There is virtually no prospect of Bangladesh becoming a member of ASEAN, the Southeast Asian regional bloc. The path to joining the international bloc is effectively closed for Papua New Guinea as well as Bangladesh. Without a major change to ASEAN’s rules, it is impossible to admit the two countries, the bloc’s secretary general, Kao Kim Hourn, has said.
Hourn made the remarks at the 10th ASEAN Media Forum held recently in the Philippine capital, Manila. The information was reported on 31 July by the Indonesian outlet Jakarta Globe.
He said that, because of their geographical location, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea (PNG) do not meet the qualifications for ASEAN membership. At the media forum, Kao Kim Hourn said ASEAN’s expansion had effectively ended with the inclusion of Timor-Leste.
He said that under the ASEAN charter, all 11 recognised countries located in Southeast Asia are under the bloc. As Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea lie outside this geographical region, they have no scope for membership.
The ASEAN charter sets the bloc’s legal basis. It lists, as one condition for new membership, that the country concerned must be located in the recognised geographical region of Southeast Asia. But geographically, Bangladesh is part of South Asia, while Papua New Guinea belongs to the Oceania region.
Kao Kim Hourn said that to admit Bangladesh or Papua New Guinea, the ASEAN charter would first have to be amended, which would require the unanimous approval of member states. Unless the geographical definition in the charter is changed, the current 11 countries will remain ASEAN’s members, he said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report