed, however, due to heavy opposition from the United States and Japan.[21][23] Despite this failure, member states continued to work for further integration and ASEAN Plus Three was created in 1997.

In 1992, the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme was signed as a schedule for phasing tariffs and as a goal to increase the "region's competitive advantage as a production base geared for the world market". This law acted as the framework for the ASEAN Free Trade Area. After the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, a revival of the Malaysian proposal was established in Chiang Mai, known as the Chiang Mai Initiative, which calls for better integration between the economies of ASEAN and the ASEAN Plus Three countries.[24]

Future enlargement

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  Member states
  Candidates: Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste
  Potential candidates for observer status: Bangladesh and Fiji

Papua New Guinea

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Main article: Accession of Papua New Guinea to ASEAN

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been an observer of the regional bloc since 1976, earlier than any other non-original member of ASEAN. Its leaders have been pushing for full membership since at least the 1980s.[25] During the 29th AMM in 1996, PNG Foreign Minister Kilroy Genia proposed that Papua New Guinea be accorded permanent associate membership with ASEAN.[26] PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare stated during his visit to the Philippines in 2009 that his country was considering applying for full membership.[4] In March 2012, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his support for PNG membership in ASEAN.[27] In June 2013 PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato reiterated that the country was "very interested" in joining ASEAN.[28]

An obstacle to PNG's admission to ASEAN has been its geographical location. Although located no farther away from ASEAN's Jakarta headquarters than northern Myanmar, PNG is usually considered to be outside Southeast Asia according to Wallace line and thus ineligible for membership. When the country was granted the observer status in 1976, it was acknowledged that PNG shares the same political and economic region with ASEAN's member, and was connected geographically, because the country forms half of the island of New Guinea, with the other half consisting of Indonesia's provinces of Papua and West Papua.

In 2015, PNG appointed a special envoy to deal with matters related to ASEAN, reflecting its determination to expedite becoming a full member of the ASEAN bloc. PNG was also taking the necessary steps to prepare itself for integration.[29]

Timor-Leste

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Main article: Accession of East Timor to ASEAN
José Ramos-Horta hoped East Timor could join ASEAN before 2012.

In March 2011 Timor-Leste submitted a membership application to ASEAN,[30] a move which was supported by Indonesia, its former colonialist turned partner-ally, and the Philippines, its only Catholic ally in Asia.[31]

Timor-Leste gained its independence in 2002, and from the following year took part in the Southeast Asian Games, a multi-sport event associated with ASEAN. In 2005, the country became the 25th to join the ARF. The biggest struggle toward joining ASEAN had been for the young and war-torn country to maintain embassies in all ten ASEAN member countries.[32] Timorese President José Ramos-Horta hoped to gain membership before 2012.[33]

Lack of consensus has prevented ASEAN from arriving at decisions on observer status for Timor-Leste and its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The treaty makes clear distinctions between the rights of regional and non-regional signatories, but whether Timor-Leste a part of the region is debatable.[11]

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong objected in late 2011 to Timor-Leste's membership, due to his desire to achieve economic integration by 2015, which the relatively less-developed Timor-Leste would make difficult.[34] Some member states are concerned that, having experienced the entry of four relatively underdeveloped members, ASEAN would be admitting an even poorer one.[11] Although ASEAN has no membership criteria regarding political ideology, some ASEAN countries have difficulties with Timor-Leste's eventual membership.[citation needed]

In 2015, Timor-Leste's ambassador to Malaysia said the country was ready to join ASEAN, having fulfilled the two major requirements of being located in the region and having opened embassies in ASEAN member countries.[35] In 2016, Indonesia announced that Timor-Leste's membership bid could be realized in 2017, since the feasibility studies conducted by both countries on Timor-Leste's stability, security, economy, and culture would be finished by the end of 2016. The Philippines, a close ally of Timor-Leste, would be the ARF host for 2017.[36][needs update]

In November 2022, following the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, the organization issued statement agreeing "in principle" to East Timor's membership, granting East Timor observer status at high-level meetings and stating that a roadmap to full membership would be submitted in the 2023 summit.[37]

At the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo in May 2023 a roadmap to Timor Leste's accession was adopted.[38]

Countries interested in joining

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A number of countries had expressed an interest in becoming part of ASEAN despite being outside the geographical limits of Southeast Asia.

Bangladesh

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Laos in 2011 supports Bangladesh gaining observer status in ASEAN.[39]

Fiji

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Fiji has expressed an interest in be granted observer status at ASEAN. In 2011, the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, reportedly advised the Prime Minister of Fiji, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, that he would advocate for consideration of this request during Indonesia's chairmanship of ASEAN.[40]

Sri Lanka

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Main article: Accession of Sri Lanka to ASEAN

Sri Lanka was initially invited by Malaysia to join ASEAN as a founding member on 8 August 1967,[41][42] however the country did not proceed as ASEAN was pro-Western and Sri Lanka was then pursuing a policy of non-alignment.[43][44] There was also objection from Singapore over concerns of domestic instability from tensions between the two main ethnic groups of Sri Lanka.[45] Interest from within the country later became evident and it attempted to join ASEAN by 1981.[46][47][48] In both cases, Malaysia has been historically a supporter of Sri Lanka's accession into ASEAN, while Singapore opposes it.[41][49] In 2007, Sri Lanka was among the 27 participants in the ARF.[50]

Other countries

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Australia

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In February 2018, independent think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute recommended that Australia seek ASEAN membership by 2024.[51] In 2016, former Australian prime minister Paul Keating suggested that Australia join ASEAN.[52] During a 2018 interview with Fairfax Media, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that Australia should join the organization.[53] In March 2024, Philippine President Bongbong Marcos also expressed openness for Australia to join.[54]

Mongolia

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In May 2017, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that Mongolia had expressed a desire to join ASEAN. He then stated that he would push for the other member states to include them.[55]

New Zealand

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In February 2018, independent think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute recommended that Australia and New Zealand should join ASEAN by 2024.[51]

Palau

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In June 2019, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University recommended that Palau has the potential to meaningfully participate in ASEAN. He then argued that the United States should try to persuade Thailand to push for observer status for Palau during its chairmanship of ASEAN.[56] In 2018, Palau and the Philippines began re-connecting their economic and diplomatic relations. As a way to enhance and expand cooperation, the country has expressed its intent to back Palau if ever it wishes to join ASEAN, as Palau also has Southeast Asian ethnic origins.[57]

Turkey

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In May 2017, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that Turkey had expressed a desire to join ASEAN. He then stated that he would push for the other member states to include them.[55]

Serbia

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In November 2022, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that Serbia would seek to cooperate with ASEAN. She also said that Serbia will have Singapore support for this.[58][59] In July 2023, Serbia's accession request to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia was unanimously approved.[60] In 16 September 2024, The Serbian parliament formally requests for an associate membership in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), citing historical cooperation in the Non-Aligned Movement.[61]

References

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