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UThant

UThantin1963

3rdSecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNations

InofficeNovember30,1961December31,1971

Precededby DagHammarskjld

Succeededby KurtWaldheim

Personaldetails

Born January22,1909Pantanaw,BritishBurma,BritishIndia

Died November25,1974(aged65)NewYorkCity,UnitedStates

Restingplace TombsouthofShwedagonPagoda,Yangon,Burma(Myanmar)

Nationality Burmese

Spouse(s) DawTheinTin

Relations PoHnit(father)NanThaung(mother)Khant(brother)

UThantFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

InthisBurmesename,Uisanhonorific.

UThant(/unt/Burmese: MLCTS:u:san.Burmesepronunciation:[a]January22,1909November25,1974)wasaBurmesediplomatandthethirdSecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNationsfrom1961to1971.

AnativeofPantanaw,ThantwaseducatedattheNationalHighSchoolandattheRangoonUniversity.InthedaysoftensepoliticalclimateinBurma,heheldmoderateviewspositioninghimselfbetweenferventnationalistsandBritishloyalists.HewasaclosefriendofBurma'sfirstPrimeMinisterUNuandservedvariouspositionsinNu'scabinetfrom1948to1961.Thanthadacalmandunassumingdemeanorwhichwonhiscolleagues'respect.[1]

HewasappointedasSecretaryGeneralin1961whenhispredecessor,DagHammarskjlddiedinanaircrash.Inhisfirstterm,ThantfacilitatednegotiationsbetweenU.S.PresidentJohnF.KennedyandSovietpremierNikitaKhrushchevduringtheCubanmissilecrisis,therebynarrowlyavertingthepossibilityofaglobalcatastrophe.InDecember1962,ThantorderedtheOperationGrandSlamwhichendedsecessionistinsurgencyinCongo.HewasreappointedasSecretaryGeneralon2December1966byaunanimousvoteoftheSecurityCouncil.Inhissecondterm,ThantwaswellknownforpubliclycriticizingAmericanconductintheVietnamWar.HeoversawtheentryofseveralnewlyindependentAfricanandAsianstatesintoUN.Thantrefusedtoserveathirdtermandretiredin1971.

Thantdiedoflungcancerin1974.AdevoutBuddhistandtheforemostBurmesediplomatwhoservedontheinternationalstage,ThantwaswidelyadmiredandheldingreatrespectbytheBurmesepopulace.Whenthemilitarygovernmentrefusedhimanyhonors,riotsbrokeoutinRangoon.Buttheywereviolentlycrushedbythegovernment,leavingtensofcasualties.

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Thaung(brother)TinMaung(brother)

Children MaungBoTinMaungThantAyeAyeThant

Parents PoHnitNanThaung

Religion TheravadaBuddhism

Signature

"U"isanhonorificinBurmese,roughlyequalto"Mr"."Thant"washisonlyname,perBurmeseconvention.InBurmese,hewasknownasPantanawUThant,inreferencetohishometown,Pantanaw.

Contents

1Earlylife2Civilservant3UnitedNationsSecretaryGeneral

3.1Firstterm:CubanmissilecrisisandWarinCongo3.2Secondterm:ArabIsraeliconflictandVietnamWar3.3Retirement

4Deathandlegacy5Personallife6Awards,honors,andmemorials7References

7.1Primarysources8Furtherreading9Externallinks

EarlylifeThant,theeldestoffoursons,wasborninPantanaw,colonialBurmatoamoderatelywealthyfamilyoflandownersandricemerchants.EducatedinCalcutta,Thant'sfatherPoHnitwastheonlypersoninthetownwhocouldcommunicatewellinEnglish.[2]HewasafoundingmemberoftheBurmaResearchSocietyandhadhelpedestablishTheSun(Thuriya)newspaperinRangoon.[2][3]AlthoughhisfamilymemberswereethnicBamarsanddevoutBuddhists,Thant'sfather,accordingtoThantMyintU(UThant'sgrandson),haddistantancestorswhowere"peoplefrombothIndiaandChina,BuddhistsandMuslims,aswellasShansandMons".[4]Hehopedthatallhisfoursonswouldeachearnadegree.[5]Hisothersons,Khant,Thaung,andTinMaungwentontobecomepoliticiansandscholars.[3]

PoHnithadcollectedapersonallibraryofvariousAmericanandBritishbooksandcultivatedareadinghabitamonghischildren.Asaresult,Thantbecameanavidreaderandhisschoolfriendsnicknamedhim"ThePhilosopher".[6]Apartfromreading,heenjoyedvarioussportsincludinghiking,swimmingandplayingChinlone.[7]HewenttotheNationalHighSchoolinPantanaw.Ateleven,ThantparticipatedinstrikesagainsttheUniversityActof1920.He

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UThantasaRangoonUniversitystudentin1927.

ThantwithUNuin1955onanearlymorningwalk

dreamedofbecomingajournalistandsurprisedthefamilybywritinganarticlefortheUnionofBurmaBoyScoutsmagazine.WhenThantwasfourteen,hisfatherdiedandaseriesofinheritancedisputesforcedThant'smother,NanThaung,andherfourchildrenintodifficultfinancialtimes.[8]

Afterthedeathofhisfather,ThantbelievedhewouldnotbeabletocompleteafouryeardegreeandinsteadworkedforatwoyearteachingcertificateatRangoonUniversityin1926.Astheoldestson,hehadtofulfillhisfilialdutiesandresponsibilitiesofthefamily.Atuniversity,Thant,togetherwithNu,thefuturePrimeMinisterofBurma,studiedhistoryunderD.G.E.Hall.NuwastoldbyadistantmutualrelativetotakecareofThantandthetwosoonbecameclosefriends.[9]ThantwaselectedjointsecretaryoftheUniversityPhilosophicalAssociationandsecretaryoftheLiteraryandDebatingSociety.[10]InRangoon,ThantmetJ.S.Furnivall,thefounderofTheBurmaBookCluband

TheWorldofBooksmagazine,inwhichThantregularlycontributed.Promisingagoodpost,FurnivalltriedtopersuadeThanttojoinCivilServicebutThantrefused.[11]Afterearningthecertificate,hereturnedtoPantanawtoteachattheNationalHighSchoolasaseniorteacherin1928.HecontactedFurnivallandNuregularly,writingarticlesandparticipatinginTheWorldofBookstranslationcompetitions.[12]

In1931,ThantwonfirstplaceinAllBurmaTeachershipExaminationandbecametheschool'sheadmasterbytheageoftwentyfive.[13][14]WhenThantheardthelocalsuperintendentofschoolspositionwasvacant,hepersuadedhisfriendNutotakeit.Thantregularlycontributedtoseveralnewspapersandmagazinesunderthepenname"Thilawa"andtranslatedanumberofbooks,includingoneontheLeagueofNations.[15]HismajorinfluenceswereSirStaffordCripps,SunYatsenandMahatmaGandhi.[6]InthedaysoftensepoliticalclimateinBurma,ThantstoodmoderategroundsbetweenferventnationalistsandBritishloyalists.[14]

CivilservantDuringtheWorldWarII,theJapaneseoccupiedBurmafrom1942to1945.TheybroughtThanttoRangoontoleadtheEducationalReorganizingCommittee.However,ThantdidnothaveanyrealpowerandreturnedtoPantanaw.WhentheJapaneseorderedtomakeJapanesecompulsoryinPantanawhighschools,ThantdefiedtheordersandcooperatedwiththegrowingantiJapaneseresistance.[16]

In1948,BurmagainedindependencefromtheUnitedKingdom.WhenThant'sfriendNubecametheprimeministerofthenewlyindependentBurma,heaskedThanttojoinhiminRangoonandappointedhimdirectorofbroadcastingin1948.Bythen,civilwarbrokeoutin

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AdlaiStevenson,SenateForeignRelationsCommittee88thCongress,March13,1963[19]

Burma.TheKareninsurgencybeganandThantriskedhislifetogotoKarencampstonegotiateforpeace.Thenegotiationsbrokedownandin1949,theadvancinginsurgentsburnedhishometown,includinghishouse.TheinsurgentspushedthefronttowithinfourmilesradiusfromthecapitalRangoonbeforetheywerebeatenback.Inthefollowingyear,ThantwasappointedsecretarytothegovernmentofBurmaintheMinistryofInformation.From1951to1957,Thantwassecretarytotheprimeminister,writingspeechesforUNu,arranginghisforeigntravel,andmeetingforeignvisitors.Duringthisentireperiod,hewasUNu'sclosestconfidantandadvisor.[16]

HealsotookpartinanumberofinternationalconferencesandwasthesecretaryofthefirstAsianAfricansummitin1955atBandung,Indonesia,whichgavebirthtotheNonAlignedMovement.From1957to1961,hewasBurma'spermanentrepresentativetotheUnitedNationsandbecameactivelyinvolvedinnegotiationsoverAlgerianindependence.In1961,ThantwasnamedUNChairmanofCongoCommission.TheBurmesegovernmentawardedhimthetitleMahaThraySithuasacommanderintheorderofPyidaungsuSithu.[17]

UnitedNationsSecretaryGeneralInSeptember1961,UnitedNationsSecretaryGeneralDagHammarskjldwaskilledinaplanecrashenroutetoCongo.TheSecurityCouncilhurriedlysearchedforanewSecretaryGeneral.Butoverthenextfewweeks,itwasinadeadlockwiththeUnitedSatesandtheSovietUnionunabletoagreeonanycandidateproposedbyothermembers.ThesuperpowersbackeddownwhenrepresentativesfromsmallernationsandtheNonAlignedMovementproposedThanttofilltheunexpiredtermofHammarskjld.[14]OnNovember3,1961,ThantwasunanimouslyappointedasactingSecretaryGeneralbytheGeneralAssembly,ontherecommendationoftheSecurityCouncilinResolution168.OnNovember30,1962,hewasthenunanimouslyappointedassecretarygeneralbytheGeneralAssemblyforatermofofficeendingonNovember3,1966.Duringhisfirstterm,hewaswidelycreditedforhisroleindefusingtheCubanMissileCrisisandforendingthecivilwarintheCongo.HealsosaidthathewantedtoeasetensionsbetweenmajorpowerswhileservingattheUN.[18]

Firstterm:CubanmissilecrisisandWarinCongo

Inlessthanoneyearinoffice,ThantfacedacriticalchallengetodefusetheCubanmissilecrisis,themomentwhentheworldcameclosesttoanuclearwar.On20October1962,twodaysbeforepublicannouncementsweremade,U.SPresidentJohnF.KennedyshowedThantU2aerialreconnaissancephotographsofSovietmissileinstallationsinCuba.ThePresidentthenorderedanaval"quarantine"toremovealloffensiveweaponsfromSovietshipsboundforCuba.Meanwhile,Sovietshipswereapproachingthequarantinezone.Toavoidanavalconfrontation,ThantproposedthattheU.SshouldmakenoninvasionguaranteesinexchangeformissilewithdrawalfromtheSovietUnion.SovietPrimerKhrushchevwelcomedtheproposalwhichformedthebasisoffurthernegotiations.[20]Khrushchevfurtheragreedtosuspendmissileshipmentswhilethenegotiationswereongoing.[21]Buton27October1962,aU2planewasshotdownoverCuba,deepeningthecrisis.Kennedywasunderintense

AtacriticalmomentwhenthenuclearpowersseemedsetonacollisioncoursetheSecretaryGeneral'sinterventionledtothediversionoftheSovietshipsheadedforCubaandinterceptionbyourNavy.ThiswastheindispensablefirststepinthepeacefulresolutionoftheCubancrisis.

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ThantshakeshandswithJohnF.KennedyduringhisvisittotheUNHeadquarters.

pressurefromJointChiefsofStaffandtheExecutiveCommittee(ExComm)tostartaninvasion.KennedyhopedThanttoplaytheroleofmediatorandsubsequentlyrepliedtoExCommandJointChiefsofStaff,"OntheotherhandwehaveUThant,andwedontwanttosinkaship...rightinthemiddleofwhenUThantissupposedlyarrangingfortheRussianstostayout."[22]

Negotiationscontinued.TheU.SagreedtodismantlemissilesinTurkeyandguaranteednevertoinvadeCubainexchangeforremovalofSovietmissilesinCuba.ThantflewtoCubaanddiscussedwithFidelCastrotoallowUNmissileinspectorsandtoreturnthebodyofthedownedU2pilot.Castro,furiousthatSovietsagreedtoremovemissileswithouthisknowledge,categoricallyrejectedtoallowanyUNinspectorsalthoughhedidreturnthepilot'sbody.TheinspectionwasdoneatseabyUSreconnaissanceaircraftandwarships.Thecrisiswasresolvedandawarbetweensuperpowerswasaverted.[14][23]

AlthoughamanifestpacifistandadevoutBuddhist,Thantdidnothesitatetouseforcewhenrequired.DuringtheCongoCivilWarin1962,KatangansecessionistsledbyMoiseTshomberepeatedlyattackedUNOperationintheCongoforces(ONUC).InDecember1962,afterONUCsufferedasustainedfourdayattackinKatanga,Thantorderedthe"OperationGrandSlam"togain"completefreedomofmovementforONUCalloverKatanga."Theoperationprovedtobedecisiveandendedthesecessionistinsurgencyonceandforall.ByJanuary1963,Elizabethville,thesecessionistcapitalwasunderfullUNcontrol.[24]

ForhisroleindefusingtheCubancrisisandotherpeacekeepingefforts,theNorwegianPermanentRepresentativeoftheUnitedNationsinformedThantthathewouldbeawardedthe1965NobelPeaceprize.Hehumblyreplied,"IsnottheSecretaryGeneralmerelydoinghisjobwhenheworksforpeace?"[1]Ontheotherhand,ChairmanGunnarJahnoftheNobelPeaceprizecommitteelobbiedheavilyagainstgivingThanttheprizewhichwasatthelastminuteawardedtoUNICEF.TherestofthecommitteeallwantedtheprizetogotoThant.Thedisagreementlastedthreeyearsandin1966and1967noprizewasgiven,withGunnarJahneffectivelyvetoinganawardtoThant.[25]Outraged,Thant'sundersecretaryandNobelPrizelaureateRalphBuncheremarkedGunnarJahn'sdecisionas"grossinjusticetoUThant."[1]

OntheChristmasEveof1963,intercommunalclashesbrokeoutinCyprus.TurkishCypriotswithdrewintotheirenclaves,leavingthecentralgovernmentwhollyunderGreekCypriot'scontrol.A"peacemakingforce"establishedunderBritishcommandwasunabletoputanendtothefighting,andaconferenceonCyprusheldinLondoninJanuary1964endedindisagreement.On4March1964,amidthedangerofbroaderhostilities,theSecurityCouncilunanimouslyauthorizedThanttoestablishaUNPeacekeepingForceinCyprus(UNFICYP),withalimitedthreemonthmandatetopreventtherecurrenceoffightingsandtorestoreorder.TheCouncilfurtheraskedthesecretarygeneraltoappointamediatortoseekapeacefulsettlementoftheCyprusproblem.ThantappointedGaloPlazaLassoasmediatorbutwhenhisreportwasrejectedbyTurkeyinMarch1965,Plazaresignedandthefunctionofmediatorlapsed.[26]

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WalterDorn,2007[28]

UThantmeetswithU.SPresidentLyndonB.JohnsonintheCabinetRoom,WhiteHouseon21February1968.

InApril1964,ThantacceptedtheHolySeesdesignationofitselfasapermanentobserver.ThereappearedtobenoinvolvementoftheGeneralAssemblyortheUNSecurityCouncilinthedecision.[27]

Secondterm:ArabIsraeliconflictandVietnamWar

ThantwasreappointedsecretarygeneraloftheUnitedNationsbytheGeneralAssemblyonDecember2,1966,ontheunanimousrecommendationoftheSecurityCouncil.HistermofofficecontinueduntilDecember31,1971,whenheretired.Duringhistimeinoffice,heoversawtheentryintotheUNofdozensofnewAsianandAfricanstatesandwasafirmopponentofapartheidinSouthAfrica.HealsoestablishedmanyoftheUN'sdevelopmentandenvironmentalagencies,fundsandprogrammes,includingtheUNDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP),theUNUniversity,theUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment,UnitedNationsInstituteforTrainingandResearch(UNITAR),andtheUNEnvironmentalProgramme.TheSixDayWarbetweenArabcountriesandIsrael,thePragueSpringandsubsequentSovietinvasionofCzechoslovakia,andtheIndoPakistaniWarof1971leadingtothebirthofBangladeshalltookplaceduringhistenureassecretarygeneral.[14]

HewascriticizedintheUSandIsraelforagreeingtopullUNEFtroopsoutoftheSinaiin1967inresponsetoarequestfromEgyptianpresidentNasser.[29]ThePermanentRepresentativeofEgypthadinformedThantthattheEgyptiangovernmenthaddecidedtoterminateUNEF'spresenceintheSinaiandtheGazaStrip,andrequestedstepsthatwouldwithdrawtheforceassoonaspossible.Thanthadnochoicebuttoaccept.UnitedNationsafterwardsstates"BecauseIsraelrefusedtoacceptUNEFonitsterritory,theForcehadtobedeployedonlyontheEgyptiansideoftheborder,andthusitsfunctioningwasentirelycontingentupontheconsentofEgyptasthehostcountry.Oncethatconsentwaswithdrawn,itsoperationcouldnolongerbemaintained."[30]ThanttriedtopersuadeNassernottogotowarwithIsraelbyflyingtoCairoinalastminutepeaceeffort.

TheCypruscrisisresurfacedinNovember1967,butTurkey'sthreatenedmilitaryinterventionwasaverted,largelyasaresultofUSopposition.NegotiationsconductedbyCyrusVancefortheUSandJosRolzBennettonbehalfofthesecretarygeneralledtoasettlement.IntercommunaltalksbeganinJune1968,throughthegoodofficesofthesecretarygeneral,aspartofthesettlement.Thetalksboggeddown,butThantproposedaformulafortheirreactivationundertheauspicesofhisspecialrepresentative,B.F.OsorioTafall,andtheywereresumedin1972,afterThanthadleftoffice.[26]

AftertheSixDayWar,[Thant]allowedhimselftobecomeaconvenientscapegoatforinternationalinaction,acceptingthisunenviablerolewithasmuchBuddhistdetachmentascouldbesummoned.

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JohnF.Kennedy,October1962[34]

Thant'stomb,ShwedagonPagodaRoad,Rangoon.

HisoncegoodrelationshipwiththeUSgovernmentdeterioratedrapidlywhenhepubliclycriticizedAmericanconductoftheVietnamWar.[31]HissecretattemptsatdirectpeacetalksbetweenWashingtonandHanoiwereeventuallyrejectedbytheJohnsonAdministration.

Retirement

OnJanuary23,1971,Thantcategoricallyannouncedthathewould"undernocircumstances"beavailableforathirdtermassecretarygeneral.Formanyweeks,theUNSecurityCouncilwasdeadlockedoverthesearchforasuccessorbeforefinallysettlingonKurtWaldheimtosucceedThantassecretarygeneralonDecember21,1971Waldheim's53rdbirthdayandjusttendaysbeforeThant'ssecondtermwastoend.

Unlikehistwopredecessors,Thantretiredaftertenyearsonspeakingtermswithallthebigpowers.In1961,whenhewasfirstappointed,theSovietUniontriedtoinsistonatroikaformulaofthreesecretariesgeneral,onerepresentingeachColdWarbloc,tomaintainequalityintheUnitedNationsbetweenthesuperpowers.By1966,whenThantwasreappointed,allthebigpowers,inaunanimousvoteoftheSecurityCouncil,affirmedtheimportanceofthesecretarygeneralshipandhisgoodoffices,acleartributetoThant'swork.[14]

InhisfarewelladdresstotheUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly,SecretaryGeneralThantstatedthathefelta"greatsenseofreliefborderingonliberation"onrelinquishingthe"burdensofoffice".[32]InaneditorialpublishedaroundDecember27,1971,praisingThant,TheNewYorkTimesstatedthat"thewisecounselofthisdedicatedmanofpeacewillstillbeneededafterhisretirement".Theeditorialwastitled"TheLiberationofUThant".

Afterhisretirement,ThantwasappointedaseniorfellowoftheAdlaiStevensonInstituteofInternationalAffairs.Hespentthelastyearsofhislifewritingandadvocatingthedevelopmentofatrueglobalcommunityandothergeneralthemeshehadtriedtopromotewhilehewassecretarygeneral.[14]Whileservingassecretarygeneral,ThantlivedinRiverdale,Bronx,ona4.75acre(1.92ha)estatenear232ndStreet,betweenPalisadeandDouglasAvenues.[33]

DeathandlegacyThantdiedoflungcancerinNewYorkonNovember25,1974.Bythattime,Burmawasruledbyamilitaryjuntawhichrefusedhimanyhonors.ThethenBurmesepresidentNeWinwasenviousofThant'sinternationalstatureandtherespectthatwasaccordedhimbytheBurmesepopulace.NeWinalsoresentedThant'scloselinkswiththedemocraticgovernmentofUNuwhichNeWinhadoverthrowninacoupd'tatonMarch2,1962.NeWinorderedThantbeburiedwithoutanyofficialinvolvementorceremony.

UThanthasputtheworlddeeplyinhisdebt.

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Thantandhisfamily,includingbrothersKhant,ThaungandTinMaung,hismotherNanThaung,andhisdaughterAyeAyeThantandherhusband,TynMyintU,in1964.

FromtheUnitedNationsheadquartersinNewYorkwherehewaslaidinstate,Thant'sbodywasflownbacktoRangoon,butnoguardofhonourorhighrankingofficialswereonhandattheairportwhenthecoffinarrivedexceptforUAungTun,deputyministerofeducation,whowassubsequentlydismissedfromoffice.[35]OnthedayofThant'sfuneralonDecember5,1974,tensofthousandsofpeoplelinedthestreetsofRangoontopaytheirlastrespects.Thant'scoffinwasdisplayedatRangoon'sKyaikasanracecourseforafewhoursbeforethescheduledburial.ThecoffinofThantwasthensnatchedbyagroupofstudentsjustbeforeitwasscheduledtoleaveforburialinanordinaryRangooncemetery.ThestudentdemonstratorsburiedThantontheformergroundsoftheRangoonUniversityStudentsUnion(RUSU),whichNeWinhaddynamitedanddestroyedonJuly8,1962.[36]

DuringtheperiodofDecember511,1974,thestudentdemonstratorsalsobuiltatemporarymausoleumforThantonthegroundsoftheRUSUandgaveantigovernmentspeeches.IntheearlymorninghoursofDecember11,1974,governmenttroopsstormedthecampus,killedsomeofthestudentsguardingthemakeshiftmausoleum,removedThant'scoffin,andreburieditatthefootoftheShwedagonPagoda,whereithascontinuedtolie.[37]UponhearingofthestormingoftheRangoonUniversitycampusandtheforcibleremovalofThant'scoffin,manypeopleriotedinthestreetsofRangoon.MartiallawwasdeclaredinRangoonandthesurroundingmetropolitanareas.WhathascometobeknownastheUThantcrisisthestudentledprotestsovertheshabbytreatmentofThantbytheNeWingovernmentwascrushedbytheBurmesegovernment.[37]

In1978,Thant'smemoirs,ViewfromtheUN,wereposthumouslypublished,initiallybytheAmericanpublishinghouseDoubleday.

InApril2012,UNSecretaryGeneralBanKimoonpaidhisrespectsatUThant'smausoleumduringavisittoYangon.

PersonallifeThanthadthreebrothers:Khant,Thaung,andTinMaung.[38]HewasmarriedtoDawTheinTin.Thanthadtwosons,butlostbothMaungBodiedininfancy,andTinMaungThantfellfromabusduringavisittoYangon.TinMaungThant'sfuneralprocession,whichwasattendedbydignitaries,wasgranderthanthatofthestatefuneralofCommodoreThanPe,amemberofthe17manRevolutionaryCouncilandministerofhealthandeducation.Thantwassurvivedbyadaughter,anadoptedson,fivegrandchildren,andfivegreatgrandchildren(threegirlsandtwoboys).Hisonlygrandson,ThantMyintU,isahistorianandaformerseniorofficialintheUN'sDepartmentofPoliticalAffairsandtheauthorofTheRiverofLostFootsteps,inpartabiographyofThant.

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DuringhistenureasSecretaryGeneral,ThantfollowedUFOreportswithsomeinterestin1967,hearrangedforAmericanatmosphericphysicistJamesE.McDonaldtospeakbeforetheUN'sOuterSpaceAffairsGroupregardingUFOs.[39]

Awards,honors,andmemorialsThantwasgenerallyreluctanttoreceiveprizesandhonorsduetohisownhumilityaswellaspublicityassociatedwiththem.HedeclinedtheBurma'ssecondhighesthonorawardedtohimbyUNu'sgovernmentin1961.Whenhewasinformedthatthe1965NobelPrizewouldinsteadgotoUNICEFduetoChairmanGunnarJahn'sveto,Thant,accordingtoWalterDorn,"recordedhispleasure".[1]However,hedidaccepttheJawaharlalNehruAwardforInternationalUnderstandingin1965,[40]theGandhiPeaceAwardin1972,andtwodozensofhonorarydegrees.

Thantreceivedhonorarydegrees(LL.D)fromCarletonUniversity,WilliamsCollege,PrincetonUniversity,MountHolyokeCollege,HarvardUniversity,DartmouthCollege,UniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley,UniversityofDenver,SwarthmoreCollege,NewYorkUniversity,MoscowUniversity,Queen'sUniversity,ColbyCollege,YaleUniversity,UniversityofWindsor,HamiltonCollege,FordhamUniversity,ManhattanCollege,UniversityofMichigan,DelhiUniversity,UniversityofLeeds,LouvainUniversity,UniversityofAlberta,BostonUniversity,RutgersUniversity,UniversityofDublin(TrinityCollege),LavalUniversity,ColumbiaUniversity,theUniversityofthePhilippines,andSyracuseUniversity.HealsoreceivedtheDoctorofDivinityfromTheFirstUniversalChurchDoctorofInternationalLawfromFloridaInternationalUniversityDoctorofLawsfromUniversityofHartfordDoctorofCivilLawsdegree,honoriscausafromColgateUniversityDoctorofHumaneLettersfromDukeUniversity.[41]

Inhismemory,SriChinmoy,theleaderoftheUNMeditationGroupfoundedbyThant,establishedtheUThantPeaceAwardwhichacknowledgesandhonorsindividualsororganizationsfordistinguishedaccomplishmentstowardtheattainmentofworldpeace.ThemeditationteamalsonamedatinyislandintheEastRiveroppositetheheadquartersoftheUnitedNationsUThantIsland.[42]TheroadJalanUThant(UThantRoad)andthetownshipTamanUThantinKualaLumpur,Malaysiaarealsonamedinhishonor.[43]

InDecember2013,inaneffortspearheadedbyhisdaughterAyeAyeThantandhisgrandsonThantMyintU,Thant'shouseinYangonwasbeingconvertedintoamuseumwhichwouldfeaturehisphotos,worksandpersonalbelongings.[44]InOctober2013,thebuildingofanUThantlibrarynearhisPantanawhousewasunderway.[45]

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1. ^abcdDorn2007,p.147.2. ^abBingham1966,p.29.3. ^abRobertH.Taylor,ed.(2008).Dr.MaungMaung:Gentleman,Scholar,Patriot.Instituteof

SoutheastAsianStudies.pp.211212.ISBN9789812304094.4. ^ThantMyintU(2011).WhereChinaMeetsIndia:BurmaandtheNewCrossroadofAsia.New

York:Farrar,StrausandGiroux.p.76.ISBN9780374984083.5. ^Bingham1966,p.32.6. ^abDorn2007,p.144.

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6. ^abDorn2007,p.144.7. ^Bingham1966,p.33.8. ^Franda,MarcusF.(2006).TheUnitedNationsinthe21stcentury:managementandreform

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10. ^Bingham1966,p.89.11. ^Bingham1966,p.93.12. ^Bingham1966,p.94.13. ^Bingham1966,p.97.14. ^abcdefgLewis2012.15. ^Naing,SawYan(January22,2009).RememberingUThantandHisAchievements

(http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14975) .TheIrrawaddy.16. ^abDorn2007,p.145.17. ^H.W.WilsonCompany(1962).Currentbiography,Volume23.H.W.WilsonCo.18. ^"1962InReview(http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Eventsof1962/1962Elections,

OtherEvents/122955094376577/#title) .UnitedPressInternational.19. ^Dorn&Pauk2009,p.265.20. ^Dorn&Pauk2012,p.80.21. ^"KennedyAgreestoTalksonThantPlan,KhrushchevAcceptsItBlockadeGoesOnRussian

TankerInterceptedandCleared"(http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/10/19/home/crisis26.html) .NewYorkTimes.October26,1962.Retrieved30May2014.

22. ^Dorn&Pauk2009,p.273.23. ^Dorn&Pauk2009,p.292.24. ^Dorn2007,p.161.25. ^GeirLundestad(2001)."TheNobelPeacePrize,19012000"

(http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/themes/peace/lundestadreview/) .NobelPrize.Retrieved24May2014.

26. ^ab"TheSecretaryGeneralDevelopmentsunderUThant,19611971"(http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/UnitedNations/TheSecretaryGeneralDEVELOPMENTSUNDERUTHANT19611971.html#b) .NationalEncyclopedia.Retrieved24May2014.

27. ^PermanentObserverMissionoftheHolySeetotheUnitedNations,Interventions(http://www.holyseemission.org/interventions.html)

28. ^Dorn2007,p.177.29. ^Rikhye,IndarJit(1980).TheSinaiblunder:withdrawaloftheUnitedNationsEmergencyForce

leadingtotheSixDayWarofJune1967.Routledge.ISBN9780714631363.30. ^"MiddleEastUNEF:Background"

(http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unef1backgr2.html) .UnitedNations.Retrieved23May2014.

31. ^Dennen,Leon(August12,1968).UThantSpeaksNoEvilonCzechCrisis(http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=ttEdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b0YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4623,4372187&dq=) .DailyNews.

32. ^Whitman,Alden(November26,1974)."UThantIsDeadofCancerat65UTThantIsDeadofCancerUnitedNationsMourns"TheNewYorkTimes.

33. ^Dunlap,DavidW."BronxResidentsFightingPlansOfaDeveloper"(http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D81731F935A25752C1A961948260) ,

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Primarysources

JuneBinghamBirge(1966).UThant:TheSearchforPeace.NewYork,UnitedStates:KnopfPublishingGroup.A.WalterDornandRobertPauk(April2009)."UnsungMediator:UThantandtheCubanMissileCrisis"(http://walterdorn.org/pub/144) .DiplomaticHistory33(2):261291.doi:10.1111/j.14677709.2008.00762.x(http://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.14677709.2008.00762.x) .LouisKriesberg,StuartJ.Thorson(1991).TimingtheDeescalationofInternationalConflicts.Syracuse,NewYork:SyracuseUniversityPress.ISBN0815625219.A.WalterDornandRobertPauk(November2012)."Theclosestbrush:HowaUNsecretarygeneralaverteddoomsday".BulletinoftheAtomicScientists68(6):7984.doi:10.1177/0096340212464363(http://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0096340212464363) .

(http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D81731F935A25752C1A961948260) ,TheNewYorkTimes,November16,1987.Accessed20080504."AbattlehasbrokenoutintheBronxoverthefutureofthepeacefulacreagewhereUThantlivedwhenheheadedtheUnitedNations.AgroupofneighborsfromRiverdaleandSpuytenDuyvilhasdemandedthatthecityacquireasapublicparkthe4.75acre(19,200m2)parcelknownastheDouglasUThantestate,northof232dStreet,betweenPalisadeandDouglasAvenues."

34. ^Dorn&Pauk2009,p.261.35. ^Asianalmanac,Volume13.(1975).s.n.p.6809.36. ^Smith,Martin(December6,2002)."GeneralNeWin"

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/dec/06/guardianobituaries) .TheGuardian(London).37. ^abSoewin,Henry(June17,2008).PeaceEludesUThant(http://www.asiantribune.com/?

q=node/11810) .AsianTribune.38. ^Bingham,June(1966).UThant:TheSearchForPeace.VictorGollancz.p.43.39. ^LettertoUThant/JamesE.McDonald.Tucson,Ariz.:J.E.McDonald,1967.2sDruffel,Ann

Firestorm:Dr.JamesE.McDonald'sFightforUFOScience2003,WildFlowerPressISBN0926524585

40. ^"ListoftherecipientsoftheJawaharlalNehruAward"(http://www.iccrindia.net/jnawardlist.html).ICCRIndia.Retrieved9June2014.

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43. ^ListofroadsinKualaLumpur44. ^KyawPhyoTha(December23,2013)."AtUThantsRangoonHome,anExhibittoInspire"

(http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/multimediaburma/uthantsrangoonhomeexhibitinspire.html).TheIrrawaddy.Retrieved9June2014.

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Lewis,TerranceL.(2012)."UThant".SalemPressBiographicalEncyclopedia:ResearchStarters.SalemPress.A.WalterDorn(2007).UThant:BuddhisminAction,inKille,Kent(ed.),TheUNSecretaryGeneralandMoralAuthority:EthicsandReligioninInternationalLeadership(http://walterdorn.org/pdf/UThantBuddhismInAction_Dorn_SGMoralAuthority_2007.pdf)

.Washington,DC:GeorgetownUniversityPress.ISBN9781589011809.

Furtherreading

BernardJ.Firestone(2001).TheUnitedNationsunderUThant,19611971.Metuchen,N.J:ScarecrowPress.ISBN0810837005.RamsesNassif(1988).UThantinNewYork,19611971:APortraitoftheThirdUNSecretaryGeneral.NewYork:St.Martin'sPress.ISBN0312021178.UThant(1978).ViewfromtheUN.GardenCity,N.Y:Doubleday.ISBN0385115415.

Externallinks

UNPhotosofUThant(http://www.un.org/av/photo/subjects/sg3.htm) fromtheUnitedNationswebsiteOfficialU.N.S.G.biography(http://www.un.org/Overview/SG/sg3bio.html) fromtheUnitedNationswebsite

Diplomaticposts

PrecededbyDagHammarskjld

SecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNations

19611971SucceededbyKurtWaldheim

Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U_Thant&oldid=636389696"

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