The Paradox of ASEAN Centrality: Timor-Leste Betwixt and Between

Paulo Castro Seixas, Associate Professor at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa. PhD in Anthropology and Habilitation in Sociology. Researcher in CAPP -Centre of Administration and Public Policies. Former Coordinator of the Portuguese Team of the EU H2020 project CRISEA with a focus on Timor-Leste/ASEAN centrality. Nuno Canas Mendes, Associate Professor at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa. PhD in International Relations (Technical University of Lisbon). President of Instituto do Oriente (Orient Institute). Former research fellow of the EU H2020 project CRISEA with a focus on Timor-Leste/ASEAN centrality. Nadine Lobner, FCT doctoral fellow (BD/7467/2020) of Anthropology at Universidade de Lisboa, ISCSP/CAPP. BA and MA in anthropology (University of Vienna; University of Lisbon). Former research fellow of the EU H2020 project CRISEA with a focus on Timor-Leste/ASEAN centrality.

Foreword


Acknowledgements


Notes on Contributors


List of Figures and Tables





Introduction


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





Part 1: Political Process, Internal-External Constellations and Meta-Analysis


1 ASEAN in the Making: Centralities and Peripheries


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





2 Timor-Leste’s Membership of ASEAN: The Political Process and Its Discontents


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





3 ASEAN and Timor-Leste: An Analysis of Decision-Making Dynamics


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





Part 2: Neighbors and Kin, Big Men and Brothers, and the Ecumene at Large


4 Is There an Endless Search for New (Overseas) Younger Brother(s)? Timor-Leste and Its Ecumenic Ambitions


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





5 ASEAN and Timor-Leste: A Discourse on Centrality, Sociopolitical Negotiations and Relationships


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





6 Neighbors and Kin: ASEAN as an Ecumene? Reality Constructions from a Timorese Perspective


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes and Nadine Lobner





7 Disputing Centralities amidst Covid-19: The Triangular Relationship of ASEAN, China and Timor-Leste


 Paulo Castro Seixas, Nuno Canas Mendes, Nadine Lobner and Kaian Lam





Postscript: Timor-Leste ASEAN Membership: Rethinking the Debate


 Ariel Mota Alves





Index