Government Emphasizes Its Efforts to Tackle Problems in the Deep South

(28/03/2013)

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has stressed the Government’s efforts to tackle problems in the southern border provinces. The Prime Minister stated that Muslim Thais have played significant roles in developing the country in all areas. The statement was part of her speech delivered at the closing ceremony of the Central Mawlid Festival. The festival took place at the National Administration Center for Islamic Affairs on 23-26 March 2013 in Nong Chok district, Bangkok. It is an annual event to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Prime Minister Yingluck cited the Central Mawlid Celebration as an important festival for Muslim Thais, when they show their faith in God and their upholding of religious principles. Islam is the world's largest religion today. Out of the population of 600 million persons in the ASEAN region, more than half, over 300 million, are Muslims. The Prime Minister said that the Government is determined to develop the quality of life of Muslim Thais in all aspects, such as education, religious practice, health promotion, employment generation, and the protection of their lives and property. In Thailand, Muslims of Malay descent are concentrated in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun, and some districts of Songkhla. Ninety-nine percent are Sunni and one percent Shi’ite. Prime Minister Yingluck said that the Government has facilitated the travel of Muslim Thais to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage. It has provided pilgrims with various services to ensure their welfare during the Hajj observance in Saudi Arabia. For instance, the Government has sent a medical team to Saudi Arabia to provide health services for the Hajj pilgrims free of charge. As the number of Hajj pilgrims is on the rise each year, she said, the authorities would seek ways in their coordination to provide them with better care and more convenience. More flights have been arranged for Hajj pilgrims in Narathiwat this year. The Prime Minister said that the Government has a policy to promote Thai halal food production and exports. Emphasis is placed on developing the standards of Thai halal food, so that it would gain greater recognition in the international community. She found that during her visits to Muslim countries, Thai halal food was well-accepted. The Government is ready to work with Muslim Thais to develop halal food in order to increase its share in the world market. She called on Muslim Thais to cooperate in boosting Thai products among Muslims in ASEAN and beyond. All Muslim Thais were also urged to help create better understanding about Islamic principles among the people. The Government is also ready to promote relations between Muslim Thais and those in the rest of the Muslim world.

Lampang Historical Train and Horse Carriage Festival

(28/03/2013)

Lying about 600 kilometers north of Bangkok, Lampang is an old province that is well worth a visit. It is the only province in Thailand where horse-drawn carriages are still used as a means of public transport. The province welcomes all visitors to its “Lampang Historical Train and Horse Carriage Festival,” to be held from 1 to 5 April 2013. The festival, the 14th of its kind, will take place in front of the Nakhon Lampang Railway Station in Mueang district. It will commemorate the history of Lampang’s train service and horse carriages. Among the activities during the five-day festival are cultural performances, a light and sound show, a bazaar of local products, a food festival, and an exhibition on the history of train service and horse carriages in Lampang. Visitors will experience an old-style market where participants dress in traditional costumes, and they may go on a city tour in horse-drawn carriages to visit the various attractions. Lampang is located in the middle of the valley of the Wang River, and the province covers a vast area of forest. One of the natural resources found in this province is white clay, which is used to make high-quality ceramics. The ceramics industry has become an important industry in Lampang, which is noted for its excellent ceramics – souvenirs and other products crafted from ceramics have made a name for this province. The town of Lampang has a long history dating bck to the Hariphunchai Kingdom, which is believed to have been founded in the seventh or early eighth century. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the first horse carriage was brought from Bangkok for use in Lampang. Horse carriages were also introduced for use as public transport in other northern provinces, such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae, Nan, and Mae Hong Son, but they have not been used in those provinces for a number of years. In 1952, an association, called the Horse Carriage in Lampang Province, was established to operate the horse-drawn cart business there. For most Thais, the symbol of Lampang is the horse-drawn carriage. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn, who ruled the Kingdom from 1868 to 1910, railway transport was introduced into Thailand. The first royal train arrived at the Nakhon Lampang Railway Station in Lampang on 1 April 1916 in the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). Passengers could ride in comfort from Nakhon Lampang Station to town in one of the many horse carriages available. For nearly a century, trains and horse carriages have played a vital role as means of transportation in Lampang, for both business and pleasure. In the past, Lampang was regarded simply as a picturesque town where tourists could make a brief stop on their way to Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand. The province is now a focal point for elephant conservation in Thailand. It is the location of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, which has become a major tourist attraction in the North and has helped promote eco-tourism in Thailand.

Myanmar Prepares for ASEAN Chairmanship in 2014

(28/03/2013)

As Myanmar continues preparations to assume the role of chair of ASEAN for the first time in 2014, a U.S.-supported event brought Government officials together with senior officials from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and Indonesia, and officials from the ASEAN Secretariat, to present Myanmar with an opportunity to learn from past ASEAN chairs.

During his opening remarks, H.E. U Thant Kyaw, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs said that, “The Government greatly appreciates receiving the benefits of the experiences of previous chairs from our esteemed colleagues from Cambodia and Indonesia, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat. We look forward to building on the momentum they have created in the last few years as we take on the leadership of ASEAN next year.”

The purpose of the workshop was to assist the Government in its preparations by examining remaining agenda items in implementing the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community, the lessons learned and the best practices in ASEAN Chairmanship, and managing the preparations of Chairmanship. Discussions during the workshop included a focus on carrying out ASEAN’s initiatives in the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration, and the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity.

“Apart from implementing the Roadmap, the Chair has a key role to play in promoting ASEAN centrality, and leads ASEAN as the primary driving force in its relations and cooperation with external partners in the evolving regional architecture,” said H.E. U Nyan Lynn, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Political-Security Community. ASEAN’s dialogue and cooperation frameworks include the ASEAN Plus One, the ASEAN Plus Three, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, and the East Asia Summit.

The event concluded with discussion on ways to assist the Government build its capacity as it prepares to take on the role of ASEAN Chair, and a review of the assistance so far provided by ASEAN Member States, ASEAN's Dialogue Partners, and other entities.

“Assumption of the ASEAN Chair in 2014 marks a great opportunity for Myanmar and the region," said U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN David L. Carden during the opening of the workshop.  "As Myanmar continues to make strides in its internal reform processes and increases its linkages to the world beyond its borders, it will look first to its ASEAN neighbours who have consistently offered support and encouragement.  In the coming years I have every confidence Myanmar will be a leading contributor to ASEAN integration."

The Workshop on the Leadership of ASEAN in 2014 was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar and the ASEAN Secretariat in collaboration with the U.S. Government-funded ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility.

ASEAN Engages Citizen through Social Media

(28/03/2013)

With the rapidly expanding rate of the use of new media in the region, the role of social media becomes increasingly important alongside traditional media in promoting ASEAN community building. On Facebook alone, more than 130 million of ASEAN population are active users with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia are among the 20 largest Facebook communities in the world. There is a need to strengthen the effort in maximising the use of different platforms strategically aimed at different target audiences.

Social Media experts from ASEAN Member States, EU Commission, Australia and Germany gathered in Bangkok and had an intensive discussion during the 2nd Social Media Exchange last week on 22-24 March 2013. The three-day workshop was supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Participants shared their knowledge and experiences with the ASEAN Secretariat to define possible strategies for ASEAN to engage citizen more effectively through the various Social Media platforms. Subjects discussed, among others, are: Social Trends and Insight 2013, Brand Strategy, ASEAN Message and Priority, Benchmark campaigning and social programme planning strategies, and Campaigning concepts and implementation.

Success stories were also shared during the Exchange including an organic creation of an ASEAN Community page that is currently managed by a group of 30 youths from all 10 ASEAN countries working together voluntarily to help promote ASEAN and its 10 Member States. From the past two years since its formation in 2011, this non-official ASEAN Community page has already reached 146,245 likes with over 59,000 people talking about the page. Kobchart J. Boon, a 19-year-old university student and one of the administrators of the page shared his views that “the topics people seem to be most interested in are places, cultures and food”. The collaboration of 30 administrators from 10 countries is mostly focusing on these aspects to populate the page with non-political matters.   

For the past two years, the ASEAN Secretariat has also been utilising the use of various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube in promoting ASEAN, but there is a need to strengthen and maximise this effort. The ASEAN Secretariat aims to work on a Social Media Campaign in 2013 to further improve the awareness and reach out to a wider target audience in ASEAN Member States and beyond.

Commencement of JENESYS 2.0 for ASEAN

(28/03/2013)

About 80 university students from ASEAN will visit Japan from 31 March to 7 April 2013 as the first participants of JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth) 2.0.

JENESYS 2.0 is a new youth exchange programme which Prime Minister Abe announced during his visit to Indonesia last January. Approximately 30,000 youths from Asia/Oceania region including 10,000 youths from ASEAN countries, will have an opportunity to visit Japan this year.

The programme is designed for youth in ASEAN to learn about the many opportunities to be involved and contribute to ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). They will participate in the visiting programmes that will provide opportunities to deliberate on various aspects, after having a first-hand experience from Japan. The participants will be divided into three groups to visit Chubu area, Kansai area or Kyusyu area; and observe Japan’s cutting-edge high technologies and its support for local industries and creative industries, experience Japan’s traditional culture, and communicate with local people.

This programme is expected to develop exchange and mutual understanding among youths in Japan and ASEAN.

National Assembly of Vocational Scouts

(28/03/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, chaired the opening ceremony of the 17th National Assembly of Vocational Boy Scouts and Girl Guides on 25 March 2013 at Wajirawuth Scout Camp in Sri Racha. A total of 5,000 scouts, girl guides and commanders took part in the event along with 50 other scouts and girl guides from other ASEAN countries.

The Education Minister said that the scout movement was a crucial element in human resources development for both students and ministerial executives. Even the curricula for executive development included the scout movement. Nowadays boy scouts and girl guides are having better opportunities because there is a national assembly every two years. This is a good chance for them to share knowledge, improve themselves and befriend other people.

Working in the modern world will be smooth and successful if we know many people and have many friends. So, besides honing one’s skills, one should have as many friends as possible. The Minister hopes that all the participants will strengthen their scout networks at this assembly. Moreover, the founder of the boy scouts, Lord Baden-Powell, once said, "Be prepared". Therefore, all boy scouts and girl guides should be well-prepared for any situation in the future.

Organized by the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) from 23 to 29 March 2013, the 17th National Assembly of Vocational Boy Scouts and Girl Guides aims to create networks of ASEAN scouts and guides, broaden the horizons of students and prepare the country for the ASEAN Community. It also serves as a forum in which all participants can exchange knowledge, share their experiences and demonstrate their useful skills to others.

The major activities at the assembly include scout camp activities, life skills development, recreational games and pastimes which allow vocational students to learn how to live and work with others so that they are good people for society when they graduate.

OVEC & CPSC Organize Capacity Building Training

(28/03/2013)

Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and the CPSC organized a training course on core competency and evaluation between 25 and 29 March 2013 at Indrachai Commercial College. The opening ceremony, which took place on 25 March 2013 at Town in Town Hotel in Bangkok, was chaired by the OVEC Secretary, General Dr. Chaipruek Serirak.

According to Dr. Chaipruek, this training was launched by OVEC and CPSP, which is an internationally famous organization on vocational education management. It aims to enable participating teachers, educators and educational personnel to gain knowledge and understanding as well as to apply the knowledge and experience from the training to manage vocational education in order to serve the needs of the labor market and entrepreneurs. At present, OVEC is developing a new curricula focusing on the educational management required by core competency. Every vocational student who completes his studies has to be able to assess his core competency. Apart from attending lectures from CPSP's speakers and exchanging knowledge with other participants, all participants will have the opportunity to undertake field studies at a company so that they can use the actual work of the company as a framework for vocational education management in the future.

National Public Speaking Competition 2013

(28/03/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, presented awards to a student who had won the National Public Speaking Competition 2013 on 22 March 2013. Organized by the Ministry of Education and the English Speaking Union (ESU) (Thailand), this competition selected only one student for entry in an international public speaking competition which will take place in England from 13 to 17 May 2013. This year's award winning student is Mr. Intouch Pitichareon from Ekamai International School.

The topic for English public speaking selected by the ESU for the international competition is “Ideas are our Greatest Weapons”. It will take place from 13 to 14 May 2013 in England. The selection of students for the final competition was made in the semi final round on 4 March 2013 at Ho Wang School when ten students were chosen to enter the final round on 22 March 2013 at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel in Bangkok.