Democracy and Development
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As a student at Chulalongkorn University’s
Faculty of Law, Surakiart already demonstrated his
commitment to democratic ideals – and particularly
to the notion that law was not an instrument to
control people, but a social instrument to promote
development and freedom in the larger sense. Surakiart
actively participated in classroom discussions about
how the rule of law and democracy are not just slogans.
He stressed his view that they should be used as
tools to foster national economic development. And
he did this in his first years studying law –
I was struck by how quickly he got a handle and
was able to engage with these issues. He was keen
on sharing his ideas with his fellow students and
on getting their views particularly on the links
between law and development. His early passion for
the area led him to launch a center for research
on law and development – which remains a very
active center of the law faculty to this day. |
Leadership
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That Surakiart had strong leadership
skills was obvious to me early on when he took the
initiative to bring students together in a variety
of academic fora to engage in a dialogue about how
to more effectively promote Thailand’s development.
He was able to bring together students with radically
different political commitments to discuss and to
participate in talks, conferences, seminars, and
so on. Most of the events that he initiated and
organized focused on economic development, and more
specifically on how law could be used as a tool
to promote growth. |
Understanding
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I have known Surakiart for over 30 years, and
can say that he has the distinct ability to understand
people and this allows him to excel in situations
of conflict. I was always struck by his ability
to communicate effectively even with those whose
views were very different from his. His ability
to identify the difficult issues and questions in
any setting I believe is key to his ability to understand
the concerns of others, and the different points
of view from which a common problem can be seen.
He is a humble and considerate intellectual, committed
to achieving peace through compromise and understanding. |
Transparency
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Surakiart is committed to transparency in the
broadest sense of the term – transparency
as the means to good governance, transparency as
the path to better public policy, transparency as
responsibility, and transparency as an instrument
to engage citizens, the ultimate beneficiaries of
development. He has stressed the importance to include
citizens in policy-making processes by allowing
for opportunities for the public to engage with
draft legislation. He shared with me his conviction
that justice requires officials to assume responsibility
for their decisions, and transparency is not important
as a tool to police government officials, but rather
one that would foster a sense of responsibility
and the instinct to consult with the public. Surakiart
is committed to the notion that social justice must
be achieved through dialogue rather than discretion. |
UN Candidacy
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Surakiart is a mature intellectual and the right
person to assume the post of UN Secretary General,
not for Thailand but for the benefit of the Organization
and the citizens of the world. He can work effectively
with people, he has a gentle temperament, he is
humble, he knows well how to manage relations. He
can bring harmony to relations, he can bring balance
and cooperation. Surakiart has a keen sense for
what it means to be politically responsible, and
his commitment to the welfare of others is beyond
doubt. As Foreign Minister, he led the efforts to
provide assistance to our neighbors, to Cambodia,
Laos and Burma – for housing, education, health,
and so on. If given the chance, I am confident he
would be able to mobilize resources to direct aid
to those areas most in need, in Africa, in Latin
America, in Asia. I have no doubt he will spare
no efforts to work toward a better common future.
He understands that the UN deals with very complex
problems. But I have no doubt that he will be active
and use his knowledge to take carefully-considered
steps in the right direction that will make a real
difference on the ground. |
Contact: Prasit Kovilaikool
President
Huachiew Chalermprakiet University
18/18 Bangna-Trad Rd
K.M. 18, Bangplee District
Samut Prakarn 10540
Thailand
Tel: +66 (02) 312-6477, 312-6300-73 Ext. 1164
Mobile: +66 (01) 817-3812
Fax: +66 (02) 312-6478, 312-6237
Home: +66 (02) 285-4563, 422-3613, 285-4560
E-mail: prasit@hcu.ac.th
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