Anzac Day commemorated in Thailand
On 25 April, Australians around the world commemorated Anzac Day and remembered all Australians who have served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. ANZAC Day marks the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey, on 25 April 1915.
At a dawn service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi, Australian Ambassador James Wise and Defence Attaché Captain Jonathan Dudley CSC RAN joined 600 other people to pay tribute to the thousands of prisoners of war (PoWs) who lost their lives in the construction of the Thai-Burma “Death Railway” in World War II. Later in the day, around 1000 people participated in a memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony held at Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery. The ceremonies were attended by two Australian former-PoWs; other war veterans; Australian Senator John Williams; Pol Maj Gen Thawat Boonfueng, Acting Secretary-General to the Prime Minister; Mr Chaiwat Limwattana, Kanchanaburi Governor; ambassadors and senior representatives of other embassies as well as members of the community.
“We honour them by drawing inspiration from their courage, by drawing inspiration from their steadfastness and by drawing inspiration from their compassion”, Ambassador Wise said.
Ambassador Wise also praised humanitarian acts of Thais who helped the PoWs during the construction of the Death Railway, sometimes at great personal risk.
One such individual, Mr Boonpong Sirivejjabhandu smuggled food and medicines to PoWs working on the Death Railway and saved thousands of lives. Thirty years after his death, relatives of former PoWs still visit Boonpong and Brothers Store to express their gratitude for his humanitarian acts. His sister-in-law, Mrs Lumyai Sirivejjabhandu, welcomes these Australians and is happy to share Boonpong’s story.
Towards the end of the Anzac Day service at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, the phrase ‘Lest we forget’ was left as a final tribute to the fallen soldiers.
Around 600 people came to commemorate those who died working on the Death Railway and laid wreaths at the Dawn service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi.
Australian Ambassador James Wise and Defence Attaché Captain Jonathan Dudley CSC RAN laid wreath at the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery.
Former PoWs Mr Milton Fairclough (middle) and Mr Neil MacPherson (right) paid tribute to those who died on the Death Railway at the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery.
Anzac Day 2012 : Australian Ambassador James Wise (fourth from right); Australian Defence Attaché Captain Jonathan Dudley CSC RAN (fourth from left); Pol Maj Gen Thawat Boonfueng, Acting Secretary-General to the Prime Minister (third from left); Mr Chaiwat Limwattana, Kanchanaburi Governor (third from right) attended the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery.