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United Nations pays tribute to Thailand’s late king

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A mosaic portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is displayed as the 1,250 students practice flipping boards, at Assumption College in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Oct. 28, 2016. King Bhumibol died Oct. 13 after reigning for 70 years, plunging the country into grief and extended mourning. The official mourning period is one year. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

The United Nations paid tribute to Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Friday with a moment of silence and speeches in the General Assembly Hall.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon remembered the monarch who died on Oct. 13 after ruling for 70 years as a visionary and humanitarian who stabilized Thailand during times of political turmoil and tensions.

Ban also praised Bhumibol’s commitment to sustainable development, noting the king was awarded the first United Nations Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

“The United Nations recognizes and pays tribute to the remarkable life that His Majesty King Bhumibol led and joins all those who loved the revered king in offering heart-felt condolences,” Ban said.

Speakers from Niger, Kuwait, Georgia, Chile, and the U.K. also spoke in Bhumibol’s honour. The United States spoke as the U.N. host country, while a representative of Thailand concluded the round of speeches.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power remembered that the King’s parents met in the United States and that he was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“His majesty only lived there as an infant, but his presence is still very much felt in Cambridge,” Power said, pointing out there is a square named for him in the Massachusetts city. “Walking through King Bhumibol Square, it is not uncommon to see Thai people come to pay homage.”

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