U Thant to be Honored with Statue in Nepal

A statue of former United Nations Secretary-General U Thant was unveiled in Lumbini in central Nepal on 17 May 2019, according to an announcement made by U Thant House, a museum dedicated to him in his former residence in Yangon.

The stone statue is an initiative of the Lumbini Development Committee.

U Thant, who was the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, visited Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, in April 1967. He was the first to suggest its development as an international pilgrimage site and symbol of tolerance and world peace. He said at the time that visiting the birthplace of the Buddha was “one of the most important days of [his] life.”

U Thant’s grandson, U Thant Myint U, will be present at the unveiling of the statue, alongside the president of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

Source: Irrawaddy Magazine (https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/u-thant-honored-statue-nepal.html)