[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IN REMEMBRANCE OF AMBASSADOR BIRABHONGSE KASEMSRI

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2000

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, this week, a long-time friend of the 
United States, Ambassador Birabhongse Kasemsri, known as Bira to his 
friends, passed away in his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand. I last saw 
Ambassador Kasemsri, 65, in 1999 during a visit I was honored to have 
with Thailand's King Bhumibol, whom Bira served as His Majesty's 
principal private secretary. In service to his King and country, Bira, 
was granted three decorations, including Knight Grand Cordon of the 
Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand [Highest Class].
  Too often, American policymakers underestimate the importance of our 
strategic alliance with Thailand, which extends to our Civil War when 
the King offered President Lincoln a herd of fighting elephants from 
the Royal Thai military. Ambassador Kasemsri reinforced the strategic 
relationship during the height of the post-Vietnam Cold War period, 
during his exemplary service as Thailand's ambassador to the United 
States. In addition, during the early 1980's while he served as 
Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations, Bira was a hero of the 
Reagan doctrine in Southeast Asia by protecting Thailand from communist 
aggression. During that time, Bira was instrumental in arranging for 
noted military historian and journalist Al Santoli--who currently 
serves as my foreign policy advisor--to visit areas of Thailand that 
were under attack by the Soviet-backed Vietnamese communist army and 
their surrogates from Cambodia and Laos. Thanks to the sponsorship of 
Ambassador Kasemsri, the articles that Al wrote for the New Republic 
and Parade magazines on the threat to Thailand directly contributed to 
the cessation of chemical warfare in Indochina and the withdrawal of 
the Vietnamese occupation forces in Cambodia.
  On behalf of my wife Rhonda and I, and my colleagues who have had the 
pleasure of working with Ambassador Kasemsri over many years, I extend 
deepest sympathy to his wife, Rampiarpha and their three children. I 
believe that the seeds of solidarity that Bira sowed during his many 
years of representing The Royal Government of Thailand in America will 
lead to further development of the friendship between the governments 
and people of Thailand and the United States.

                          ____________________