[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   OBSERVING THE BIRTHDAY OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MAHA CHAKRI 
                               SIRINDHORN

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to join Americans of Thai descent 
across this country and millions of people in Thailand--the United 
States' oldest ally in Asia--in celebrating on April 2 the 60th 
birthday anniversary of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri 
Sirindhorn. Fondly called by Thais as ``Princess Angel'', she is known 
for her life-long dedication to the cause of humanitarianism, education 
and human development, especially for the disadvantaged and 
marginalized, in Thailand and beyond. I am sure my colleagues in this 
Chamber will join me in paying tribute to her remarkable contributions.
  Following closely in her parents' footsteps, Her Royal Highness has 
traveled with their Majesties throughout Thailand listening to their 
subjects' problems and responding with royal development projects. When 
not engaged in her official duties, she was pursuing her studies, 
attaining a Ph.D. in Development Education and a master's degree in 
History.
  Since 1980, she has launched her own development projects. At first, 
Her Royal Highness focused on assisting disadvantaged and malnourished 
children. Aside from providing immediate aid, she also promoted 
integrated farming as a means to increase overall resilience and 
sustainable sources of nutrition. Public health has been a lifelong 
concern. The Princess is the President of the Thai Red Cross Society 
and Chairperson of the Prince Mahidol Foundation, which bestows 
globally recognized awards for achievements in public health and 
medicine.
  She soon expanded her charity projects to encompass education, 
working to increase access for children so as to improve their 
opportunities in life. Her approach and philosophy in this endeavor are 
deeply rooted in human rights and self-sufficiency. Specifically, Her 
Royal Highness has said:
  ``Those at the margins of society have rights to a good standard of 
living. Access to education is a fundamental human right. Education 
provides opportunities to learn and live sufficiently. Knowledge can be 
valued resources to help others or the community.''
  In fact, Her Royal Highness has supported more than 100 projects 
aimed at improving lives, raising the status of women, helping the 
disabled, and protecting the environment and wildlife. Many of these 
have won the support and funding of agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, WHO 
and Johns Hopkins University.
  The scholarships she grants to students are helping to nurture and 
create new generations of talented Thais dedicated to public service. 
As someone who is tech savvy and up-to-date on information technology, 
the Princess promotes Thailand's traditional culture and arts among the 
younger generation.
  Through her selfless dedication and hard work for the benefit of 
humanity, she has earned love and respect from the Thai people and 
those beyond Thailand, including the United States. Therefore, I wish 
to join them in celebrating this auspicious occasion of Her Royal 
Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's 60th birthday anniversary 
and wishing her happiness, good health and longevity.

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