🌍 From Timor-Leste’s Debut to the South China Sea Dispute, ASEAN Secretary-General Highlights ASEAN's Regional Development

Key issues delivered through engaged media discussions

THE SOUTHEAST ASIA DESK, Nugrahanto Margo Raharjo, Veronica Berna, and Alvin Qobulsyah

Feb 10, 2026

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn speaks to media at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta following a briefing on ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting outcomes. — ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn held a photo session with media partners after a press briefing on Wednesday (2/4) at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta (Photo: ASEAN Secretariat)

🎯 The Main Takeaway

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn met with local and international media on Wednesday (2/4) at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta.

During the meeting, he shared the outcomes of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), held in Cebu, the Philippines, on January 28–29.

The AMM was the first meeting under the Philippines’ chairship, and aimed to support preparations for upcoming summits, external relations, and regional developments while ensuring ASEAN’s priorities, unity, centrality, and continuity.

📡 Why It’s On Our Radar

Several ASEAN-related issues were discussed during the two-day ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, including:

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste: Officially became the 11th member of ASEAN during the 47th ASEAN Summit on October 26, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

🇲🇲 Myanmar: Has experienced political instability since the military junta seized power in a coup in February 2021.

🇹🇭🇰🇭 Thailand–Cambodia: Saw two border clashes last year, in July and December, which ended with a ceasefire agreement on December 27.

🌊 South China Sea: Territorial disputes among China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have persisted since the 1970s.

🇰🇭 Cambodia: Intensify operations to combat online scam activities and shut down the industry. According to the Ministry of Interior, Cambodian authorities detained 2,044 foreigners on January 31 in Bavet City, Svay Rieng Province.

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea: Seeking full ASEAN membership to strengthen its economic and geopolitical ties with the region.

🤝 ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC): Established in 1976, it will mark its 50th anniversary in 2026 and serves to promote cooperation and partnerships across various sectors among ASEAN member states and beyond.

In short, The meeting underscored ASEAN’s focus on regional stability, conflict management, expansion of membership, and deeper external partnerships to strengthen peace, security, and economic integration.

⚠️ Why It Matters

There are several ongoing and upcoming issues that need to be addressed by ASEAN and its member states, including:

🎉 Official Debut: Timor-Leste can now officially join ASEAN Summits and related meetings to share insights about regional and global issues.

🗳️ General Elections: Post-conflict general elections were held for the first time in Myanmar on December 28, 2025, followed by Thailand’s general election on February 8, 2026.

💬 Ongoing Negotiations: The South China Sea dispute remains under negotiation following earlier efforts, including UNCLOS (1982), ASEAN’s Declaration on the South China Sea (1992), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (2002).

⚖️ Human Rights Abuses: According to Amnesty International, online scam operations in Cambodia reportedly involve serious human rights abuses, including human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and torture. Victims are often lured by promises of well-paid jobs.

👀 Observer Status: Papua New Guinea has held ASEAN Special Observer status since 1976, is a permanent member of the ASEAN Regional Forum, and has established diplomatic missions in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

🤝 TAC Accession: As of October 2025, 58 states have joined the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, with the number expected to increase in the future.

Overall, ASEAN faces a complex agenda covering regional stability, democratic processes, human rights, membership expansion, and deeper economic cooperation.

📊 What’s at Stake

The ASEAN Secretary-General highlighted several key efforts needed for ASEAN to address these issues:

1️⃣ Timor-Leste: ASEAN will provide a roadmap to help Timor-Leste meet its obligations, followed by the Charter adjustments.

2️⃣ Myanmar: ASEAN is addressing the complex situation in Myanmar and has appointed Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar in January, to lead dialogue and mediation.

3️⃣ Thailand-Cambodia: ASEAN welcomed the ceasefire agreement between the two kingdoms, and underscored the role of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) in verifying and ensuring compliance during the Philippine chairmanship.

4️⃣ South China Sea: ASEAN and China have committed to a series of scheduled meetings to resolve the issue and finalize a Code of Conduct.

5️⃣ Online scam: Identified as one of the top ten regional risks since 2024, and requires collective global action to address the issue. ASEAN digital ministers also declared efforts in 2023 to combat human trafficking caused by the abuse of technology.

6️⃣ PNG membership: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his support for Papua New Guinea’s ASEAN membership during the 46th ASEAN Summit on May 26, 2025, in Malaysia.

7️⃣ ASEAN TAC: Three countries—Slovenia, Austria, and the Slovak Republic—have applied for accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, but the process is still pending.

To sum up, ASEAN is advancing coordinated efforts to manage regional conflicts, expand membership, strengthen security cooperation, and deepen partnerships to ensure long-term stability and shared prosperity.

💡 What to Expect

The ASEAN Secretary-General expected several issues to be solved through the AMM and the Philippines’ Chairmanship:

✅ Timor-Leste: The citizens can apply for jobs at the ASEAN Secretariat and take part in ASEAN office activities.

“We’re going through a process of adjustment on both sides, not just on the ASEAN member states’ side. Citizens of Timor-Leste can apply to work at the ASEAN secretariat as well. They are entitled, like all ASEAN member states, to save their rights, obligations, and privileges.”
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

✅ Myanmar: ASEAN expects a peaceful solution to end the political crisis, that in line with the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. The Philippines will continue engaging with Myanmar’s stakeholders to closely monitor developments, particularly following the election of a new leader.

“As long as we don’t see an increase of violence on the ground, as long as a ceasefire can be achieved, ASEAN will continue to be involved, we need to have a long-term ceasefire in Myanmar so that we can move forward on the peaceful process.”
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

✅ Thailand-Cambodia: ASEAN called for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement to maintain peace, stability, and urged all parties involved, including the United States, to refrain from the use of violence. ASEAN also hopes that the Thai election will produce the best outcome and a new leader for the country and its people.

“The role of ASEAN here is to put a restraint on the United States, and remind the United States involved that they have the obligations under the charter and the TAC, because all ASEAN member states have the obligation to renounce the threat of the use of force in resolving their differences, and to uphold peaceful resolution of the dispute. We hope that this border conflict will be resolved peacefully and diplomatically, to the satisfaction of both sides.”
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

✅ South China Sea: ASEAN is optimistic that the South China Sea Code of Conduct will be finished this year, as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to mutual trust, confidence, and self-restraint to prevent escalating tensions and to maintain peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation at sea.

“I think we have the will of both sides to go ahead, building on what has been done and what has been doing. What has been done, of course, the DOC over the past. And of course, also the current implementation of DOC. But also the ongoing negotiation with COC. So in that respect, I believe that there is a strong commitment by ASEAN and China to include the COC in this year.“
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

✅ PNG membership: According to President Prabowo Subianto, PNG’s membership would have a positive impact on regional stability and expand cooperation in security.

✅ Online scam: ASEAN has committed to strengthening regional cooperation, including with China, South Korea, and Japan, to counter online scamming and cybercrime.

“I’m confident that the member states will use all the mechanisms that we have in order to enhance cooperation, particularly in the law enforcement sector, including sharing of information and intelligence, because they cannot run from one country to another once they have this working together. And all of us are not immune, right, to the threats of technology, to the use of technology, to the threats of online scams and cybercrime.”
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

✅ ASEAN TAC: The bloc is awaiting Slovenia, Austria, and the Slovak Republic to complete the necessary accession steps, and ASEAN has recommended considering Belgium’s application with a proposed two-year timeline and a possible one-year extension.

🔍 The Big Picture

The ASEAN Secretary-General acknowledged that each member state has its own strategic policies and interests in responding to global and regional developments.

He urged all member states to maintain and strengthen unity as a top priority for regional stability, while engaging constructively with major external partners to address emerging challenges.

“We have to continue to focus on strengthening our unity, solidarity, and security, because unity is our strength. It is very important to make sure we stay completely united as a region, make sure that our region remains peaceful, stable, and secure, so we can prioritize our priorities, our prosperity, economic agenda for our region, for our community, and for our people.”

Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.

🏡 Why This Hits Home

In 2024, ASEAN is the world’s fifth-largest economy, with about 700 million people, a GDP of USD 3.9 trillion, total trade of USD 3.8 trillion, and USD 226 billion in FDI, making it a key global hub for trade and investment.

The Philippines assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026 under the theme ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ with a focus on regional peace, security, prosperity, and people empowerment.

As Chair, the Philippines is responsible for continuing to address, manage, and resolve regional issues, and for maintaining stability across the region.
As a diverse region, ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to regionalism and multilateralism in addressing global and regional challenges, underscoring legal and diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes in accordance with international law.

A map of the South China Sea, which remains under dispute between China and several ASEAN member states due to overlapping territorial claims, and is still under negotiation to produce a Code of Conduct. (Photo: Wikipedia)

🧭 Beyond the Headline

In addition, the Secretary-General informed the media about ASEAN’s agenda with Canada, particularly the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

📦 ASEAN–Canada FTA: Cooperation was established in 1977, followed by the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations in 2021, with both sides committed to concluding the agreement as soon as possible.

📈 Trade & FDI performance: According to the Canada–ASEAN Business Council, ASEAN’s trade with Canada reached USD 23.5 billion in 2024, while FDI inflows into the region totaled USD 4.9 billion in the same year. This performance makes Canada ASEAN’s 16th-largest trading partner and its 9th-largest source of FDI.

🤝 Target: Both sides are optimistic that the FTA can be finalized and completed this year, opening broader markets for trade, tourism, investment, connectivity, delivering mutual benefits and shared prosperity.

“We welcome more investment from Canada, more trade, more tourism, more connectivity. It’s a lot. I would say that it’s good for both sides. Yes, they want to have new markets. The ASEAN market is the third largest trading block today. I’m quite confident that we will finalize this 50th anniversary within this year, because we don’t want to wait until next year.”
Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General.