People like Surin Pitsuwan, who combine intellectual capability with eloquence and political perceptiveness, do not need eulogies and platitudes on their deaths for us to embrace them in our memories. One of Surin’s proudest achievements was arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and President Bill Clinton in Washington. I used to joke with Surin that during his time as Asean secretary-general, I ran into him more often further afield than in the Asean region. But we can keep his legacy alive by realising the Asean dreams that Surin cherished and did so much to cultivate. Surin concluded that talk by reaffirming the viability of Asean and assuring the World Forum that “with Asean, you have one region less to worry about”.

Source: The Nation Bangkok December 07, 2017 19:07 UTC