Dili – “The Timorese population has celebrated and continues to celebrate East Timor’s entry into ASEAN. There is great expectation, great hope, especially among young people, who see accession as the opening of new and fruitful opportunities for employment and a future,” Father Bento Pereira, spokesperson and head of communications and media for the Episcopal Conference of East Timor, and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Asian country, told Fides, on East Timor’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations .
“The entire nation has been waiting for this moment for over 20 years. Now it has arrived. People can connect and jump on the ASEAN bandwagon, which offers prospects for developing economic exchanges that can benefit East Timor’s growth and develop its potential. This is seen as a very positive step for the young Timorese Republic,” he emphasized. “But the Timorese citizens,” adds Father Pereira, “are also convinced that they can contribute: It won’t just be a matter of taking, but also of giving. It will be an exchange: East Timor will join and contribute its identity, its culture, its resources, and also its faith, which is an integral part of our lives.” One of the topics covered by the mass media is emigration: “In Timor, there is already a high emigration rate among young people; today, on the one hand, there are fears that this phenomenon could increase, also due to the chronic unemployment here; on the other hand, young people could go to Asian countries to study or work and then bring their skills back here. There are good opportunities for higher education and qualified vocational training,” says Father Pereira. Another aspect that must be considered is the question of faith, notes the National Director: “From the perspective of faith, when young people and Timorese citizens go abroad, they take their faith and culture with them and preserve them. They are not afraid to be witnesses of the Gospel: even on holidays, no matter what kind, they always have a spiritual moment, such as a Mass, to thank God for all the gifts they have received. Faith is an integral part of our culture, and we witness to it even in places or countries where there are few Christians. Furthermore, there are Timorese communities abroad in Europe, Australia, and South Korea, and the Episcopal Conference sends priests to provide them with pastoral assistance. In a world where migrants are also missionaries, this dynamic also affects the Timorese people,” he concludes. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Dili, Cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, also welcomed ASEAN’s decision and urged the population to “continue to remain vigilant and invest in the country’s future capabilities,” as “this step does not automatically mean prosperity for the nation.” “ASEAN membership is a moment of pride for all Timorese. But it also means that we must be deeply committed in all areas, especially education,” the archbishop recalled, explaining that “education is a crucial area that must be developed and is the key to progress.”
East Timor, a young Asian nation with a population of approximately 1.3 million, most of whom are Catholic, was officially named ASEAN’s eleventh member at the Kuala Lumpur Summit on October 26. The small country’s accession to the alliance guarantees one of the world’s youngest and poorest nations access to an economic community of approximately 680 million people. As analysts point out, full integration requires the adoption of free trade agreements, which expose East Timor to fierce competition in the region. East Timor was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries before declaring independence in 1975. Nine years later, Indonesia invaded, beginning a 24-year occupation. In 1999, a United Nations-sponsored referendum paved the way for independence, which was officially declared in 2002.
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