Myanmar has formally expressed its opposition to Timor Leste’s bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), citing violations of the bloc’s core principle of non-interference in members’ internal affairs. The objection was recently communicated to Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, ahead of the planned admission of Timor Leste at the ASEAN Summit scheduled for late October.
According to diplomatic sources, Myanmar’s military-led government, known as the State Administration Council (SAC), sent an official letter warning that Timor Leste’s engagement with groups opposed to Myanmar’s ruling authorities runs counter to ASEAN norms. These groups include the National Unity Government (NUG), a parallel administration formed in exile, and various resistance movements currently in conflict with Myanmar’s military junta.
In the letter, signed by Han Win Aung, Director-General and Myanmar’s Alternate Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader, the SAC called on Timor Leste to avoid contact with entities it described as being in “direct conflict” with the official positions of ASEAN member states. The letter warned that continued engagement with such groups would compel Myanmar to reject Timor Leste’s ASEAN membership bid entirely.
ASEAN leaders had previously reached a consensus in May to move forward with Timor Leste’s accession as the bloc’s eleventh member. A joint communiqué from the May summit tasked officials with initiating the required procedures to formalise membership during the upcoming October meeting.
However, Myanmar has since called on the ASEAN chair and the ASEAN Secretariat to halt those procedural steps until Timor Leste alters its approach and “clearly demonstrates” its intention to align with ASEAN’s principles, according to the letter obtained by Thai PBS World.
Diplomatic tensions were further heightened in May when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held a video call with NUG Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann. The call followed Anwar’s earlier meeting in Bangkok with Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, aimed at addressing humanitarian and peace-related issues. The video conference marked the first publicly acknowledged engagement between an ASEAN head of government and the Myanmar opposition.
The situation is expected to complicate discussions at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting from July 9–11, where efforts to welcome Timor Leste will need to be balanced with Myanmar’s objections. During the May summit, Myanmar’s delegate, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe, did not publicly comment on Timor Leste’s potential membership.
