When the 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gather for their 19th Summit in Bali, they will have a slew of issues on the table. Some to be agreed upon, others merely acknowledged, with one or two likely shelved.
The range covers a wide swath of challenges and opportunities befitting of one of the world's leading regional groupings. These cover the launch of the ASEAN Regional Report on HIV and AIDS, the potential chairmanship of Myanmar as ASEAN chair in 2014, and final preparations for the East Asia Summit.
One issue that has been lingering is the question of an agreement regarding Timor Leste's long-standing request to join the regional organization.
Despite Indonesia's sponsorship of immediate membership, since the 18th Summit in May, the issue has sort of been left on the backburner in typical ASEAN fashion when faced with direct contention.
Most ASEAN members seem somewhat aloof to the idea, neither openly accepting nor rejecting. However, at least one ASEAN member, whose territorial size is a fraction of Timor's, seems adamantly opposed to it.
The contra-arguments to Timor's membership has been based on Dili's readiness to cede to ASEAN's multiple economic obligations and complications that would arise in accommodating a new member when the present members are already struggling to meet their own commitments to the organization.
Although we appreciate these concerns, from a regional political perspective there are intangible values that support membership beyond the simple statistics.
This former Indonesian province is the youngest state in the region fully recognized under the stewardship of the United Nations, which retains a special responsibility in building a robust society in Timor Leste.
It is probably a modern Asian political miracle how that healing process is visible in the growing and intervening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Timor Leste. Not only between government officials in Jakarta and Dili but also in the increasing varieties of people-to-people contacts, which is even more heartening.
Border trade is constantly increasing in terms of value and volume, as Indonesia remains a favorite destination of Timor's young generation to continue their education. About 6,000 students from Timor are now registered in various Indonesian universities.
Of course, the painful events that occurred during the critical period in 1999 will always be inscribed as dark pages in Indonesian modern history. But history does not stop, it keeps evolving.
The evolving history also shows the moral courage of Indonesians to build new bridges reaching out to their brothers and sisters who are struggling to perfect their independent state.
The late president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid is the embodiment of Indonesia's sincerity in welcoming Timor Leste as a new neighbor state.
However, Indonesia's position to favorably consider Timor Leste's request to join ASEAN should not be viewed as merely a nice gesture. Timor Leste's membership is a geopolitical necessity for the region as a whole.
Although two dimensional maps are inadequate visual instruments, a cursory view of Southeast Asia will convincingly show that, as far as Indonesia is concerned, to leave Timor Leste outside of ASEAN is simply not an option.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must clearly convey to his counterparts that all bilateral issues with Timor Leste have been solved or are at the final stage of solution, and that Timor Leste as a new member will not be a burden. And, considering Indonesia's unique geographic shape as the world's largest archipelagic state, it is definitely in Indonesia's geopolitical interest to welcome Timor Leste into ASEAN.
Hopefully, such a clear message from Indonesia will convince those who for whatever reason are still reluctant to welcome Timor in ASEAN.