Former Board Chairman
M L Birabhongse Kasemsri
dies at age 65
The AIT community expresses profound sorrow and regret over the untimely passing away of our former Board Chairman, M L Birabhongse Kasemsri, Principal Private Secretary to His Majesty the King of Thailand, on 25 July 2000.
M L Birabhongse served as Chair of the AIT Board of Trustees from November 1995 to May 2000. His resignation for health reasons was announced at the Executive Committee of the Board meeting on 17 May, in a very moving statement in which he reflected upon his years of tenure at AIT, referring to the period as being both turbulent and challenging.
Recalling M. L. Birabhongse's statement, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President, noted that he also took this as an opportunity 'to gratefully acknowledge the continued active support of our partners, as well as to express his encouragement to all of us and his strong confidence in the future of our Institution.'
In his message to the AIT community, Prof. Armand said, 'M L Birabhongse contributed in a most important way to the work of the Board and its Committees. He will be remembered by all those who had the privilege to have known him as an inspirational leader as well as a most gracious, considerate gentleman.
In this time of bereavement, we would like to convey our heartfelt sympathy to his family and to all those who loved and admired him.'
A condolence book has been placed at the lobby of the AIT Center. It will remain there until 14 August. The book will then be presented to the family of the late M L Birabhongse Kasemsri.
M L Birabhongse Kasemsri was born on 24 September 1935. He received his BA in Jurisprudence, and MA from Oxford University, MA and MALD, and PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA.
M L Birabhongse joined the Thai diplomatic service in 1964, his first assignment being the SEATO Division, International Organizations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). From 1969 to 1973, M L Birabhongse was Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and in 1973, Chief of the Special Unit Attached to the Office of the Under-Secretary of State, MFA.
M L Birabhongse's first overseas posting was as Counsellor and Charge d'Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in New York, from 1974 to 1977. Between 1977 and 1981, he served as Director-General of the International Organizations Department at the MFA, before assuming his first ambassadorial assignment as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 1981 to 1989.
M L Birabhongse served as Ambassador of Thailand to Japan from 1989 to 1991, and to the USA from 1991 to 1994. He served as Chair of the AIT Board of Trustees from November 1995 to May 2000.