MEMORIAL RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, It is with great sadness that members of this Chamber learned of the death of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on October 13, 2016 at the age of eighty-eight; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of his passing by The Honorable Margaret Laurino, Alderman of the 39th Ward; and
WHEREAS, King Bhumibol, also known as Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty, served 70 years as the constitutional monarch of the Southeast Asian nation; and
WHEREAS, Born on December 5, 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, King Bhumibol was the only King of Thailand born outside of the country. His Uncle Rama VII named him Bhumibol Adulyadej, an auspicious and prophetic name that translates to "strength of the land" or "incomparable power"; and
WHEREAS, In 1946, after his brother's death, Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended the throne and returned to Switzerland, where he redirected his studies at the University of Lausanne from science and technology to law and political science to better prepare himself to rule; and
WHEREAS, It was during this period of the new King's life that he met his future wife, Rajawongse Sirikit, daughter of the Thai ambassador to France, on a trip to Paris. The couple were engaged in July 1949, married on April 28, 1950, and eventually became the parents of four children: Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak; and
WHEREAS, Bhumibol Adulyadel was crowned King of Thailand on May 5, 1950, in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall in the Grand Palace in Bangkok. During the coronation ceremony, the new King pledged to "reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people." During his reign, the King became widely regarded as Thailand's unifying figure in the nation's fractious political scene; and
WHEREAS, King Bhumibol was also portrayed as the "Development King". He had a diverse skill set and dedicated much of his reign to royal projects that developed infrastructure at the forefront of providing food and basic necessities for his people, by the people. Since his ascension to the throne, the king made regular visits to many rural and impoverished communities and sites, resulting in the implementation of more than 3,000 projects since 1952 providing jobs for the poor to improve the quality of life for all; and
WHEREAS, Long revered by the people of Thailand, every year on December 5, tens of thousands of Thais dressed uniformly in yellow - the color of the monarchy flooded the streets and parks surrounding Bangkok's royal palace for King Bhumibol's Birthday; and
WHEREAS, King Bhumibol received several awards during his lifetime, most notably the first United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award presented by then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan. The accolade hailed the monarch's tireless 60-year efforts to help the kingdom's most poor and vulnerable people; and
WHEREAS, He was often referred as the "People's King" and will long be revered by those who bestowed this nickname upon him. The King's widespread social projects and development programs secured him near-deity status, ensuring his legacy will persevere in a country with long-standing traditions of patriotism and loyalty to the royal family; now therefore
Be It Resolved, That we, the Mayor and member of the City Council of the City of Chicago gathered here this first day of November, 2016, do hereby express our sorrow on the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and express to his family and the people of Thailand our deepest sympathy; and
Be It Further Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of King Bhumibol Adulyadej as a token of our honor, gratitude, and respect.