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The possibility ofaccession ofPapua New Guinea to theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations is currently a matter of discussion.
As early as 1987, Papua New Guinea's membership in thePacific Islands Forum (PIF) was viewed as an obstacle to its joining ASEAN.[1] In 2009, the country asked for the support of the Philippines in its ASEAN bid, however, no official response was heard as it was election season. The incumbent conservativeFilipino administration which Papua New Guinea contacted and supported, dramatically lost to a more liberal administration in the2010 Philippine election.[2]
Indonesia is the only ASEAN member supporting Papua New Guinea's membership.Singapore,Malaysia, andBrunei have shown dissatisfaction over Papua New Guinea's economic status which has hindered its acceptance into ASEAN.Laos andMyanmar have no official position in regards to the country's ASEAN application.
Papua New Guinea has enjoyed observer status in ASEAN since 1976. Benefits Papua New Guinea has cited to ASEAN members from the country's accession include the possibility of tapping into Papua New Guinea's lead industries such as oil and gas, mining and seafood.[3] In 2015, Papua New Guinea appointed a special envoy to resolve issues related to ASEAN, demonstrating its determination to promote full membership of ASEAN. Papua New Guinea is also taking the necessary steps to prepare for integration.[4]
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Violent crime, political instability, poor infrastructure, discriminatory laws, and unskilled labor[11] are obstacles preventing Papua New Guinea from joining, as well as the fact that the country is closer, culturally and geographically, to thePacific islands to its east and that it is historically and financially tied more closely toAustralia in the south,[12] as unlikeTimor Leste, PNG was not directly administered by the colonial governments that controlled the Southeast Asian colonies. PNG was partiallyadministered by Germany before beingadministered by Australia (with a brief stint underBritish control in the 1800s) until its independence. This is in contrast to Timor Leste, which wasoccupied by Indonesia and is commonly regarded as part of Southeast Asia.[13]
