[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3462-H3464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ASCENSION TO THE THRONE OF HIS
MAJESTY KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ OF THAILAND
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 409) commemorating the 60th
anniversary of the ascension to the throne of His Majesty King Bhumibol
Adulyadej of Thailand, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 409
Whereas on June 9, 1946, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej
ascended the throne and this year celebrates his 60th year as
King of Thailand;
Whereas His Majesty King Bhumibol is the longest-serving
monarch in the world;
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Whereas on May 26, 2006, His Majesty King Bhumibol received
the inaugural special Human Development Lifetime Achievement
Award from the United Nations Development Agency for his
dedication to social justice, growth with equity, human
security, democratic governance, and sustainability;
Whereas during the reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol,
Thailand has become a democratically governed constitutional
democracy in which Thai citizens enjoy the right to change
their government through periodic free and fair elections
held on the basis of universal suffrage;
Whereas His Majesty King Bhumibol has enjoyed a special
relationship with the United States, having been born in 1927
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father, Prince Mahidol
of Songkla, was studying medicine at the Harvard Medical
School;
Whereas the United States and Thailand have enjoyed over
170 years of friendship since the signing of the Treaty of
Amity and Commerce in 1833, the first such treaty signed
between the United States and any Asian country;
Whereas the United States and Thailand are treaty allies,
and on December 30, 2003, President George W. Bush designated
the Kingdom of Thailand as a major non-NATO ally; and
Whereas the bonds of friendship and mutual respect are
strong between the United States and Thailand: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
(1) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the ascension to
the throne of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of
Thailand;
(2) offers its sincere congratulations to His Majesty King
Bhumibol and best wishes for continued prosperity to his
Majesty and the Kingdom of Thailand; and
(3) looks forward to continued, enduring ties of friendship
between the Thai and American people.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Leach) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.
General Leave
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 409.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this timely resolution honoring Thailand's long-
serving monarch, who commands enormous popular respect and moral
authority among the Thai people.
At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to our
distinguished ranking member, Mr. Lantos, as well as the gentleman from
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for their assistance and support in
crafting this measure.
As many Members are aware, Thailand is one of America's oldest and
closest allies. Formal diplomatic relations extend back to the signing
of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between our two nations in 1833,
during the Presidency of Andrew Jackson. Since then, Thailand has been
a steadfast friend and ally. Thai King Mongkut offered President
Lincoln elephants to use in battle during the Civil War, and Thai
troops fought alongside American soldiers in World War I, Korea, and
Vietnam. Since 9/11, Thailand has provided overflight rights and access
to facilities to facilitate U.S. and coalition efforts in Afghanistan,
sent an engineering battalion to help rebuild Bagram airfield, and
deployed nearly 500 troops to provide reconstruction and medical
assistance in Iraq. President Bush recognized the importance of our
alliance when he designated Thailand as a major nonNATO ally in 2003.
Thailand and the United States also share robust commercial ties,
with two-way trade totaling a little over $21 billion and cumulative
U.S. investment in Thailand of over $20 billion. Our cultural and
people-to-people ties are extensive and multifaceted, including more
than 10,000 Thai students in institutions of learning in the United
States. Indeed, our people-to-people ties even extend to His Majesty
the King, who was born nearly 80 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
where his father was studying medicine at the Harvard Medical School.
Our two people also forged common bonds during times of tragedy;
Americans will never forget the astounding generosity of the Thai
people in assisting foreign survivors of the terrible tsunami of 2004,
despite suffering devastating losses of their own.
The tie that has been developed between the Thai people and the
families from abroad who lost their fathers and mothers, sons and
daughters while guests in Thailand during one of nature's most
extraordinary acts, has solidified in mutual respect and humanitarian
appreciation.
As a congressional visitor in the wake of the tsunami, I could not
have been more impressed with the thoughtfulness of the Thai
government, and the stories of Thai goodwill extended to those who lost
their loved ones.
America and Thailand share many common vested interests and values,
including a belief in democracy and human rights. Thailand enjoys a
well-deserved reputation for tolerance, religious freedom and civil
liberties. During the reign of the King, Thailand has become a
democratically governed constitutional monarchy. Indeed, since 1992,
there have been more than half a dozen national multiparty elections,
which transferred power to successive governments through peaceful,
democratic processes.
In this context, while the King has circumscribed constitutional
powers, he also exerts strong informal influence, which he has used
from time to time to resolve political disputes that jeopardize
national stability.
In closing, I would note that the resolution before us is being
amended to reflect the fact that late last month, Secretary-General
Kofi Annan presented the United Nations first Human Development
Lifetime Achievement Award to the King, hailing the Thai monarch's
efforts to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in his kingdom
as an example for the world.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my dear colleague
and chairman of the Asia Pacific Subcommittee on International
Relations, the distinguished gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), for his
authorship of this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, as the world's oldest democracy, the American Government
rarely takes the time to mark important events in the lives of the
world's few remaining monarchs. The key decisions affecting the
livelihood of nations and the stability of the world system are made in
the halls of parliaments and in the offices of presidents and prime
ministers around the world.
But a handful of the world's monarchs continue to play a critically
important role in the lives of their nations, and are worthy of our
praise and admiration. The King of Thailand is just such a monarch.
As Thailand celebrates the 60th anniversary of the King's ascension
to the throne, it is important to remember the King's many
contributions to the prosperity and stability of our closest ally in
Southeast Asia.
While Thailand is governed by democratically elected parliament and
prime minister, the King has kept a firm hand on the tiller of the
nation.
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After a military coup in 1992 in which hundreds of Thai citizens were
killed in the streets of Bangkok, the King summoned the general to a
nationally televised audience. The Thai people watched as the general
crawled across a carpet to the feet of the monarch where he was
promptly upbraided for his actions which threatened the stability of
the nation. The general promptly resigned and democracy was restored.
Just over the past few months the King again has played an important
role in resolving a political crisis which had led to large street
demonstrations in Bangkok. After strong words from the King, Thailand's
judiciary moved to approve a new round of national elections in which
all of the major political parties will participate.
The King's ability to influence the outcome of these two events is
directly related to the enormous esteem in
[[Page H3464]]
which he is held by the good people of Thailand. The Thais, from all
walks of life, greatly respect and admire the King and give much
credence to his words as well as his actions.
Thailand's democratic development under the King's leadership has
greatly enhanced U.S.-Thai relations. Our two nations remain treaty
allies, and Thailand was designated as a major non-NATO ally in 2003.
Mr. Speaker, Thailand also made significant contributions to the
reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq and has participated in many
vital United Nations peacekeeping missions. Economic ties between the
United States and Thailand have also grown significantly over the past
decade.
With the passage of this resolution, Congress not only commemorates
the 60th anniversary of the King's ascension to the throne, it also
celebrates the strength of the U.S.-Thai relationship and Thailand's
many contributions to regional and international security.
It has been my personal experience also, you know who your friends
are, and I remember this as a Vietnam veteran, Thailand was there and
stood with us.
It might also be of interest to our colleagues, it so happens that
the number one golfer in the world's mother is from Thailand, Mr. Tiger
Woods.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I know that our relationship between our two
nations could not be closer. And again, I commend the gentleman from
Iowa for introducing this resolution.
I also want to commend the chairman of our committee, Mr. Hyde, and
our senior ranking member, Mr. Lantos, for their support and leadership
in bringing this resolution to the floor.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res.
409, Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the ascension to the throne
of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. This resolution
honors His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, his accomplishments toward
social justice, growth with equity, human security, democratic
governance, and sustainability for his county and people, and the
special relationship between the United States and Thailand.
King Adulyadej led Thailand as it adopted a democratic form of
government. This is an important accomplishment and one that is greatly
valued by the United States. Thailand's commitment to strengthening its
democracy is representative of the shared values between the people of
our two countries.
Also, Thailand's commitment to fighting terrorism in Asia and its
cooperation in the Global War on Terror is further representative of
the strong relationship between our governments. Further I commend King
Adulyadej's dedication to social justice and human rights. That the
United Nations is awarding him the Human Development Lifetime
Achievement Award is representative of his leadership on these issues.
The people of Guam join in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the
ascension to the throne of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of
Thailand. We look forward to continued prosperity for both his Majesty
and the people of Thailand. And it is my sincerest hope that the
special relationship shared by our countries will grow stronger in the
years to come.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 409, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as
amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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