Exclusive Interview with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN secretary general about ASEAN affairs and Cambodia chairs ASEAN next year

Dr Sok Siphanna interviewed Dr Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN secretary general

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN secretary general about ASEAN affairs and Cambodia chairs ASEAN next year.
Dr Sok Siphana interviewed with Dr Surin Pitsuwan on December 23, 2011.

1. Dr. Sok : Perhaps you need to tell us little a bit about your background?

Dr Surin: I am a Thai. I was born in southern Thailand. I went to school with Buddhist temple without shoes until I was 11. And my first pair of shoes. But then through determination, I got to Thamarsat University after two years; I got a scholarship to a small college in California after that I got a scholarship to Harvard. I got PHD from Harvard and I am coming back to teach at Thamarsat university and back to where I began. And there was a general election in 1986. They asked I would join. I did not give them any answers. But they made announcement anyway. So I need to make a decision. To make a transmission from academic life to political life, but event just pulled me into it. And I became deputy foreign minister and foreign minister. And I would be asked to come to take up this secretary general’s term which belongs to Thailand. We rotated. Four years ago. The term is five year. Before me, it’s Singapore and next I would be a gentle man or a lady from Vietnam. So one round is fifty years after Vietnam it would be Brunei. After Brunei, It would be Cambodia.

2. Dr Sok : You tell me about Asean Charter. Things are moving. We become everywhere and different regions are looking at us and the light. ?

Dr Surin: ASEAN was born 44 years ago in Bangkok on 8 august. It was a just a vision or dream among five foreign ministers including Thanak Khoman in Thailand at that time. They thought small countries in south East Asia would need a stage of forum for ourselves rather to compete with heavyweight of the world like a pro- Asia conference forum. Like the UN during the cold war and so five of us got together and dream of vision that we would come one small association.

3. Dr Sok : for years later, it moves an institution life and it becomes a Charter?

Dr. Surin: the world has changed. Then we have competition and asean was losing structure a regional organization. Quite effective because of diversity among the membership, we could not quite carry on or deliver commitment. It based on trusts, based on words. The global community would like to see asean more being a rule base of organization with contract of legal bidding behind every agreement that we made. Just happened then, the world was changed so fast. The competition is so clear. The globalization is going so forth. asean we have 600 million people. We have ten different economies and 10 different government systems. We decide to have a charter. So that, we can live together, based on that charter. Now the world has more confidence with us. We behave more like legal contractual parties. What would I said “yes”. I would be my signature on. I will deliver its bidding, Asean gained tremendously from the confidence around the world. That we are now putting our money and effort and where our works are and we are successful in managing our economy. We are growing faster than many areas of the world. We are in the middle of the new growth. The center of the world “East Asia”
We are between India and china, the two biggest emerging economies of the world. We are serenity.
The world whole would like to come to us and with part of this process. ASEAN is joined that role which is called “centrality”. All dialogue partners, all our neighbor, big neighbors would rather give that role to ASEAN because between themselves and among themselves. They have the problems. They have historical background it is. So they came to us. They feel comfortable even a small country, medium sized countries but threatening is none. Welcoming all, they all feel comfortable with us. So, we are now according to Mrs Clinton. Welcome of the emerging architecture of cooperation of region.

4. Dr Sok : at the Bali Summit last month, that is last testimony like that?.

Dr. Surin: very much so America came and Russia came, six former parties in the East Asia summit in ASEAN. The summit which created by the asean including Japan, China, south Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. And now Russia and the U.S. came with us. We called “Asean plus eight “.

5. Dr Sok : so, we need one more the EU?

Dr Surin: well, certainly, we are not locking our doors. But the problem is they are the collection countries. They are not one sovereignty state. But they will be signing on our amity treaty and cooperation even that but we have made some armament. Again, they will come together in a bunch of 27 rather one .

6. Dr Sok: since it is in Charter? With that confidence in ruling base organization, Have you seen dramatic change of the behavior? 
Dr Surin: “slowly” you have the right questions. We don’t change of human behavior. All countries‘s behaviors changed slowly. Just by issue one proclamation of a charter or constitution. You have to go through the process of adaptation of change and what we are doing. We are trying to get member states to deliver to persuade, trying to appeal, and to warn. We are not going to dispute mechanisms which are there in the charter. We say but it is good for Cambodia, Laos if you just deliver one…
We commit to the world who is watching us and our people are watching in the long term in long run it would be beneficial for everyone in the organization. To the people of Laos, We use persuasion and diplomacy.

7. Dr Sok: Persuasion and diplomacy is great, but don’t you think all the declarations and all the agreements that were signed? Eventually, of course, challenging perhaps the translation of the regional commitment to the national policy. How do you think of that?

Dr Surin: absolutely, we are learning from the EU now. How do you translate or transmit regional agreement into the national policy implementation. Sometimes, you ratified this agreement among the ASEAN. But as member state have to implement which will need in many cases. Implement legislation which will need forms and amendment of rule, of regulation at the minister levels. Sometimes, at the department levels and create process in its institution and mechanism to monitor.

8. Dr Sok: how is it coming along?

Dr Surin: coming along is fine. You know certainly it can. It grows “faster “because of the diversification among ASEAn. We have also differences among the ten. We have to “go slowly” to make sure that. The slowest of the members can also come along. And that would take some personality and harmonization.

9. Dr Sok: the development also divides?

Dr Surin: ASEAN has certainly surprised with the global community for what we have achieved, for what we are committed for achieving for the future. All of them would like to learn from us. Particularly in the economic integration, economic management, Macro-economic management among the ten which ways that we connect ourselves we are a larger economy around us.

10. Dr sok : Asean law, perception just assumption speaking in my country Cambodia. More diplomacy I believed that at the end of the day, the diplomacy should be prevailed. Main actors will be by private sector?

Dr Surin: you are right, we are diplomat. Leaders and ministers can come up with rule like regulation that we think would enable business to move to cross the border, to co-invest each, create joint venture. That is easily. But the opportunity will have taken up by private sector. We would like to hear from them too. There is enough for rule and regulation of the space that we open up or do you wants more. So, the economic community of Asean, It would not be a reality. Unless Cambodian SMEs would move into Thailand, Thai SMEs would move to Laos. Singaporeans will move into Indonesia. Criss- crossing. We bring the border down and bring the barrier down and now we have 600 million consumers and tow trillion dollars GDP combined. Yes, it is a big market. Certainly, it is looking at by global partners. The EU and the US, Japan and South Korea are looking at us would like to trade and invest, would like to help us. We have to landscape and more levels of wills. They can come into and they can invest and they can make profit. And they like moving out and we also benefit.

11.Dr Sok: you know, for Cambodia, ASEAN connectivity is so important and ASEAN integration. Because we are a small country, I mean Cambodians has 14 million population, comparing to Thailand for almost 80 million, Vietnam for 70 million. For me, if the barriers are high, it is difficult to attract the investors. That is why, the way that I see for the next year as Cambodia chairs. Of course, we go through the process but the psychological dimension for Cambodia?

Dr Surin: well, Asean such an important regional organization, the World Bank would like to help or solve a lot of economic problems. Financial problem and development problem among us and transfer our experiences to countries in the Southeast Asia. The Southern Asia Pacific countries, African countries because of such an attention when the Cambodia is in the chair, “Cambodia will so much attract attention from around the world.” They will come, they will look. They will investigate. Cambodia has to become already with your investment law, foreign investment law and with your tax law, one thing that I have said. Every member state we have to say the “language of the market”. Meaning, we do not object profit. Even it is reasonable profit, if whatever business is in, and maintains, sustains our environment. That is going to help bridge income gap among our members. That is the engine of growth.
It is going to be a year of tremendous activities here. It will be very busy for your leaders, all the way is up to his majesty because leaders, ministers would come into and the “tradition of Asean is you have to pay the courtesy call on the head of state.” I have an occasion to call his majesty the courtesy on his majesty yesterday. I begged him in advance for his understanding that he will be troubles many times next year, and he is gracious for the understanding that he will do his parts.
We are extremely grateful. The Prime minister also knows the task and challenges and the potential and the opportunity. Cambodia will benefit from this year of chairmanship. The world will convert in Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap province. All the cameras will focus on Cambodia, on Siem reap, on Phnom Penh. So, the deadline all the reports of ASEAN will be in Phnom Penh with the date out to the world.

12.Dr sok: speaking of the challenging as chair, what would you be things that you think as challenging for us? Outcome that we would claim at the end of the chairman, that Cambodia should contribute to strengthening and deepening to the progress of ASEAN?

Dr Surin: well, I think that is enough at the moment. I think Cambodia only sustains and carries it through. Next year, it will be Brunei. But there are already enough of many initiatives in the past lines, reduction of tax, of non-tariff barriers, integration, connectivity, and infrastructures all these are on going . And the partners will come in. once to be helpful because if ASEAN achieved its own integration and 600 million people will be one market. It will be a strong market with high purchasing power, Expanding middle class, rising purchasing power. They’re helping us. At the same time, they create demand. They created market for their own goods and own services. So, Cambodia has to sustain at the memorandum. And I have “no doubt” for the leadership, people, media, academics; Business Companies will be able to participate in this process. Certainly, it will take us to “finish line” at the end of the year. It implies colors.

13.Dr Sok: I see that you know for example during Cambodia chair. We should be a tremendous. The region is doing well. We got a lot of respected attention. As you said many regional partners, International and organization are very kind to support. You think it is a good idea to organize global dialogue. Asean -global dialogue?

Dr Surin: I think definitely, that is global audience; I believe it should be last summit in November at the end of everything. That is a great personality. They will come into Cambodia. They have more feeling to share including World Bank, IMF, world trade organization (WTO), EU and ADB. These are the global personality that will help unique for views and perspectives of things. They will be watching ASEAN in the environment how you hang together, how you survive together. All these inspire all the challenging. All in Eu and America. The market will rise up. But somehow we create regional markets with china, with India., Japan, Korea, among ourselves.

14.Dr Sok: what about G-20 for example?

Dr Surin: we are partner of G-20; chair of Asean will be invited. Last time, president of Indonesia SBY represents asean at the same time, in Canns in France. Before that it was in Soeul, (South Korea), Prime Minister of Vietnam represented ASEAN at that time. 2012, his Excellency Samdech PM Hun Sen will represent asean at the table of big G-20.

15.Dr Sok: This is great. Really, I think asean centrality will help us because we are a small country. And what is your last message to Cambodian people?

Dr Surin: Yes, I want to talk to the parents, with the teachers, want to talk to students. ASEAN created for your generation, and my generation. I said the same to your prime minister. This is for the good of the country of ASEAN ten countries. 600 million people are still growing. Parents will help to subscribe the submission
At one point in the near future. That region will be a one market. The skill labor is going to move. Doctors in Cambodia can move into Malaysia. Engineer in Singapore can move into Indonesia. Nurses and dentists from Philippines can move cross the border. All the requirements we should have, “you have to be good”. You have to be qualified. You have to be very competitive. You need to know the English language. Because in the charter, English is the working language of Asean, we don’t provide interpreter. Anybody who wants an interpreter needs to bring them by themselves or to whispers .Asean conducts our business in the English language. We do not know English language. No matter how good you are Engineer, architecture, doctors, account you can’t market your skill. You cannot perform your profession. The parents will have to be inspired the vision at the end of the process. The life is much much more interesting. Mobilize moving across the landscape. But the competition also has. So, I am appealing to the parents, teacher, the university, academic students themselves life is going to be different from my generation from now. It is going to be more competitive and mobile. It is going to require real quality. Competition, Open your competition, you have to prepare yourself. Asean will be different from now. The ways are different from the past. It is going to be good or bad for individual depends on how much you are prepared.

16.Dr Sok: other words, opportunity is there? You must prepare yourself?

Dr Surin: Exactly, this generation is preparation. Better we have to prepare yourself and then you have to fight and to struggle, compete and to succeed.