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Timor-Leste's foreign policy: securing state identity in the post-independence period
Timor-Lestes Außenpolitik: die Identität des Staates nach der Unabhängigkeit sichern
[journal article]
Abstract "This paper examines some of the major ideational aspects of Timor-Leste's foreign policy orientation in the post-independence period. Drawing upon the constructivist accounts of state behaviour, the paper situates Timorese leaders' foreign policy decisions in the broader context of their search to ... view more
"This paper examines some of the major ideational aspects of Timor-Leste's foreign policy orientation in the post-independence period. Drawing upon the constructivist accounts of state behaviour, the paper situates Timorese leaders' foreign policy decisions in the broader context of their search to position the fledging nation in the global political order. It argues that Timor-Leste's insecure state identity has shaped its leaders' foreign policy preferences in the post-independence period. This identity can be examined by separating it into two parts: the construction of spatial boundaries and the creation of a temporal 'other'. The former is evidenced by the leadership's rhetorical emphasis on the country's Portuguese heritage and their prioritisation of ASEAN membership, both of which are closely related to the consolidation of the young nation's political and cultural identity. The creation of a temporal other, as illustrated by the rise of political discourse emphasising sovereignty, reflects a wider transitional process that is embedded in the country's transformation from colony to independent state under international supervision as well as the state's transformation from 'fragile' or 'failing' to 'stable'. A detailed analysis of the basic aspects of Timor-Leste's insecurities as a constitutive element of its foreign policy becomes instrumental to understanding the country's nation-state-building experience since its separation from Indonesia in 1999, as it enters a new phase of socio-political structuring following the withdrawal of the international security presence in 2012." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
foreign policy; East-Timor; political independence; Indonesia; developing country; Southeast Asia; Asia
Classification
International Relations, International Politics, Foreign Affairs, Development Policy
Document language
English
Publication Year
2014
Page/Pages
p. 3-25
Journal
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 33 (2014) 2
ISSN
1868-1034
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed