Kuala Lampur, July 3 -- The recent controversy surrounding Myanmar's reported opposition to Timor-Leste's accession to Asean has brought renewed attention to the fragilities of the regional organisation and, more specifically, to the evolving role of Myanmar's military regime within it.

While much of the discourse has centred on Asean's structural limitations, particularly its reliance on consensus decision-making and the principle of non-interference, this episode also reflects the increasingly confrontational posture of the Myanmar junta, which is seeking not only to assert its contested legitimacy but to reshape the rules of regional engagement in its favour.

Timor-Leste's path to Asean membership has been long and arduous. Since its...