Speeches
Ambassador Carol A. Rodley's Remarks at Forth of July Reception
U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh
July 03, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Honored Guests, your Excellency Tea Banh
We are here tonight to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America and to reflect upon the strong relationship between one of the world’s oldest democracies and one of its youngest.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said “freedom cannot be bestowed, it must be achieved.” Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, the sons and daughters of the American Revolution did just that. But our future success was far from guaranteed, and few people today remember what a close call it was at the beginning. 1776, the year we celebrate as the birth of our nation and the year of our Declaration of Independence, was, for those who carried forward the fight for independence, a year of all too few victories, sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear. And yet, for our founding fathers it was also a time of phenomenal courage and bedrock devotion to country. At the time we declared our independence, the notion described by Thomas Jefferson as “self-evident,” that “all men are created equal” and endowed with the “unalienable” rights of “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness,” was just an idea. In 1776 we had no real army or other means to back it up. Our first leaders had to learn to lead and to govern at the same time they learned to understand and trust in the will of the people. Because of them, we are able to stand here today, proud of our democracy and our freedom; the debt we owe these brave men and women is to continue the struggle to perfect our democracy, because democracy is a living, breathing institution that must constantly adapt and evolve to meet new challenges that our ancestors could not have foreseen.
Cambodia’s leadership has faced many challenges in its path towards democracy, and although there have been hurdles along the way; the overall progress has been in a positive direction. We are encouraged to see such progress in this young democracy.
Our leaders from 1776 onward were continually faced with difficult choices and questions of how to preserve the freedom of the people while maintaining the rule of law and democratic principles. Fortunately for us, the men and women who lived in the formative years of our democracy were of strong character and understood that their actions would have significant consequences for the future of our country. They also understood that transitions and change are an important part of the political process and that, though they can be difficult, they should be embraced when they reflect the will of the people.
In my own country we are yet again in the midst of change – change that has been brought about by our new president, Barack Obama. He arrived bringing a message of hope, promising a new beginning for our country and for our nation’s relationship with the world. I believe that he is already delivering on that promise. Our evolving relationship with Cambodia is a fine example of what can be achieved when we do what both the President and Secretary Clinton have urged us – to listen and to engage with our partners.
Tonight, as we celebrate America’s Independence Day, I would like to propose a toast. I invite all of you to join me in a toast to the good health of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, His Majesty the King’s Father and Her Majesty the King’s Mother, to the bond of close friendship and active cooperation between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the United States of America, and to the prosperity of our two peoples.
