Remarks at the Seri Thai Luncheon in Honor of the 175 Years of U.S.-Thai Friendship, Ambassador's Residence (As Prepared for Delivery)
Friday, May 9, 2008
As Prepared for Delivery
His Excellency Air Chief Marshal Siddhi,
Dr. Charoen,
Seri Thai members and their families,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Thank you very much for accepting our invitation to lunch today. My wife Sophia and I are delighted to welcome you to our residence for this very special occasion. It is a rare opportunity to meet face-to-face with men and women who stood their ground in defense of freedom and changed the course of history. That is the position I find myself in today and I feel deeply privileged to be with you.
Sophia and I are equally pleased to welcome the spouses, children, and grandchildren of the Seri Thai here today. It is important for all of us to come together to remember the heroic acts of these men and women, to celebrate their noble service to both our countries, and to continue to nurture this very special relationship. When the Seri Thai volunteers joined forces with the Office of Strategic Services, precursor to today’s CIA, to liberate their country, a band of brave young people from two far-away countries were bonded together as brothers and sisters, making us all part of a single family. In light of that, I hope you will all relax and feel at home with us here.
This year, we are commemorating 175 years of U.S.-Thai relations, harking back to the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1833, or 2376 in the Buddhist Era. This treaty, and the warm and close relationship that ensued between our two countries, makes Thailand the oldest friend of the United States in all of Asia.
To mark this historic anniversary, the U.S. Embassy put together a series of events to honor and to explore different aspects of our relationship. Among them, we hosted a program for high school students to paint their own conceptions of Thai-U.S. relations. You can see the very creative results of this project here today. The themes they chose should give us all cause for hope and pride in Thai young people. They honor His Majesty the King; highlight the Statue of Liberty and Wat Benjamaborpit; depict warm relations among Thai Buddhists, Thai Muslims, and Americans; and, they celebrate mutual respect and trust between Thai and American military forces.
Indeed, when we remember that Thai and American soldiers stood together combating the enemy in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, and Iraq, we must likewise bear in mind the Seri Thai who risked everything to go behind enemy lines. Their valiant cooperation in World War II with their American counterparts underpins all our joint efforts in support of freedom throughout the Cold War and up to today.
On the morning of March 20 of this year, the date of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, Sophia and I went to Wat Pathumwanaram and engaged in a Sanghathaan ceremony. We were joined by Americans and Thais from the Embassy and representatives from the Thai government. Thinking about the fruitfulness and good fortune of the past 175 years, I asked the monks to bless our relations for the next 175 years to come. As the American Ambassador to Thailand and personally, this was a very moving and meaningful experience that I will never forget.
Immediately following that ceremony, I met Prime Minister Samak at Jatujak Park to inaugurate the new Thai-U.S. Garden, in which we, many children, and a few very special guests, planted 175 beautiful Ratchapreuk trees. Foremost among those very few, very distinguished guests was Khun Kusa Panyarachun, who planted a tree at the Park’s entrance on behalf of the Seri Thai. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Khun Kusa and to thank him once again for honoring us with his participation that day.
We are particularly grateful for the Seri Thai’s participation in this tree planting since we wanted the Garden to be representative of the deep and strong roots of our relationship. To extend the metaphor further, it was the Seri Thai who planted the seeds of Thai liberty and sovereignty in WWII, and nurtured our relations when they threatened to wither under tyranny. Thai Ambassador Seni Pramoj’s decision in 1942 to refuse to deliver his government’s declaration of war on the United States is legendary. That, along with the decision by all of the Free Thai volunteers, not simply to choose sides but to take action, changed history.
I cherish this opportunity to sit with some of the brave men who relinquished the comfort of their civilian lives, interrupted their education at the finest American universities, and voluntarily risked everything to preserve freedom for their countrymen and for the world. Not all of them made it through these trials, and as we enjoy one another’s company today, we will also remember and honor those brothers who fell in battle as well as those who have passed in the years that followed.
The remarkable history of the Free Thai -- a history that was forged on a noble vision and shared ideals -- speaks volumes to the vital role that personal courage and resilience play in defending the liberties we cherish so dearly today.
It is thus with heartfelt appreciation and warm regard that I raise my glass to the Seri Thai.
May the United States and Thailand -- whose remarkable friendship over the past 175 years was indelibly strengthened by the vision and valor of the Seri Thai -- continue to be joined together as partners, allies and dear friends for the next 175 years to come.
Thank you. Your Excellency Air Chief Marshall Siddhi, would you like to say a few words?