George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 13 October 2016, of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, places on record its acknowledgement of his role in the development of his nation and tenders its profound sympathy to the Thai Royal Family and the people of Thailand.

His Majesty King Bhumibol ascended the throne on 9 June 1946. He was crowned on 5 May 1950. At the time of his death he was, therefore, the world's longest-serving monarch. Upon his death, that distinction fell upon our own gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

For over seven decades His Majesty was instrumental in making Thailand the prosperous, confident nation that it is today. He was a strong and much-revered force for stability and unity and is deeply mourned by the Thai people. Those of us who have travelled to Thailand cannot fail to have been struck by the deep reverence and, indeed, love that all of the Thai people have for their royal family. For them, the death of His Majesty—the only monarch whom almost any of them can remember—has been a source of profound national grief.

From an early age His Majesty was passionate about science. Throughout his reign King Bhumibol dedicated himself to the people of Thailand through many royal projects and charitable works which he undertook, many of them with a scientific emphasis. His Majesty took a particularly keen interest in the transformative potential of technology and how it could be harnessed to alleviate poverty for those living in the rural communities of Thailand. His ambitious rural development initiatives helped to promote appropriate farming technologies, sustainable use of water resources, conservation, flood and drought mitigation, as well as to increase access to health care and education and reduce opium harvests through crop substitution.

Through these and through countless other initiatives, King Bhumibol helped to lead his nation through over half a century of immense social, economic and political change and development. His reign saw Thailand's population grow from 20 million to over 67 million and his kingdom emerge as one of the modern powerhouse economies of Asia. In recognition of his deep and unwavering commitment to human development, His Majesty was awarded the United Nations Development Program's first ever Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

Under King Bhumibol's stewardship Thailand also took on an increasingly active and ambitious role in international affairs. In 1967 the kingdom of Thailand became one of the founding members of ASEAN, and has more recently contributed troops to international peacekeeping and reconstruction efforts in places as various as Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor.

King Bhumibol was a firm friend of Australia and we are indebted to His Majesty for the strong links between our two nations, which he helped foster over so many years. Together with Queen Sirikit, King Bhumibol visited Australia for 18 days as long ago as 1962, during the golden summer of the Menzies government. Their visit would serve to inspire the formation of the first Australia-Thailand associations in Sydney and Melbourne.

King Bhumibol will be remembered for his keen intellect and his gentle spirit. His Majesty reigned, as he had pledged to do, for the benefit of the Thai people, and he worked tirelessly to enhance the welfare and happiness of his subjects. It is almost unimaginable to us to think that one human being could have given so much for so long—over seven full decades—to his people and created the proud, modern nation that Thailand is today. He will be greatly missed. As I said before, he is deeply mourned because he was deeply loved.

On behalf of the government, I extend to the Thai royal family and to the people of Thailand the deep condolences of the Australian government and the heartfelt sympathies of the Australian people.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this condolence motion on behalf of the opposition. I join my voice and the voices of my federal Labor colleagues to express our deepest sympathies to the people of Thailand on the passing of their revered head of state, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. His majesty had reigned since 1946. In total, his reign lasted for 70 years and 126 days. This made him the world's longest-serving monarch at the time of his death—an honour which now passes to Queen Elizabeth II. King Bhumibol was a truly remarkable unifying figure for Thailand. He was highly respected on the world stage. We know the special place His Majesty held in the hearts of the Thai people, who are grief-stricken by his death at the age of 88. We join them in mourning the passing of a significant leader in world history.

Australia has a relationship with Thailand that is positive and longstanding. His Majesty and his wife, Queen Sirikit, also have their own place in Australian history as the first non-British monarchs to undertake an official tour of Australia in 1960. King Bhumibol was born in the United States while his father was studying there. In the ordinary course of events, he would not have anticipated acceding to the throne, but at the age of 18 he found himself the leader of Thailand, becoming the ninth king of Thailand's 234-year-old Chakri dynasty. The post-World War II period was a time of great change for Thailand, as it was for many of the nations of Asia, as the shackles of colonialism were relinquished. For the next 70 years, the much-loved king unified and strengthened his country. Alongside successive governments, he guided Thailand through transformative change; indeed, Thailand is seen to be a development success story.

It was His Majesty's leadership and own philosophy of sufficiency economy that was much credited as being the potency behind Thailand's advancement, not only of its economy but of its people. As an approach, sufficiency economy calls for moderation, reasonableness and self-immunity, overlaid by principles of honesty, hard work, sharing and tolerance. It is through this approach that His Majesty delivered harmony, security and stability and, of course, greater economic prosperity to Thailand. Throughout his reign, His Majesty received much international recognition. However, it was his economic philosophy and his long-held interest in pursuing rural development that was recognised with a presentation to His Majesty of the first United Nations Development Program, Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award. Just as those of us in here who believe in the transformative power that access to education can have for our children, for all children, so too did His Majesty. And it was through his commitment to rural development and the growing economic prosperity it provided that the king was able to provide an increasing opportunity to access education for each new generation of Thai children. It is perhaps fitting that his lifetime achievement was awarded on the 60th anniversary of the King's assent to the Thai throne, for it was an award which reflected the admiration of the Thai people for His Majesty, which was so obvious in the outpouring of grief in the days and weeks following his passing.

I note that there are many Australians who have travelled to Thailand and many who have travelled since the death of the King who have shown due respect to the people of Thailand as they grieve His Majesty. I am sure this respect will be continued in the weeks and months ahead as the nation of Thailand, the people of Thailand, continue their period of mourning. On behalf of the opposition, I again convey our sincere sympathies to the people of Thailand at this time.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand with my colleagues today to pay my respects on the passing of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who ascended to the throne as an 18-year-old in 1946 in the wake of World War II and who, over seven extraordinary decades, shaped modern Thailand unambiguously for the better. I note my colleagues, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Brandis, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, have articulately set out his achievements. The UN Development Program award that was given to him was emblematic of the enormous good that he did for the people of Thailand in terms of agricultural development and of development generally.

For a man who did not intend to be king, I note with admiration that King Bhumibol served as the longest-reigning monarch in the world, the longest-serving monarch in Thai history and the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty. His reign began in difficult times. His majesty took the throne after the Second World War. He oversaw the development of Thailand for the next 70 years, during a period of rapid growth and many challenges, into a vibrant, dynamic nation that all Australians, I believe, have a great affection for. His majesty rose to those challenges and embraced his role as a symbol of national unity, particularly in times of crisis. Twice he successfully mediated tense national disputes—first in 1973, when he allowed protesting students to shelter in his palace, and again in 1992 when he summoned his Prime Minister and the leader of the protest movement opposing him to kneel before the king on national television, where they were asked to put the national interest first. The potent symbolism of this moment and its stabilising effect was quite remarkable.

As a ruler, King Bhumibol proved to be a brave and wise leader, a man grounded in principle and a just adjudicator, who delicately balanced competing interests always in the interests of the greater good of the Thai people. With his passing at age 88, these qualities cement King Bhumibol's legacy as an extraordinary monarch, devoted to his people and to his country. I note that his son, the Crown Prince, who will succeed his father to the throne, has postponed his coronation to allow him to grieve for his late father. It is a very touching gesture. When he does succeed his father, I sincerely wish him every success as he follows in his father's footsteps. To the people of Thailand who have lost a much-loved father figure, a wise monarch and a force of unity, I extend my deepest sympathies.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to associate the Nationals with this motion and offer our condolences to the Thai royal family and friends and the people of Thailand on the recent passing of their beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. As the world's longest-reigning monarch, we must all acknowledge King Bhumibol's contribution to the remarkable and rich history of Thailand over the last seven decades, most notably His Majesty's role in forging strong relationships between Thailand and overseas countries, including the longstanding and deep connection Thailand has with Australia.

Bhumibol was born in the United States but soon returned to Thailand with his parents. At the age of just two, his father suddenly and tragically passed away, after which Bhumibol's mother, Princess Srinagarindra, chose to move her young family to Switzerland. The young Prince Bhumibol was raised there. And it was whilst growing up and studying in Switzerland that Prince Bhumibol met and fell in love with his future wife, Sirikit, the eldest daughter of the Thai Ambassador to France. Prince Bhumibol and Sirikit married in 1950. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit was admired for her beauty and her eye for fashion. She is reported to have regularly preferred wearing Australian wool clothing by French designer Pierre Balmain. Australia's wool producers ought to be proud that Australia's wool is considered worthy to be worn by royals.

It is interesting to note that King Bhumibol was not born to be king. But he did become king of the people after taking his place at the throne in 1950. It was perhaps his almost regular upbringing that instilled his caring character and ability to reach out to ordinary people. This was certainly apparent in King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit's visit to Australia in 1962. That occasion, as one can imagine, was a most significant one. Newspapers at the time reported that there were cars lining the road between the airport and Government House, with Australians and Thai students and visitors striving for a sighting of the King and Her Majesty.

During a visit to the steelworks in Port Kembla, King Bhumibol diverted from the organised proceedings of shaking the hands of cleanly dressed workers who had been organised to greet the king and instead approached a gang of fitters and foundry hands who had paused from their regular work duties. It was reported by some of the workers, who were a bit embarrassed by their greasy hands, that the king carried through with the handshakes without a pause. I think this approach is reflective of the king's humble, caring and genuine persona.

King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit completed their 18-day tour of Australia with the king taking part in a royal salute and an inspection of the Royal Australian Air Force guard of honour against the booming background of a 21-gun salute. Some have indicated that this Defence Force event impressed the king and may have in part influenced the decision by his son, Crown Prince His Royal Highness Maha Vajiralongkorn, to join the Australian Army's Special Air Service Regiment in Perth.

The Australian relationship with Thailand is inextricably linked. Prime Minister Turnbull recently said that the royal visit of 1962 inspired the formation of the first Australia-Thailand associations. Today, thousands of Aussies flock to Thailand to holiday—approximately 900,000 each year. More than 45,000 Thais live here in Australia and call it home. More than 21,600 Thai students were studying in Australia in 2013. We have a great friendship. It is perhaps the rich Thai history and the gentle nature and good ethos of the Thai people that appeals to Australians in choosing Thailand such a wonderful vacation destination.

The Nationals relate to the humility of King Bhumibol who, in his time, was known to have worn an open-necked shirt and boots while communicating with locals on their farms about tractors, dams, irrigation, soil fertility, crops and fertiliser. He was a very well read man. He often impressed his wider constituency, particularly in rural areas, with his vast knowledge of agriculture.

As the Prime Minister has acknowledged recently, Thailand has made major strides in economic and social development. We have King Bhumibol's heart and guiding influence to thank for aligning his country along this path. King Bhumibol was a strong advocate for regional development, to bring regional communities into the mainstream economy. He was well regarded for his visits to regional areas. His focus on growing the agricultural sector and developing communities is something that the Nationals would applaud.

Prior to my coming into the parliament I was lucky enough to have been in Korat and Kanchanaburi provinces in Thailand——on the occasion of the king's birthday in December. If you have ever been in Thailand on the king's birthday, it is quite clearly a special event. People wear yellow shirts. There are two or three approved symbols and it is basically 'Happy birthday to the king'. Wherever you go, there is this wonderful sea of yellow. Quite clearly, it is not only about people appreciating their monarchy. King Bhumibol held a very special place in the heart of his people. He was a good king and a friend to Australia. Vale His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Honourable senators having stood in their places—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate.