ASEAN Youth Meet Japan Prime Minister

(03/04/2013)

Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Shinzo Abe received about 80 university students from ASEAN as the first batch of JENESYS 2.0 (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) programme, this week in Japan.

Representing the ASEAN youth, Ms. Leanne Marie Torrato captured aptly the spirit of the programme by stating, “Through this program, we hope to learn new and innovative economic policy ideas through exploring the fields of social sciences, culture and arts, and science and technology. We hope that we can find new ways to improve trade and diplomatic relations between our countries. Some people may say that these expectations are a bit ambitious. But the ASEAN youth now are more empowered than ever. And when we become our country’s leaders someday, we will see that these things we learn in JENESYS will be carried out for the benefit of the entire ASEAN community.”

The participants are divided into three groups to visit Chubu, Kansai, and Kyushu areas to observe Japan’s cutting-edge high technologies and its support for local industries as well as creative industries, experience Japan’s traditional culture, and communicate with the local Japanese people.

JENESYS is a key platform for youth exchange between ASEAN and Japan. The original programme was successfully conducted in 2007 – 2012, bringing more than 13,500 ASEAN youth to Japan. JENESYS 2.0, launched this year when PM Abe visited Jakarta in January 2013, will invite 10,000 ASEAN youth to visit Japan.

New ASEAN Financial Integration Report

(03/04/2013)

The Central Bank Governors from ASEAN Member States (AMS) launched the Summary Report entitled “The Road to ASEAN Financial Integration - A Combined Study on Assessing the Financial Landscape and Formulating Milestones for Monetary and Financial Integration in ASEAN” at the sidelines of the 9th ASEAN Central Bank Governors’ Meeting yesterday in Brunei Darussalam.

The Summary Report highlights ASEAN’s financial integration framework in the areas of financial services, capital account, payments and settlement systems, and capital markets. These efforts will be complemented by capacity-building initiatives, infrastructure building, and an enabling intermediation environment that is effective and efficient for financial flows, while ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to preserve financial stability. Taking into account the diversity of financial market development, economic structure and priorities in establishing the necessary preconditions among AMS, the Report emphasises that the implementation process of the key milestones needs to be managed effectively.  In this regard, individual AMS will be accorded flexibility to determine the timelines and preconditions corresponding to the state of preparedness of their economies.

The Summary Report is a joint initiative of the ASEAN central banks and monetary authorities, the ASEAN Secretariat and the Asian Development Bank.  The Central Bank Governors view this Report as an important reference for ASEAN to further guide its financial integration process.

The Summary Report is available for viewing here.

Sixth Press Release of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC)

(03/04/2013)

The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) successfully concluded its Sixth Meeting which was convened from 1-2 April 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Meeting was updated on 15 projects under the ACWC Work Plan 2012-2016 while 3 new projects were tabled for adoption. Projects that are on-going this year include the compilation of country of best practices in eliminating violence against women and children which will be published in mid-2013. Public campaign, which was inaugurated last year, will be undertaken in conjunction with the International Day to Stop Violence against Women on 25 November 2013. Acknowledging common issues concerning women and girls in the CEDAW and CRC Concluding Observations, the ACWC planned for a regional workshop to look into those common issues towards effective promotion and protection of the rights of women and children in June 2013 in Da Nang, Viet Nam. As part of children’s rights promotion, development of guidelines for non violent approach to child rearing and child caring in various settings has started with annotated bibliographies being compiled.

Acknowledging that prevention and elimination of violence against women and children is its core, the ACWC drafted the ASEAN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children. After several reviews since 2011, the final draft of the Declaration was accepted at this Meeting and was aimed to be adopted by the ASEAN Leaders this year. The Declaration aims to reflect ASEAN’s collective efforts to, among others, strengthen legal and policy frameworks and institutional capacity to combat violence against women and children, and assist victims through protection, services, rehabilitation, recovery and reintegration of victims.

Recognising the importance of collaboration for efficiency and better impact of projects in its Work Plan, the ACWC identified potential common areas and projects in the work plans of other ASEAN sectoral bodies. The ACWC will explore collaboration with those ASEAN sectoral bodies. The ACWC will also engage civil society in the implementation of its projects by tapping on their expertise. For this purpose, the Meeting discussed workable mechanisms of civil society engagement in the implementation of the ACWC Work Plan.

On 3 April 2013, the ACWC Representatives prepared the ground work towards the establishment of a network of social service providers helping women and children victims of violence. It was considered that the network would spearhead, among others, trainings, exchange programmes and scholarships for social service agencies, awards to recognise outstanding social workers in the region, case studies of successful rehabilitation and reintegration of victims.

The Seventh ACWC Meeting was scheduled for later part of 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

OHEC Sec. Gen. Visits Thepsatri Rajabhat University

(04/04/2013)

The Secretary General of the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) Mr. Apichart Jeerawuth chaired a ceremony to open a new signboard for Thepsatri Rajabhat University in Nakhon Sawan on 30 March 2013. He made a donation to establish the Funding of Thepsatri Taklee and gave awards to people who had made contributions to the university.

Mr. Apichart then talked about the policy of developing universities to become academic institutions for local communities. He said that universities in local areas should give more opportunities for education and should serve the needs of local people, communities and organizations. They should take three major issues into account: teachers, educational materials and service to students.

OEC to Design Ethics and Morality Curricula for Thai Children

(04/04/2013)

The Office of the Education Council (OEC), with cooperation of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), recently organized a seminar on designing curricula for teaching ethics and morality to suppress corruption in Thai children and mobilizing anti-corruption strategies through the use of an educational mechanism. This seminar was chaired by the Chairperson of NACC, Mr. Panthep Klanarongran.

According to Mr. Panthep, education plays a key role against corruption, so curricula reform should be done carefully with brainstorming by qualified academics and learning from the work done in foreign countries. The campaign entitled, "Growing-Up without Cheating", is a successful project on anti-corruption which needs to be used in conjunction with the traditional Thai culture of respecting adults and expressing gratitude to them as well as life-long education. The NACC is emphasizing the training of ethics and morality via various media and the results from the seminar will be used to improve the characters of Thai children and youths in the future.

The Secretary General of OEC, Dr. Sasithara Pichaichannarong, said that the OEC and the NACC realized the importance of cooperation on anti-corruption education and had formulated an agreement on the issue. Initially, the sub-committee for mobilizing anti-corruption campaigns will promote education as a mechanism to suppress corruption. This seminar was one of the national gatherings which enabled ideas from concerned agencies on developing a curriculum about ethics and morality to protect children against corruption.

The qualified academic of NACC, Dr. U-this Khaothien, said that a corruption survey in 2011 indicated that Thailand was ranked 80th out of 183 countries worldwide and 11th in Asia. Therefore, the NACC had formulated four strategies for the prevention and suppression of corruption from 2008 to 2012. The first strategy concerned raising anti-corruption awareness in people of all sectors. The second one was to unite people power to suppress corruption. The third was to strengthen organizations that work on anti-corruption. The fourth strategy was to create anti-corruption professionals. It is a good occasion that the Ministry of Education and NACC made the agreement for using education as the key solution to corruption problem because nowadays Thai society views corruption as the norm.

Source: Ban Muang Newspaper

2018 for ASEAN Qualification Framework

(04/04/2013)

The Secretary General of the Office of the Education Council, Dr. Sasithara Pichaichannarong, recently talked about the national qualification framework which the Cabinet asked the Ministry of Education to mobilize. She said that the OEC had organized a workshop seminar on the mobilization of the national qualification framework to practicum during which employers and business owners discussed and shared their ideas on this issue.

Dr. Sasithara said that the OEC was developing the national qualification framework to detail professional competency as well as to connect the project of educational development to both vocational and higher educations. Recently, there was a meeting with the ten ASEAN countries in Indonesia which was also attended by participants from Australia and New Zealand. The meeting agreed to formulate an ASEAN-level national qualification framework for all ASEAN countries by the end of 2018 so that it could be used as a standard for studying and working.

"On 2 May, New Zealand will ask the OEC to host a meeting on the national qualification framework. This framework will test skills and competency for around 200-300 jobs and guarantee workers' knowledge and abilities," said Dr. Sasithara.

Source: Khom Chad Luek Newspaper

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital to Be Developed as a Thai Traditional Medical Hub in ASEAN

(02/04/2013)

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in the eastern province of Prachin Buri will be developed into a Thai traditional medical hub in ASEAN.

The Cabinet, during its mobile meeting in Chachoengsao province on 31 March 2013, approved a project on the Abhaibhubejhr health complex as a learning center for organic agriculture and traditional health style.

Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said that the 16.8-million-baht project would upgrade the Thai traditional medical and herbal services to higher standards, on a full-cycle basis. The project will be further developed, to the point that Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital will become the Thai Traditional Medical Hub in ASEAN.

The Abhaibhubejhr health complex project is located on the land owned by the Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital Foundation. It will provide knowledge on health care for older persons in a holistic manner, Thai spa services, traditional medicine, and herbal production. The complex will also display ASEAN herbs and demonstrate the management of raw materials for organic agriculture.

Dr. Pradit said that the project is in line with the Government’s policy of making Thailand Asia’s leader in health care products and services. Toward this aim, Thailand is developing itself into an international medical hub.

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital is famous for herbal products and traditional Thai medicine. It also comprises a splendid traditional Thai medicine museum, which welcomes many visitors each day for Thai herbal wisdom and traditional healing. A number of herbal products, foods, drinks, and cosmetics make a name for this hospital, which markets them under the Abhaibhubejhr brand name.

More than 100 herbal items under the Abhaibhubejhr brand are now available at Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital and shopping centers. They have also been exported to Japan and India. The exports bring in about 300 million baht a year, and the value is on the rise.

The hospital has been developing medicinal plants for healing and treatment since 1983. It also promotes the use of herbs for self-reliance in various local communities and has learned much from the wealth of local wisdom concerning the development of indigenous medicine. The quality of Abhaibhubejhr herbal products has steadily risen to international standards, and they are now earning recognition from the international community.

The Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Building, which became the Abhaibhubejhr Thai Traditional Medicine Museum in 1996, was built in 1909 in the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). It has become one of the key points of interest attracting visitors to Prachin Buri.

Yunnan Province to Further Enhance Cooperation with ASEAN

(02/04/2013)

The Governor of Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Li Jiheng called on the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Le Luong Minh yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat to exchange views on how the Yunnan Province could further strengthen its relations with ASEAN.

Governor Li Jiheng highlighted trade and investment, connectivity, agriculture, aviation, environmental protection, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges as possible areas for cooperation. He also stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity between ASEAN and the Yunnan Province and looked forward to the completion of Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) and North-South Economic Corridor, including the Highway Network from Bangkok to Kunming.

In welcoming Governor Li Jiheng and his delegation to the ASEAN Secretariat, SG Minh appreciated the commitment of the Yunnan Province to deepen its cooperation with ASEAN. SG Minh also suggested that the Yunnan Province explore cooperation with ASEAN in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as support the Initiative of ASEAN Integration (IAI), an initiative of ASEAN with the objective of accelerating economic integration of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV), which are neighbouring countries of the Yunnan Province.

Thai Students' Tsunami Model Left Audience in Awe

(03/04/2013)

The Tsunami Model was the highlight of creative scientific innovations displayed at the 8th Academic Conference on Science and Technology of Thai Youths between 21 and 23 March 2013 at BITEC, Bang Na. This event was organized by the Faculty of Sciences, Silpakorn University, and the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPTST) along with other organizations.

This event highlighted 330 excellent research projects initiated by Thai youths and students. One of the highlights was the Tsunami Simulation Using an Explicit Finite-Difference Method developed by Mr. Pawin Sitsungnern, a Sri Trang Thong scholarship student of Physics from the Faculty of Sciences, Mahidol University.

Mr. Pawin said that he became interested in the theory of water and air flow when he was a third year student. Then, when he was a fourth year student, he had to choose a senior research project. Remembering the tsunami disaster in Thailand in 2004, he initiated this project.

Modeling an equation for shallow water tides calculated numerically by limiting clear variance of Lax-Wendroff, this tsunami model can be used to calculate the variance of shallow water tides although computer science has to be employed. Mr. Pawin asked his advisor to teach him how to write a code for this work and sought more information, especially video clips of tsunamis throughout the world. He also used his computer skills and his knowledge of computer technology.

This tsunami model can be used to create a program that can calculate the distance of a tsunami from a shore at the basic level by pointing out where underwater quake happens. This may be useful to warn beachgoers and could save them from the tidal wave.

"I hope that my work can be expanded to other relevant areas of study, especially weather forecasting in terms of wind speed, because this variance can explain the mechanics of all flowing things," said Mr. Pawin, adding that his work required high precision and complicated methodology. This is a challenge that also enables him to learn new things.

Source: http://www.bangkokbiznews.com

Average N-Net/B-Net Scores not Satisfactory: NIETS

(03/04/2013)

On 31 March 2013, the director of the National Institute of Educational Testing Standard s, Mr. Sampan Panpruek said that NIETS had already compiled national tests for non-formal education at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels and the national test for Buddhism. These are known as N-NET and B-NET respectively. The result of the testing was announced in www.niets.or.th.

NIETS has already analyzed fundamental statistics of the N-NET of primary education as follows: learning skills (average: 43.10, the highest: 86.67 and the lowest: 0), basic knowledge (average: 37.97, maximum: 88.33 and the minimum: 0), professional skills (average: 48.60, maximum: 83.33 and minimum: 1.67), living skills (average: 52.60, maximum: 96.67 and minimum: 0) and social development skills (average: 49.46, maximum: 93.33 and minimum: 0).

Mr. Sampan also reported the fundamental N-NET statistics for lower secondary students as follows: learning skills (average: 45.16, maximum: 90 and minimum: 0), basic knowledge (average: 37.26, Maximum: 87.08 and minimum: 0), professional skills (average: 46.33, maximum: 83.33 and minimum: 1.67), living skills (average: 47.48, maximum: 90 and minimum: 0) and social development skills (average: 37.27, maximum: 80 and minimum: 0). The fundamental statistics of N-NET for higher secondary students is as follows: learning skills (average: 52.98, maximum: 93.33 and minimum: 0), basic knowledge (average: 35.41, maximum: 85.83 and minimum: 0), professional skills (average: 39.91, maximum: 76.67 and minimum: 3.33), living skills (average: 47.46, maximum: 90 and minimum: 0) and social development skills (average: 36.64, maximum: 76.67 and minimum: 3.33).

The fundamental B-NET statistics for lower secondary students is as follows: History of Buddhism and Dhamma Discipline (average: 41.08, maximum: 78.57 and minimum: 11.43), Practical Religion (average: 42.77, maximum: 90 and the minimum: 0) and Pali (average: 35.66, maximum: 94 and minimum: 11). The fundamental B-NET statistics for upper secondary students is as follows: History of Buddhism and Dhamma Discipline (average: 44.31, maximum: 85.71 and minimum: 8.57), Practical Religion (average: 33.82, maximum: 73.33 and minimum: 3.33) and Pali (average: 39.38, maximum: 94 and the minimum: 10).

NIETS to Reform Educational Assessment at all Levels in 2014

(03/04/2013)

Prof. Emeritus Somwang Phithiyanuwat, the chairman of the National Institute of Education Testing Standard's (NIETS) executive board, recently reported that NIETS will set up a committee to monitor the problems with the printing system for the PAT2 exam on scientific skills which had errors in the exam code. He also asked the relevant people to research the best practices for making the exams and to propose these as the replacement procedure for creating NIETS exams in the future. In addition, since a request had been made to show the O-Net exam and its key, it is expected that this will be done in the academic year of 2014 at the earliest or 2015 at the latest.

In terms of a proposal to make the O-Net exam difficult at the intermediate level, NIETS plans to reform its evaluation at all levels by emphasizing learners' standards, especially through examinations that will evaluate students' understanding of content and how they analyze and criticize what they have learned. NIETS then asked the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) to reform the evaluation system of Grade 3 students for the academic year 2012. This assessment will be used with other grades in 2014. The focus will be on examinationss that emphasize students' standards according to the recent curriculum instead of the curriculum content itself.

Source: Khom Chad Luek 1 April 2013 (Afternoon Issue)

MOE Sets up ASEAN Learning Center for Thai Women

(02/04/2013)

The Assistant to the Minister of Education, Dr. Phuangphet Chunlaiad, on behalf of the chairperson for the committee for preparation towards the ASEAN Community of the Ministry of Education, reported that the MOE would enhance Thai women's ASEAN language skills by working with the funding for the development of women to teach ten ASEAN languages and set up learning centers towards the ASEAN Community in the center of Thailand and in local areas around the country on 10 April 2013.

Dr. Phuangphet said that the MOE required two flagship projects towards the ASEAN Community: educational development towards the ASEAN Community and the development of an international education hub.

Regarding the educational development towards the ASEAN Community, apart from formulating goals in language skill development, specific levels of professional competency, upgrading curriculum and research standard and establishing learning centers and educational centers for students, teachers and educators, the MOE, with the cooperation of the funding for development of women in Thailand, will provide English and ASEAN language training to all Thai women so that they are able to effectively use at least one other ASEAN language in their location.

Founded by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and The Office of Non Formal and Informal Education, the ASEAN Learning Center is located in Bangkok at the Ministry of Education and in eleven other  places as follows:

- Mae Sai Prasitsath School in Chiang Rai (offering courses on English, Burmese and Chinese);
- Pathumthepwitthayakharn School in Nong Khai (offering courses on English, Lao and Vietnamese);
- Chulapornratchawitthayalai School in Mukdaharn (offering courses on English, Vietnamese and Chinese);
- Naree Nukul School in Ubol Ratchathani (offering courses on English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Lao);
- Prasat Witthaykarn School in Surin (offering courses on Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese);
- Khlong Yai Witthayakhom School in Trat (offering courses on Cambodian);
- Phothisamphan Phitthayakarn School in Cholburi (offering courses on English, Chinese and Russian);
- Satri Sri Suriyothai School in Bangkok (offering course on English, Chinese, Japanese and Tagalog);
- Prommanusorn School in Phetchaburi (offering courses on Burmese and Chinese);
-Phichairattanakarn School in Ranong (offering courses on English, Chinese, Japanese, Burmese and Malay); and
- Satri Phuket School in Phuket (offering courses on English and Chinese)

ONFIE also founded similar learning centers in eleven provinces: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Tak, Mukdaharn, Nakhon Panom, Cholburi, Nong Khai, Surin, Phuket, Songkhla and Ranong.

These language courses offered by the learning centers are divided into 4 levels, each of which take 100 hours, starting from lower intermediate, upper intermediate and advanced. The opening of the centers will take place on 10 April 2013 at Satri Sri Suriyothai School and will be attended by the Deputy Education Ministe, Mr. Sermsak Pongpanit, and the Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms. Sansanee Nakphong.

MOE Starts Sending Donation to Teachers in Deep South

(02/04/2013)

  On 28 March 2013 at C.S. Hotel in Pattani, the Permanent Secretary of Education, Mrs. Panita Kamphu Na Ayutthaya, attended the fifth ceremony to commemorate deceased teachers who had worked in southern Thailand. On this occasion, she gave 8 million Baht donated from all Thai people to the families of 80 teachers, each of which got 100,000 Baht. Mrs. Panita said that she had intended to donate the money to all 159 families herself at the beginning of April but she had come earlier. The rest of the money will be given out at the beginning of April.

All the donations came from a charity event broadcast by Channel 9 Thailand on 16 January 2013. The total of the donations was 22.1 million Baht and all the money stayed in the bank account until the day it was given to the 80 teachers' families. Mrs. Panita said that she intended to set up a foundation for the teachers because she would retire in the next six months and was afraid no one would keep working on this. After all 159 families of the deceased teachers get their money, the rest of the donations will be given to the 12th educational offices.

"I came to Pattani myself because I'd like to inform all families of the affected teachers what is true and what is not. If I cheated, I wouldn't be here. So, I can talk to anyone when I do anything myself," said Mrs. Panita.

From the Daily News, 1 April 2013. (Afternoon Issue)

NIETS to Reform Exam Standard

(02/04/2013)

Mr. Somwang Phithiyanuwat, the chairman of the National Institute of Education Testing Standard's (NIETS) executive board, talked about a request to NIETS to show the O-Net exam for Grade 12 students with its key for the academic year 2012. He said that NIETS could not do as requested because there were not enough exams to circulate. However, NIETS will try its best by collecting all the exams into its exam bank. It is expected that within this year, there should be around 10,000 exams collected and all the exams can be shown with the key in 2014 or 2015.

Mr. Somwang added that NIETS was aiming to reform the evaluation of all educational levels by creating an exam that assesses the quality of learners, especially one that will assess the critical and analytical abilities of learners.

"In April, the NIETS' board will reach its half term and will reform the standard of the exam so that it will become like a universal one, such as the evaluation for an international research program such as PISA which corresponds to the proposal of the TDRI. After the meeting, everything will be more concrete," concluded Mr. Somwang.   

From Khao Sod, 1 April 2013. (Afternoon Issue)

Two-Trillion-Baht Infrastructure Projects to Be under Scrutiny at All Stages

(01/04/2013)

After the House of Representatives had voted to approve the first reading of the bill on the Government's two-trillion-baht loan for infrastructure mega-projects, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Varathep Ratanakorn said that all the infrastructure investment projects would be scrutinized at all stages. Speaking in the weekly program “Yingluck Government Meets the People” on 30 March 2013, Mr. Varathep said that the bill requires the planned projects to be initially screened by three government agencies before being submitted to the Cabinet for consideration. The three agencies include the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the Bureau of the Budget. At the end of the fiscal year, the Government will be required to report to Parliament results of the implementation of the projects. During the implementation period, House committees and Senate committees may call for an examination of the projects at all times. The House of Representatives on the night of 29 March 2013 voted 284 against 152 to pass the bill on the two-trillion-baht loan in the first reading. Twenty-one MPs abstained and seven refused to vote. A 36-member committee was formed to scrutinize the bill within 30 days before the second reading. The Opposition agreed that the country needed huge investment in infrastructure development, but it was against the issuance of the bill, instead of acquiring funding through the national budget, since the bill would put a heavy debt burden on the country. When interest is combined, the country would repay five trillion baht for the loan within 50 years. Mr. Varathep explained that liabilities should be mentioned together with assets and that the loan would create national income, thus greatly benefiting the country in the long run. If the Government did not begin the projects today, prices would go up and the country would pay more. He said that the projects, involving mainly transportation and logistics, would bring in enormous income from tourism and reduce production costs for exports. So in terms of assets, Thai people would gain a lot from the projects. He said that the huge investment projects would bring about significant changes in Thailand’s transportation networks, with the introduction of the new rail system to help save energy costs. Acquiring funding for the projects through the national budget might lead to disruption, as their fate would be dependent on the policies of future governments. The issuance of the bill to secure the loan would ensure the continuation of the projects and create more confidence among investors, Mr. Varathep said. A group of parliamentarians plans to ask the Constitutional Court to interpret the legality of the bill. Mr. Varathep said that the group had the right to do so, at the same time stressing that the bill was constitutional.

ASEAN Peatland Media Award “Peat for Life”

(01/04/2013)

The Global Environment Centre (GEC) and ASEAN Secretariat, is pleased to announce the launch of the ASEAN Peatland Media Award to stimulate and generate interest of individuals in reporting and highlighting peatland related stories in the media. 

The announcement was made today in conjunction with the 2013 World Forestry Day celebrations organized by the Forestry Department of Peninsula Malaysia in Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Pekan campus.

The ASEAN Peatland Media Award with the theme “Peat for Life” will honour individuals or journalists for their reporting on peatlands that covers sustainability, biodiversity, community livelihood and environmental issues in Southeast Asia region. The award is organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and Global Environment Centre (GEC) with the support from the IFAD/GEF-ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP) and of EU-SEApeat Project to promote sustainable management of peatlands in Southeast Asia.

More than 24 million ha of peatlands are found in the Southeast Asian region. Peatlands are naturally forested and provide valuable goods and services including timber and non-timber forest products, fish, water supply, flood control, carbon storage and climate regulation. If peatlands are drained or degraded, they are susceptible to fire. Peatland fires are the main source of transboundary smoke haze in Southeast Asia which is ASEAN’s most serious regional environmental problem.

“Peatlands is one of the focal areas under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to tackle the root cause of transboundary haze caused by peat fire.  The ASEAN Peatland Media Award aims to raise awareness on issues and challenges in peatland management in the region and bring success stories of government action and grassroots peatland conservation efforts in ASEAN countries to the public’s attention,” said Dr Raman Letchumanan, Director of the Environmental Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, who is also Project Director of the APFP project.

The contest is divided into 2 categories, Print and New Media and submission is open to all individuals and organisations for articles on peat related topics published between 1st January and 31st December 2013. Topics can cover peatland related subject, ranging from ecological to socioeconomic, which has general significance to the ASEAN community; including peatland fire and haze, scientific research/discovery, peatland and climate change, deforestation and land degradation,  biodiversity conservation, community livelihood on peatland, economics and sustainability of peatland development etc.

Print Media includes newspaper and magazine articles, reports and any other printed materials. For New Media, the category includes videos, blogs, and other materials which have been published online during the same period. Entries are judged based on the content, message and approach of the published article. Cash prizes totaling US$3600 and a stay in the award winning resort of Frangipani Langkawi worth US$1,000 are waiting for the winners of both categories for their outstanding reporting.

Submission will be accepted beginning 1st April 2013 until midnight on 31st December 2013 (+8 GMT). The contest guidelines, rules and regulations, and additional information can be found at http://www.aseanpeat.net

For media enquiries and information, please contact:
Ms. Noor Azura Ahmad, Mobile : +60 19 267 4896     
email : azura@gec.org.my

Ms. Adelaine Tan,  Mobile : +60 12 239 2983
e-mail: adelaine@gec.org.my 

ABOUT APFP and SEApeat
The ASEAN Peatland Forest Project (APFP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); is led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Secretariat and selected ASEAN Member States while the related SEApeat project, funded by the European Union involve all ten ASEAN countries between 2010-2014.  The projects aim to enhance capacity, support fire prevention and sustainable management of peatlands in the region. Further details of these two initiatives can be found at www.aseanpeat.net.
 
ABOUT GEC
Global Environment Centre is a Malaysian non-profit organization established in 1998 to work on environmental issues of global importance. GEC works regionally and internationally both directly and through many partners. It supports information exchange and capacity building as well as undertakes strategic projects, particularly in developing countries. GEC’s mission is to support the protection of the environment and sustainable use of the natural resources to meet local, regional and global needs, through strategic partnerships with communities and like-minded organisations. It is a founding partner of the ASEAN Peatland Management Initiative and has been appointed as the Regional Project Executing Agency (RPEA) for the APFP.

ASEAN and Civil Society Work Together for Disaster Resilience in the Region

(01/04/2013)

"We are not strangers to each other, as we are all a family. We have the same objectives of becoming disaster resilient and safer communities," says Mr. Suporn Ratananakin, speaking on behalf of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Thailand, currently the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). This statement was made during the partnership dialogue between ACDM and civil society representatives held last week in Bangkok, Thailand.

This dialogue between government and civil society was part of a process for reaching a common understanding and ways of working together in support of the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). The process started with consultations with civil society organisations in the countries, followed by a regional consultation attended by national and regional civil society representative. "It is crucial that we successfully take this process forward. Partnership between the ACDM and civil society upholds the very purpose of the ASEAN Charter, which is to 'promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN integration and community-building.' This means that we are all together in disaster risk reduction and disaster management," according to Mr. Ratananakin.

The dialogue was attended by representatives of the national disaster management offices and civil society organisations that work both in national and regional in scope, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The civil society participants to the dialogue represent a diversity of organisations working with vulnerable groups and communities in ASEAN, such as those working with women, children, older persons, persons with disability, and even organisations working for the protection of animals during emergencies.

During the dialogue, proposed areas of partnership between ASEAN and civil societies in achieving disaster resilience were discussed. These areas include disaster risk assessment and early warning that considers vulnerability information at community level. Civil society also proposed practical actions to assist ASEAN Member States in ensuring disaster preparedness, prevention, and mitigation in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction at various levels; enhancing safety in schools; and reaching out to citizens of ASEAN to instill a culture of resilience. Further, when the need for regional response arises, civil society can offer its resources to efficiently and effectively assist the affected Member State, and to provide its expertise in developing recovery tools. Other areas of cooperation are in training, knowledge sharing, resource mobilisation, and further strengthening collaborative and consultative mechanisms at the regional level.

“The proposals coming from civil society organisations are indeed useful and compliments the initiatives of ASEAN Member States," according to Lee Yam Ming Lee of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, who chairs several strategic components and building blocks under the AADMER Work Programme.

"Once members of the ACDM approve the proposals, the AHA Centre is ready to work with civil society organisations to implement activities in the identified key areas," according to Mr. Said Faisal, Executive Director of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre). The AHA Centre is the operational engine for the implementation of AADMER.

The CSOs also expressed desire to form an inclusive regional consultative body that will work hand-in-hand with the ACDM on the implementation of AADMER, where constructive engagement between CSOs and ACDM is the key principle. This regional consultative body will have to be linked with existing national platforms working on disaster risk reduction in the Member States, as well as other stakeholders.

“The formation of a regional consultative body of civil society organisations will complement existing national platforms on disaster risk reduction," says Dr. Aung Lin Aye of the Relief and Resettlement Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

"The ASEAN is a trailblazer in the area of regional joint emergency response and strengthening disaster risk reduction mechanisms globally. ASEAN's model of partnerships with civil society on implementation of the AADMER is another high point worth learning from by other regional bodies," says Mr. Cherian Matthews, speaking as Chair of the AADMER Partnership Group, a consortium of international non-government organisations that has been supporting ASEAN in the implementation of disk risk reduction.

The AADMER Partnership Group has been working closely with the ACDM, ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Centre in implementing AADMER since 2009. The dialogue was organised by the AADMER Partnership Group in coordination with the ACDM and with the support of Directorate-General European Commission - Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection.

The partnership dialogue was held right after the ACDM Workshop on AADMER Institutionalisation and Development of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators held on 25-27 March 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. The said workshop was organised by the ASEAN Secretariat with the support of ASEAN-Australia Cooperation for AADMER Work Programme.

Myanmar Prepares for Leadership of the ASEAN Economic Community

(01/04/2013)

Myanmar’s leadership as ASEAN chair in 2014 will be critical to the success of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. This key message emerged from the U.S.-supported workshop last week, which brought together around 70 participants from the Government and the private sector to discuss the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Economic Ministers next year.  The discussion explored the benefits of the AEC and reviewed the progress of the implementation of the AEC by both ASEAN and Myanmar.

“The ASEAN Economic Community presents the best opportunity for the ASEAN Member States to compete intensively for markets outside the region while presenting a more favorable environment to encourage domestic and foreign investment at home,” said U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek J. Mitchell at the opening of the event. “The AEC will enable ASEAN firms to gain economies of scale that would be impossible in a single country in the region.”

U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN David L. Carden added that, “I have every confidence Myanmar will be a leading contributor to ASEAN integration, including economic integration.  We are pleased to see the Government and private sector are focused on the road ahead and that other ASEAN Member States are showing strong support."

As the Government prepares to assume the ASEAN chair for the first time, ASEAN Member States will collectively be monitoring the necessary obligations to implement the Blueprint for the ASEAN Economic Community.

“This is the right time for us to have this very important discussion on how to involve Myanmar in the AEC and the global community”, said Dr. Khin San Yee, Deputy Minister, Ministry for National Planning and Economic Development. “Our discussions over the next two days give us a great opportunity to take stock, identify priorities and plan ahead for our role as chair to lead ASEAN in achieving its 2015 target.”

The workshop presented the AEC scorecard that captures not only the AEC implementation by ASEAN as a region to date, but also a more detailed scorecard on the performance of Myanmar. The scorecard highlighted areas where Myanmar will need to accelerate AEC preparation and areas where technical assistance from Dialogue Partners could be provided.

“There is much to be done if ASEAN is to achieve the 2015 AEC target,” said Ms. Anna Robeniol of the ASEAN Secretariat.  “Under the AEC we are moving towards the creation of a collective wealth that will benefit all of us.  But there is no free lunch.  There is a need for each and every Member State to be responsible and committed.”

In addition to the AEC scorecard, the workshop featured an exchange of views between the government and the private sector on the status of preparations for the AEC. Private sector participants were made up of representatives from the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which represents over 18,000 businesses and associations.

U.S.-supported study suggest that the successful implementation of the AEC will result in an increase in ASEAN real incomes by 5.3%, as well as growth in exports of up to 43% in many manufacturing sectors.  Myanmar stands to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the AEC, with an estimated 4.4% increase in national income and a 66% increase in exports.

The workshop was organised by the U.S. Government-funded ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility.

Guidelines on Developing Core Competencies in Competition Policy and Law for ASEAN

(01/04/2013)

The Guidelines on Developing Core Competencies in Competition Policy and Law for ASEAN (“RCC Guidelines”) were officially launched at the 11th Meeting of the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) on 25-26 March 2013 in Manila, Philippines. The RCC Guidelines, based on ASEAN Member States’ experience and internationally-recommended practices, are for use by staff of competition-related agencies in ASEAN Member States in developing and strengthening their required core competencies. The RCC Guidelines focus on three key competency areas: (i) Institutional Building; (ii) Enforcement; and (iii) Advocacy.

The RCC Guidelines were one of the initiatives in support of AEC building under the AEGC medium-term work plan 2011-2012. The development of the RCC Guidelines is led by the AEGC’s Working Group on Developing RCC (WG-RCC) with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Significant Increase in Thai-Russian Bilateral Trade

(31/03/2013)

Trade between Thailand and Russia rose to five billion US dollars in 2012, tripling the amount recorded three years ago. Both countries agreed to increase bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars in 2016. The agreement was reached at the 5th Session of the Thailand-Russia Joint Commission on Bilateral Relations, held in Moscow on 29 March 2013. Representing Thailand at the session was Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who called on both countries to look ahead with a vision to include new areas of cooperation in order to bring the long-lasting Thailand-Russia relations to a new era of strategic partnership. According to a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand invited Russia to participate in infrastructure projects planned to enhance regional connectivity and support ASEAN integration into an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. AEC will be a large market for Russian products in the future. Thailand can serve as a production base and a gateway to Southeast Asia for Russia, while Russia can serve as a bridge linking Thailand to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Both sides viewed food security as an important issue and agreed to step up cooperation in the field of agriculture, increase bilateral trade in agricultural products, and promote investment in the related industries. They also agreed to develop technical cooperation in science and technology, communications, and culture, which will not only support the exchange of knowledge but also enhance people-to-people contact. Thailand and Russia agreed to explore the possibility of setting up a working group on tourism to promote tourism and to protect the safety of Thai and Russian tourists, taking into account that in 2012 over 1.3 million Russian tourists came to Thailand, while some 50,000 Thai tourists went to Russia. Thailand urged Russia to import more Thai agricultural products, such as rice, rubber, canned fruits, frozen seafood, and frozen and processed chicken. Russia is now Thailand’s largest trading partner in Eastern Europe. Mr. Surapong called for more frequent and regular exchanges between Thai and Russian academic institutions. He asked Russia to consider giving Thai students more flexibility to choose universities in Russia, as well as their fields of study. He also wished to see more Thai students going to study at leading universities in Russia. On cooperation in science and technology, he urged relevant agencies to exchange their experts in research and conduct joint scientific projects, especially in the fields of nanotechnology and medical science. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is expected to pay an official visit to Russia in the middle of 2013. She has invited Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, to pay an official visit to Thailand before or after the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of 2013.

Vice Minister of Labour on High Flyer Talk Show

(27/03/2013)

Mr. Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, Vice Minister of Labour, was a guest at the High Fly Talk Show at the Golden Tulip Hotel.  As a role model for success, he was interviewed by the show host, Khun Kawinta Danutra, about secret keys to work and business successes. The 30-minutes programe was pre-recorded and would probably be broadcast on Modern Nine TV on April 18, 2013 12 am – 12.30 am.

502 Thai workers in Brunei take part in health checks

(26/03/2013)

Mr. Poonsak Sethanandha, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, says a total of 502 Thai workers in Brunei received health checks provided by Ministry of Labour. He says the number is more than expected and that the service receives well responses from workers. Meanwhile, Rajavithi Hospital doctors say the service should be launched in all countries that Thai workers go to work. Most Thai workers are found to have high pressures and suffer body ache, likely to have been caused by hard work.

Mr. Poonsak announced the results of the health check service for Thai workers in Brunei, saying that his ministry organized a health promotion project for Thai workers overseas under which a medical team from Rajavithi Hospital and Songkhlar Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital travel overseas to provide health check and give medical advices for those workers. During March 19-24, his ministry launched the project in Brunei.

Mr. Poonsak said a total of 502 Thai workers in Brunei received the health checks and that most of them had high pressure and suffered body ache, likely to have been caused by hard work. The medical team told them to have their health checked more regularly because high pressure could lead to other diseases.

He said workers who received the service were satisfied. They had an opportunity to access medical service, which they rarely got and proposed the ministry to organize such the service more often, from once to twice a year.

Meanwhile, Dr. Winai Srisaart, doctor from Rajavithi Hospital, said Thai workers should pay extra attention to their health, especially those with congenital disease such as high pressure and diabetes and continue to take their medication.

He said he found that works in building and industrial sectors are more likely to have high pressure than those in agricultural sector. This is not unusual because the works there involve hard physical.

He said in overall he is satisfied with because many workers had access to medical service, which they rarely got due to language problems. He also wants Ministry of Labour to publish handbook for basic medical vocabulary in both English and local language and distribute to workers in order to help them communicate with local doctors. The service should also be expanded to other countires that Thai workers go to work.

Explanation to the House of Representatives on the Government’s Planned Two-Trillion-Baht Loan

(29/03/2013)

The Government has opted to issue a bill on its planned two-trillion-baht loan for infrastructure mega-projects, instead of seeking funds to finance them through the annual national budget process, because it wants the projects to continue without disruption caused by political changes. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gave an explanation on the bill to the House of Representatives, which began to debate it in the first reading on 28 March 2013. She said that many mega-projects in the past had been suspended or scrapped because of political turmoil. The annual national budget process is not favorable to investment in large projects that require continuous and long-term implementation. The Prime Minister pointed out that Thailand needs to create confidence among investors about the continuation of the projects and its future development plan. She explained that the planned investment in infrastructure development was meant to build a better future for the next generation. So the projects should not be changed following political uncertainties. The mega-projects would also attract more investment and strengthen the country’s economy on a sustainable basis. The Prime Minister said that the two-trillion-baht investment would also be supplemented by the annual budget and investment funds of relevant state enterprises. The private sector would be invited to invest in certain projects, as well. The Government came up with these projects based on four concepts. The first concept involves ASEAN connectivity, linking Thailand with neighboring countries through the double-track system and the high-speed train service. The second concept emphasizes the distribution of wealth and the improvement of the Thai people’s quality of life. This means that congestion in Bangkok will ease, while new economic centers will be built in the regional areas of the country. The third concept involves efforts to strengthen Thailand’s economy by linking the production chains of agriculture, industry, and exports. The fourth concept seeks to connect tourism cities in the country. Thailand boasts many natural and cultural tourism destinations. With sufficient transportation and logistics facilities, those destinations will become more attractive to tourists. The Prime Minister said that the Thai economy over the next seven years of the investment projects would see an increase in GDP by one percent annually. The projects would generate jobs for 500,000 people and help stabilize the overall economy. Prime Minister Yingluck gave her assurance that the projects would be implemented with transparency, in accordance with the regulations of the Prime Minister’s Office and other related rules and regulations. She urged the House of Representatives and the people to join the Government in building the foundations for the future of Thailand and the next generation.

Thailand Welcomes Investments by Papua New Guinea

(29/03/2013)

Thailand welcomes investments planned by Papua New Guinea in Thailand, which is becoming the logistics hub of the ASEAN Community. In her speech at the Thailand – Papua New Guinea Business Event, held in Papua New Guinea on 25 March 2013, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra stated that Thailand would continue its technical cooperation with Papua New Guinea to develop local capacities and human resources in order to support the growing economy of Papua New Guinea. She called on the two countries to work together to increase the 400 million US dollars in trade and investment between them, since the value was in fact minimal. The Prime Minister said that Thailand supports overseas direct investment and exports by Thai companies, while promoting foreign direct investment in the Thai economy, giving special importance to the role of the private sector. Thai investors in agro-business and fishery industries are also looking for local partners to expand the market in Papua New Guinea and in the wider Pacific Islands market. As for tourism, she said, Thai companies are ready to bring their knowhow and work with local firms to brand and market the tourism industry of Papua New Guinea, whether in eco-tourism or other areas. And with Thailand attaching great importance to energy security, it supports successful cooperation and investment in the energy sector there. In the joint press statement between Prime Minister Peter O’Neill of Papua New Guinea and Prime Minister Yingluck on the same day, Papua New Guinea welcomed Thai business people wishing to explore business opportunities in Papua New Guinea, particularly in the areas of energy, agricultural products, fisheries, tourism, and infrastructure. In the area of technical cooperation, Prime Minister Yingluck expressed the Thai government’s preparedness to provide its expertise and experience in key development areas of priority to Papua New Guinea, such as public health, sufficiency economy, agriculture, fishery, SME development, and tourism. The two leaders underscored the positive outcomes of their bilateral discussions, which have resulted in a number of joint commitments and cooperative endeavors. In this regard, they attached importance to the establishment of the Papua New Guinea – Thailand Bilateral Consultations as a mechanism to discuss areas of mutual interest, ranging from political issues to economic and technical cooperation, as well as global challenges. Both leaders agreed that the consultations between the two countries would be at senior level and that the first meeting would be hosted by Thailand, in which the first framework of the discussion will include Thailand’s Technical Cooperation to advance business partnerships between Thailand and Papua New Guinea for the benefit of the two countries.