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His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyade

Subject: His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej:A Great and Generous Monarch

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Shan Herald Agency for News
=20
5 December 1999

His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej:
A Great and Generous Monarch

Dedicated to Maj. Kham Pawngfah, who died in 1987

It was during the dry, cold season of early 1979 that I came to learn=20
something about the King.

The town was Muanghaeng, later to become the seat of Wianghaeng =
District.=20
But, at that time, it was still part of Chiangdao, a district under the=20
governor of Chiangmai.

On that day, the small town was crowded with people from the surrounding =

areas to welcome the King's visit, a rare opportunity of a lifetime for=20
country people.

Among the crowd were those of us from across the border. The Shan=20
resistance had asked for and been given permission by the local =
authorities=20
to take part in the occasion.

Our group was led by Maj. (then Captain) Kham Pawngfah, commander of the =

Pang Mysoong camp, where the resistance headquartered. Normally, Gen=20
Kornzurng, our leader, would have been at the head of the group, but he =
was=20
away in Mongnai, where he was to make his temporary headquarters until =
1980.

The King arrived by helicopter in the sunny afternoon. He spent a few=20
minutes exchanging civilities with the reception committee members, then =

began the usual rounds with the local populace, meeting each group at =
its=20
designated spot and receiving their offerings.

Eventually and inevitably, he came to our group.

He was just 51 years old and loomed rather large in our eyes, but =
strangely=20
enough I didn't feel that nervous. At least not as much as Kham =
Pawngfah,=20
who, for better or for worse, was going to face the music in a minute.=20
After all, he spoke Thai better than most of us, except for Zaray =
Muling,=20
who has learned the language as a monk.

The king scanned us and some thing inside him must have told him we were =

different from other groups. Of course, we were all clad in civilian =
garb,=20
but somehow we must have stood out among the gathering, most of whom =
were=20
genuine civilians.

He received our offering - I don't remember what - then began talking to =
us.

And then, just before he passed on to another group, the bombshell came.

"Are you villagers like the others or something else?" he asked. And we =
all=20
looked to Kham Pawngfah, eager to hear how he would reply.

Without thinking our simple-looking, mustached leader stood to rigid=20
attention like the soldier he was, and replied, "Villagers, Your =
Majesty".

Convinced that his military demeanor had betrayed us all, we turned our=20
eyes worriedly towards the King.

The eyes behind his glasses seemed to twinkle humorously. Then, =
smilingly,=20
he moved on followed by his retinue, leaving behind him the group of =
Shan=20
resistance fighters in a state of immobilized shock.

The event never failed to amuse Maj. Kham Pawngfah's audience whenever =
he=20
talked about it. He would laugh along with his listeners, then his eyes=20
would become wistful and distant.

I for one know what was on his mind during those moments of nostalgia.

He was thinking how fortunate he was to have gotten away so easily with =
his=20
mistake. And how big the King's heart  was.

///END\\\
For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:
Shan Herald Agency for News.
P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007, Chiangmai, Thailand
Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121
e-mail: <shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

S.H.A.N. is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =

affiliated to any political or armed organization.=20


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<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial size=3D4><STRONG>Shan Herald =
Agency for=20
News</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>5 December 1999<BR><BR><FONT=20
color=3D#800000><STRONG><FONT size=3D4>His Majesty King Bhumibhol =
Adulyadej:<BR>A=20
Great and Generous Monarch<BR><BR></FONT>Dedicated to Maj. Kham =
Pawngfah, who=20
died in 1987<BR><BR></STRONG></FONT>It was during the dry, cold season =
of early=20
1979 that I came to learn <BR>something about the King.<BR><BR>The town =
was=20
Muanghaeng, later to become the seat of Wianghaeng District. <BR>But, at =
that=20
time, it was still part of Chiangdao, a district under the <BR>governor =
of=20
Chiangmai.<BR><BR>On that day, the small town was crowded with people =
from the=20
surrounding <BR>areas to welcome the King's visit, a rare opportunity of =
a=20
lifetime for <BR>country people.<BR><BR>Among the crowd were those of us =
from=20
across the border. The Shan <BR>resistance had asked for and been given=20
permission by the local authorities <BR>to take part in the =
occasion.<BR><BR>Our=20
group was led by Maj. (then Captain) Kham Pawngfah, commander of the =
<BR>Pang=20
Mysoong camp, where the resistance headquartered. Normally, Gen =
<BR>Kornzurng,=20
our leader, would have been at the head of the group, but he was =
<BR>away in=20
Mongnai, where he was to make his temporary headquarters until =
1980.<BR><BR>The=20
King arrived by helicopter in the sunny afternoon. He spent a few =
<BR>minutes=20
exchanging civilities with the reception committee members, then =
<BR>began the=20
usual rounds with the local populace, meeting each group at its =
<BR>designated=20
spot and receiving their offerings.<BR><BR>Eventually and inevitably, he =
came to=20
our group.<BR><BR>He was just 51 years old and loomed rather large in =
our eyes,=20
but strangely <BR>enough I didn't feel that nervous. At least not as =
much as=20
Kham Pawngfah, <BR>who, for better or for worse, was going to face the =
music in=20
a minute. <BR>After all, he spoke Thai better than most of us, except =
for Zaray=20
Muling, <BR>who has learned the language as a monk.<BR><BR>The king =
scanned us=20
and some thing inside him must have told him we were <BR>different from =
other=20
groups. Of course, we were all clad in civilian garb, <BR>but somehow we =
must=20
have stood out among the gathering, most of whom were <BR>genuine=20
civilians.<BR><BR>He received our offering - I don't remember what - =
then began=20
talking to us.<BR><BR>And then, just before he passed on to another =
group, the=20
bombshell came.<BR><BR>"Are you villagers like the others or something =
else?" he=20
asked. And we all <BR>looked to Kham Pawngfah, eager to hear how he =
would=20
reply.<BR><BR>Without thinking our simple-looking, mustached leader =
stood to=20
rigid <BR>attention like the soldier he was, and replied, "Villagers, =
Your=20
Majesty".<BR><BR>Convinced that his military demeanor had betrayed us =
all, we=20
turned our <BR>eyes worriedly towards the King.<BR><BR>The eyes behind =
his=20
glasses seemed to twinkle humorously. Then, smilingly, <BR>he moved on =
followed=20
by his retinue, leaving behind him the group of Shan <BR>resistance =
fighters in=20
a state of immobilized shock.<BR><BR>The event never failed to amuse =
Maj. Kham=20
Pawngfah's audience whenever he <BR>talked about it. He would laugh =
along with=20
his listeners, then his eyes <BR>would become wistful and =
distant.<BR><BR>I for=20
one know what was on his mind during those moments of =
nostalgia.<BR><BR>He was=20
thinking how fortunate he was to have gotten away so easily with his=20
<BR>mistake. And how big the King's heart&nbsp; =
was.<BR><BR>///END\\\<BR>For=20
further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:<BR>Shan Herald Agency =
for=20
News.<BR>P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007, Chiangmai, =
Thailand<BR>Ph/Fax: (053)=20
807 121<BR>e-mail: &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt;<BR><BR>S.H.A.=
N. is a=20
non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =
<BR>affiliated to any=20
political or armed organization. <BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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