10 ASEAN Leaders To Arrive For Republic Day as Modi Regime 'Acts East': Their Profiles

New Delhi, Jan 24: Ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or the ASEAN would be attending the Republic Day celebrations of India as the Narendra Modi-led government aims to boost its 'Act East' policy. The countries whose heads of State would be present at the 69th R-Day parade are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Profiles of the 10 ASEAN leaders on R-Day chief guest list:

Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand

- Prayut Chan-o-cha, an army veteran, has earlier served as the Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army between 2010 to 2014.

- He was elevated to the post of Prime Minister on May 22, 2014, a week after Modi rose to power in India.

- Also referred to as General Prayut, the Thai PM adopted a dedicated foreign policy after assuming Office. While he stressed on deepening ties with China, Prayut also took steps to increase bilateral ties with India.

Mohammed Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia

- Najib Razak was elected as Malaysia's Prime Minister in 2009.

- His second term, beginning from 2013, drew global applause as he continued with the accelerated the policy of economic liberalisation.

- His last bilateral meet with Modi was held in 2015, when the Indian PM went an official visit to Malaysia.

- The 64-year-old's visit to India is scheduled in April this year, where the two sides are likely to take steps to increase the bilateral trade between New Delhi and Kuala Lampur.

Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar

- Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the top constitutional office of Myanmar in 2016. Her elevation was considered as an end to the years of chaos where the military overreached its capacities.

- Suu Kyi recently drew flak from a section of world leaders for her handling of the ethnic violence in the Rakhine state, which led to the outflux of thousands of Rohingya residents.

- Her ties with India date back to her elevation as the State Counsellor. Suu Kyi attained higher education in India, and graduated from the Delhi University.

Rodrigo Duterte, President of The Philippines

- Duterte rose to power in 2016 on the anti-establishment plank.

- The 72-year-old has grown popular among his constituency for leading a fatal campaign against drug peddlers and suppliers in the nation.

- His first interaction with Modi was reported in November 2017, when the Indian PM was hosted by Duterte at the ASEAN and East Asia summits.

Sultan Haji Hassanal Waddaulah, Sultan of Brunei

- The Sultan of Brunei is the world's oldest surviving monarch. The 72-year-old is leading Brunei since 1967.

- Waddaulah has been ranked as the world's wealthiest individual by the Forbes, with his total wealth exceeding above US$20 billion.

- In October 2017, the Sultan celebrated the golden jubilee of his rule.

Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos

- Sisoulith assumed the Prime Minister's office in 2016, after serving as the Deputy PM between 2001 to 2016.

- The 71-year-old held bilateral talks with Modi on the sidelines of the 2016 ASEAN Summit, when Laos was the hosting nation.

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia

- Sen is at the helm of Cambodia's civilian government since 1985. The country faced a coup in 1998 which restricted his powers. However, after democracy was restored, he was elected as the Prime Minister again.

- In the last general polls of 2013, he won the mandate with a paper-thin majority.

- As per the statement issued by Cambodian Foreign Ministry, Sen is expected to hold bilateral talks with Modi on the sidelines of R-Day celebrations -- the topics of discussion include defense cooperation, connectivity and trade.

Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam

- The 63-year-old leader assumed Office in April 2016, five years after he began serving as Deputy PM.

- Phuc is the 6th member of the 12-member politburo of the supreme Communist Party of Vietnam.

- Although the nation is ideologically leaned towards China, Phuc, in 2016, had pitched for India's greater participation in the Southeast Asian region.

Lee Hslen Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

- Loong is serving as the Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004. The 65-year-old earlier served as the Deputy PM between 1990 to 2004.

- Loong held bilateral talks with Modi in New Delhi last year, when he came for an official visit to India.

- The Singapore PM has pitched for India's enhanced participation in Southeast Asian region, and has been a constant votary for increased powers of India at the United Nations.

Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia

- Widodo is the second Indonesian PM, after 68 years, to visit India as the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations.

- The 56-year-old, also referred to as Jokovi, rose to power in 2014, two years after being elected as the Governor of Jakarta.

- In the past year, he reiterated his vision of increasing trade and maritime ties with India.

Interestingly, the 69th Republic year of India also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Indian Dialogue of the ASEAN. To honour the partnership, the R-Day parade this year would feature a special Indian-ASEAN tableau.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2018 12:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).