ASEAN Chief wishes to see domestic and international rifts settled

BANGKOK, March 7 (TNA) - Before ending his five-year term as the Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin Pitsuwan says that he would like to see peaceful settlements of conflicts within the 10-member ASEAN bloc, an auspicious sign marking the regional integration in all fields, scheduled to be started by 2015 in the form of the ASEAN single community. Speaking upon receiving an honorary doctorate degree in Political Science from Bangkok-based Ramkhamhaeng University on Monday, Dr. Surin, who is a former Thai foreign minister, shared his views that it is best for Thai people to reconcile, leaving behind their differences. Dr. Surin said he also wishes to see political stability in Thailand's restive South, with insurgency-borne unrest settled peacefully in a sustainable manner. The ASEAN chief acknowledged that a sound and united domestic environment will become a key factor encouraging all ASEAN member countries to get along well with each other and to resort to peaceful means for ending conflicts. Before his five-year term as the ASEAN Secretary General ends over the next 10 months, Dr. Surin expressed his hopes that the regional public would then become more aware of the ASEAN vision and constructive stance, encouraging ASEAN citizens to make the best use of the forthcoming regional integration and to get themselves ready for massive capital inflows for growing regional investment to welcome the ASEAN singlic community, a largest in the entire world community. The ASEAN chief was conferred an honorary doctorate degree in Political Science by Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University, in recognition of his contributions to the Thai Kingdom and the ASEAN bloc. (TNA)