Southeast Asia in 2020 with Four Consuls General
From left to right: Margaret Conley, Executive Director of ASNC; Consul General Simon Soekarno, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in San Francisco; Consul General Henry Bensurto, Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in San Francisco; Consul General Darryl Lau, Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in San Francisco; Karen Tay, Asia 21 Class of 2019; Ken Wilcox, ASNC Chair; Rexille Uy, Director of Programs at ASNC; Deputy Consul General Hoang Huu Anh, Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in San Francisco
Consul General Darryl Lau and ASNC Chair Ken Wilcox have a chat before the panel discussion.
Welcome remarks from Margaret Conley at the start of the evening.
Karen Tay, Asia 21 Class of 2019, moderates the evening's discussion.
Consul General Henry Bensurto drives home his point.
Full house for the panel on Southeast Asia.
Deputy Consul General Hoang Huu Anh gives closing remarks.
Asia Society was joined by Professor Maria Ortuoste and her studens from Cal State University East Bay.
The reception featured a booth from the Philippine Tourism Office.
Marie Soleil Tropicales leads the room in the singing of the ASEAN anthem!
Guests line up to dig into the delicious food and drink generously donated by the four consuls general.
Indonesian specialty coffee from Beaneka Coffee, an Indonesian coffee roaster based in San Francisco.
Noodles and spring rolls donated by the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco.
Pancit bihon (noodle dish) and turon (fried banana dessert) from the Philippines.
Ice cream donated by Filipino ice cream maker, Heavenly. Flavors from left to right: buko pandan, jackfruit, mango, and ube. Ang sarap!
A multitude of Peranakan cakes from Singapore!
Consul General Simon Soekarno introduces the Balinese dancer.
Indonesian "Baris" dance.
The Balinese dancer moves through the room and entertains the crowd.
The Asia Society team poses for a photo with the Balinese performer at the end of a successful event!
On Thursday, February 27, 2020 Asia Society hosted a panel discussion with the consuls general from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The consuls general, listed below, discussed the future of ASEAN, impact of the Southeast Asian Diaspora, security and the South China Sea, and the rise of the startup industry in Southeast Asia.
Speakers:
- Consul General Simon Soekarno, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in San Francisco
- Consul General Henry Bensurto, Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in San Francisco
- Consul General Darryl Lau, Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in San Francisco
- Deputy Consul General Hoang Huu Anh, Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in San Francisco
The panel discussion was moderated by Karen Tay, Smart Nation Director in Singapore's Prime Ministers Office, Regional Vice President in the Singapore Global Network, and Asia 21 Class of 2019.
Following the one-hour panel discussion, Asia Society hosted a cultural reception with contributions from each Consulate General. Guests enjoyed coffee from Indonesia, spring rolls and noodles from Vietnam, savory and sweet dishes from the Philippines, and Peranakan cakes and milk tea from Singapore. Marie Soleil Tropicales, Tourism Director of the Philippine Department of Tourism in San Francisco, led the room in the ASEAN anthem, followed by a Balinese dance performance by an Indonesian dancer.
Asia Society would like to thank the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in San Francisco, the Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in San Francisco, the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in San Francisco, and the Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in San Francisco for their contributions and each of the consuls general for their participation in this very important panel discussion on the impact of Southeast Asia.