Name: President Obama Speaks to the People of Laos
Uploaded: 2016-09-09T07:36:16.000Z
Duration: 28 min 6 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

To the government and the people of Laos, thank you so

much for the kind welcome that you've extended to me

I am very honored to be the first American president to

I am told that this hall is where you come together for

And I know that you celebrate your musical

But I'm not going to sing today, so you should not worry.

As you host leaders from across Southeast Asia and

beyond, I do want to thank Laos for your leadership as

Today, the eyes of the world are on Laos.

And I know that that may be a little unusual, because

Laos is a small nation next to larger neighbors and, as

a result, too often, the richness of your culture has

And that's why, as part of my visit, I'm grateful for

the opportunity to know Laos better, and to help share

I know that here, you cherish the beauty of the

land -- the mist-covered mountains and sunsets over

The achievements of ancient civilizations that echo in

the ruins of Vat Phou, and palm leaf manuscripts that

Tomorrow, I'll experience some of this heritage myself

I only regret that -- I know this is called the Land of a

Million Elephants, but Secret Service will not let

But in countless stupas and in your daily lives, we see

the strength that draws -- so many of you from your

Buddhist faith -- a faith that tells you that you have

a moral duty to each other, to live with kindness and

honesty, and that we can help end suffering if we

embrace the right mindset and the right actions.

And in literature like the epic of Sinxay, we see the

values that define the people of Laos, which is

modesty and compassion, and resilience and hope.

At our luncheon today, I was treated to the best of Lao

culture and cuisine, including khao niaw.

I did not get any Beerlao, but I will try some later,

especially the young people of Laos -- we see the

diversity that is the strength of this nation.

You have Lao and Khmu and Hmong, and a tapestry of

proud ethnic groups and indigenous peoples.

So you are truly a people of the heart, and I thank you

for welcoming me with such generosity, your nam jai.

president in Laos would have once been unimaginable.

Six decades ago, this country fell into civil war.

And as the fighting raged next door in Vietnam, your

neighbors and foreign powers, including the United

As a result of that conflict and its aftermath, many

people fled or were driven from their homes.

government did not acknowledge America's role.

It was a secret war, and for years, the American people

Even now, many Americans are not fully aware of this

chapter in our history, and it's important that we

Over nine years -- from 1964 to 1973 -- the United States

dropped more than two million tons of bombs here

in Laos -- more than we dropped on Germany and Japan

It made Laos, per person, the most heavily bombed

As one Laotian said, the "bombs fell like rain."

Villages and entire valleys were obliterated.

The ancient Plain of Jars was devastated.

And that conflict was another reminder that,

whatever the cause, whatever our intentions, war inflicts

a terrible toll, especially on innocent men, women

Today, I stand with you in acknowledging the suffering

and sacrifices on all sides of that conflict.

And from the anguish of war, there came an unlikely bond

Today, the United States is home to many proud

Many have made a hard journey through refugee

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President Obama Speaks to the People of Laos

people

commitment

applause

world