The Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Surin Pitsuwan, recently told VOA that Washington's willingness to talk with Burma, also known as Myanmar, is opening a "new ballgame" for the region.

VOA: standard.2009.11.02

Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told Reuters news agency that Beijing's plan was "a very serious turn of events".

BBC: File photo: Surin Pitsuwan

"The elections are a good development for Indonesia and for the entire region, " says Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan.

CNN: DEMOCRACY CALLS

"This is a big step forward for security and diplomacy in the region, " said host Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan.

CNN: Star Treatment