"Time to act"

       At the start of the summit today, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will urge Asean countries to focus their energy on their citizens in what Thai government sources described as a "do-or-die" message to regional leaders.
       It is only through such focus that Asean can maintain its relevance, especially since it has been under attack recently in terms of its human-rights standards, slow progress in trade liberalisation and conflicts among members.
       Abhisit's message, which will kick-start the three-day summit in Cha-am, will call on the grouping to maintain its standing in the globalised world, be responsive to the well-being of its citizens and commit itself to the Asean Community. Efforts must be action-oriented and connected in all spheres, he will say.
       This is the first time that the prime minister will be sharing his vision of the Asean Community, which will come into being in 2015. An informed source said that now the crisis is under control and Abhisit has recovered from the mishaps he went through as the Asean chair, it was time for him to share his thoughts on the future of the grouping. "It is a do-or-die message," added the source.
       Abhisit, who was only three years old when Asean was established, thinks the Asean Community should be action oriented so it can respond to any challenges in terms of regional security or the well being of its citizens.
       While he has been contending with progress and the achievements of Asean in handling both global and regional challenges - including the financial crisis, pandemics, climate change, food and energy security - he believes a better institutional structure would help the grouping make prompt decisions and execute them more effectively.
       The source said that one way of doing this is to ensure that Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan explains to the leaders the pivotal issues that need attention and decision. After the Asean Charter came into force last December, the grouping's chief role and responsibility has expanded to include humanitarian operations as well.
       For the Asean Community to remain vibrant, Abhisit believes the nations and their 600 million citizens should be interconnected. He also envisages the free flow of goods and services as well as investment and initiatives within Asean in 2015.
       The Asean chair will also push for the need to improve the grouping's infrastructure and information as well as communications technology to bring all members closer and at the same time allow Asean citizens to reach out and get to know each other better.
       "Abhisit wishes to see the Asean people connected in their hearts and minds. He wants to make Asean work for the Asean people," said the source, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak.
       Over the past one year, Thailand has been pushing Asean to continue its engagement with the citizens and civil societies. The source said that Abhisit would also be touching on the issue of human rights in Asean, and would express hope that in the future, when "comfort levels" among Asean members increase, the role of the Asean Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights would be further enhanced.
       After the opening session in the morning, the Asean leaders will hold informal meetings with representatives from various groups, including lawmakers, youth and civil-society organisations, which has become a routine at Asean summits.