Legacy

U Thant led the United Nations during one of the most dangerous decades of the Cold War, and his record is a mixed one that deserves to be read in full.

What he is remembered for

The Cuban Missile Crisis. In October 1962 he appealed publicly to both President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev for restraint and offered the UN as a channel for talks. Historians differ on how decisive his role was, but he is widely credited with giving both sides a way to step back without losing face.

Peacekeeping. The UN force in Cyprus, set up in 1964, is still deployed there. His years in office also covered the end of the UN operation in the Congo and a period when many former colonies joined the United Nations as new members.

The environment. Thant was among the first senior international figures to argue that pollution and the strain on natural resources were questions for the whole world, not just individual governments.

Criticism

His decision in May 1967 to withdraw the UN Emergency Force from Sinai at Egypt’s request was criticised by many who felt it cleared the way for the Six-Day War. Others argue he had no legal alternative once Egypt withdrew its consent. His persistent efforts to start talks to end the Vietnam War also drew criticism from the United States, which felt he was interfering.

The funeral

Burma’s military government gave Thant no official funeral. In December 1974 students seized his coffin and buried it on the site of the old Rangoon University Student Union. Troops removed it within days, and the protests that followed were put down. Many in Burma and abroad still see the episode as a symbol of how little regard the government had for his memory.