From 31 March to 2 April 2015, “Reporting ASEAN” Media Forum, co-organized by Inter Press Service (IPS) Asia-Pacific and PROBE Media Foundation Inc, and supported by ASEAN Foundation, Japan -ASEAN Solidarity Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation, was held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The media forum aimed to discuss and debate critical media and information issues around ASEAN integration and regionalism. More than 150 participants including journalists and editors, researchers, foreign policy makers, development experts, civil society representatives and those who follow issues around the ASEAN Community participated in the forum. H.E. A K P Mochtan, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General, Community and Corporate Affairs was also present and delivered a keynote speech on “ASEAN and Reaching Its Publics”.
Ms. Lada Phumas and Ms. Cao Ting, Director and Deputy Director of the Information and Public Relations Division (IPRD) of ACC, attended the media forum, and made proactive engagement with various stakeholders including the ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN media and academic representatives, which significantly raised the profile of ACC, and built ACC’s future networks. This was the first time for ACC to attend such a useful forum, yielding positive impact for ACC among the ASEAN media.
Director Lada made several interventions at the 3-day forum. She introduced roles and mandates of ACC, briefed the participants on ACC’s endeavours to raise awareness about ASEAN among the Chinese public, in particular the young generation. She elaborated on the projects of ACC that included campus lectures to raise the profile of ASEAN-China relations and ACC among the university students in China, issuances of ACC bilingual newsletters and other publication materials as well as articles, etc.. She highlighted one of ACC’s priorities for this year was to engage more with both ASEAN and Chinese media. Representatives registered their keen interest and eagerness to learn more about ACC’s media networking efforts.
At the sidelines of the event, Director Lada met with Ms. Elaine Tan, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, Ms. Durudee Sirichanya, Assistant Director of Community Affairs Development and Head of Public Outreach & Civil Society Division of ASEAN Secretariat, Mr. Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Editor-in-Chief of Bangkok Post, Mr. Umesh Pandey, Editor of Asia Focus of Bangkok Post, Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation columnist and Mr. Apichai Sunchindah, development specialist. Director Lada informed about ACC’s various PR activities, and explored the possibility of leveraging on each other’s works in the effort to raise awareness of ASEAN and to nurture ASEAN-China relations. Director Lada also received an exclusive interview about her expectations for the forum by IPS Asia-Pacific.
An exhibit table was set up by the IPRD team at the site of the event, displaying ACC Newsletters, brochures and souvenirs. Hundreds of ACC publications and souvenirs were distributed and many of the questions in relation to ACC were raised during the 3-day event.
On 3 April 2015, Director Lada and Deputy Director Cao Ting paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Wu Zhiwu, Minister Counsellor and DCM of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. She highlighted ACC’s efforts to reach out to the general public, facilitate better understanding about ASEAN among the Chinese people and vice versa, as well as engage more proactively with the media and Chinese Embassies in ASEAN Member States. Minister Counsellor Wu Zhiwu commended ACC’s PR activities and pledged continued support from the Embassy to ACC for its future undertakings.
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