Dr Surin Pitsuwan officially takes on helm at ASEAN

Former Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan will today (January 7) take on his role of ASEAN Secretary-General. Dr Surin will be sworn in a ceremony to be conducted in the ASEAN Secretary-General’s office in Indonesia.

Dr Surin stated that he will use his extensive experience in foreign affairs and politics to serve his position. He affirmed that his first agenda is to update ASEAN work in line with the ASEAN card bill that is awaiting approval. He said during an upcoming meeting in Singapore he will swear an oath to support the bill in hopes it will encourage other countries to also follow the bill.

Dr Surin also said he would work to bring unity to the ASEAN region while also promoting individual strengths of all member countries to improve the standard of living for all citizens within the organization. He affirmed that he would work to promote peace in Myanmar and may meet with China, India and Japan to brainstorm strategies for the country.

Dr Surin is the second Thai national to achieve the position of Secretary-General of the ASEAN. Pan Wannamethee, currently secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross and former senior Foreign Ministry officer, was the first Thai citizen to take on the role of ASEAN sec-gen. Dr Surin will officially resign from his current post in the National Legislative Assembly on January 10th.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Leaders of the 10 member nations in 2007 adopted an ASEAN Charter and pledged to ratify it as soon as possible, and this will further boost the role of the ASEAN secretary-general after it was implemented.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 January 2008

Dr Surin is a very capable person whose background in foreign affairs and diplomacy make him well suited for the job. As a spokesperson for Islamic moderation, he is also uniquely equipped for communication with the Muslim leadership in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Dr Surin is a very capable person whose background in foreign affairs and diplomacy make him well suited for the job. As a spokesperson for Islamic moderation, he is also uniquely equipped for communication with the Muslim leadership in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Yes he is a capable person but one should be careful as an outsider when describing him as a spokesman for Islamic moderation.However his main challenge -almost certainly a futile one- will to provide ASEAN with leadership that rescues it from its current lamentable and irrelevant state.