University Diamond - Architect of World Peace U Thant (4)

11. Myanmar Ambassador to the United Nations

U Thant went international as the Prime Minister's Secretary. U Thant had to accompany U Nu wherever he went. In 1952, U Thant led the Burmese delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. U Thant had never worn Western European clothing before. He had never worn European clothing until 1952, when he first went to the United Nations. That year, whenever he had to go abroad, he had the opportunity to wear Western European clothing. He had to.

In 1955, U Thant built a house in the Windermere neighborhood. However, U Thant did not live in the house. The house was a beautiful, elegant building. It was painted yellow.

It was clean and comfortable to live in. Later, the house was rented out to a foreigner.

In 1951, U Thant visited England and had the opportunity to meet the writer Maurice Collis. Maurice Collis

He was a famous writer who wrote books such as The Sun Kings and The Yodaya Guide. He wrote many books, including these books, based on the knowledge he gained from serving as a minister in Burma for many years. U Thant, who was deeply attached to literature, was very happy to meet Maurice Collis.

U Thant accompanied U Nu on his trip, and he became acquainted with many of the country's leaders. U Thant visited Soviet Russia in 1954, where he was still the prime minister.

He became friends with General Secretary Khrushchev, who was the General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. At the same time, U Thant also met and became close friends with Soviet Communist Party leaders Leon Trotsky and Alexei Kosygin.

Brezhnev would later become the General Secretary of the Communist Party and Kosygin would become the Prime Minister. During U Thant's visit to China, U Thant met Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, leaders of the People's Republic of China. That same year (December 1954), U Thant also visited North Vietnam.

He had arrived in Hanoi with U Nu. U Thant knew the leader Ho Chi Minh well. U Thant wrote an article in the Guardian magazine in September 1955 about how Israelis had flocked to touch the clothes of Burmese visitors and greeted them warmly.

In the spirit of international friendship, leaders such as Boris Yeltsin and Khrushchev from the Soviet Union, Chou En-lai from the People's Republic of China, Ho Chi Minh from North Vietnam, Nehru from India, Tito from Yugoslavia, and Richard Nixon, Dulles, and Stevenson from the United States visited Burma on a reciprocal basis. U Thant was treated with great hospitality by his friends. After the 1956 general election, U Nu was appointed as the chairman of the ARF and handed over the position of Prime Minister to U Ba Swe. Despite the change in the Prime Minister, U Thant continued to serve as the Prime Minister's Secretary.

When U Ba Swe, as Prime Minister, went to the Socialist Conference in Bombay, India, and the Colombo Conference in New Delhi, U Thant accompanied him as the Prime Minister's aide. In 1957, U Nu appointed U Thant as Permanent Representative to the United Nations. U Thant accepted the position without hesitation.

U Thant's wife, Daw Thein Tin, does not want to go abroad... However, she is determined to go wherever her husband goes. U Thant is happy that he will go abroad to serve. Daw Thein Tin's health is very bad and weak. Therefore, Daw Thein Tin will be treated by good doctors from abroad. In addition, by going abroad, she will have time to take care of her children's education and health. But in Myanmar, she has been waiting for U Nu's call and has not had time...

U Thant is also almost done with staying in Yangon. The APF is about to split in two. The arguments within the group are deafening. U Nu is on one side, U Ba Swe is on the other. U Thant does not see this splintered group. Since U Thant was not originally interested in party politics, he does not see this kind of power struggle. If the APF splits, he has no desire to follow either side. In such a situation, going abroad is the only way to calm down. He will be happy.

It was only when U Thant was no longer with us that we realized his value. Three people were chosen to serve as U Nu's secretary to Prime Minister U Thant. Two of them refused the position. The other resigned after only a few months.

U Thant, along with his wife Daw Thein Tin, daughter Aye Aye Thant, and son Tin Maung Thant, left Mingalar Don Airport for New York, USA, on a PA plane.

As he boarded the plane, he greeted his three younger brothers, U Khant, U Thaung, and U Tin Maung, who had always trusted and loved him, as well as his mother, Daw Nan Thaung, officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Information Department, and the Prime Minister's Office. He had begun a long journey away from his homeland. On the way, Daw Thein Tin, who disliked flying, could not sleep. His son and daughter were also very active. Although U Thant was used to flying, he could not sleep well.

New York City is a very crowded and noisy city. The U Thant family did not have many difficulties in New York. The three of them, U Thant and his son, could speak English fluently, so the language was not difficult to communicate with.

U Thant and his family rent a house on East 72nd Street in New York City. The Myanmar Permanent Mission to the United Nations is a small but busy body. There are seven major groups in the UN General Assembly. Each group is represented by a rotating membership. U Thant and his delegation are responsible for communicating the views of Myanmar and its government to the UN member states.

It is also important to try to make the American public understand Burma better. U Thant, as the Burmese ambassador to the United Nations, visited American universities and gave speeches to raise awareness about Burma. The Burmese delegation to the United Nations was constantly in contact with Burma, requesting instructions, and sometimes U Thant had to act on his own initiative.

``After the split of the AFPFL in 1958, General Ne Win's caretaker government took over to maintain the country's status quo.

arrived. General Ne Win did not change the Myanmar delegation to the UN. The original appointments were continued. When U Thant had to deal with many leaders of various countries in the UN, he found them unpleasant and unpleasant. When U Thant was young, he could not stand to see a group of people called politicians. Now, he was dissatisfied and dissatisfied with the behavior of a group of people called heads of state at the UN. In October 1958, in a speech held in New York City, U Thant criticized the undesirable behavior of some leaders of countries who spoke their minds but did not act.

U Thant had spent a long time as a teacher. During that journey, he had the freedom to say what he wanted to say. He was allowed to write what he wanted to write. But now it was different. U Thant was now a diplomat at the United Nations. He had reached a point where he had to consider and negotiate the three elements of diplomacy when speaking. When U Nu’s first government came to power in 1960, U Thant was appointed as Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations. Now, U Thant is a member of the Asia-Africa Group. He is also the chairman of the United Nations Development Fund. He is also a member of the Algerian Independence Committee. U Thant is respected by many representatives of various countries at the United Nations. If we look for the main reason why U Thant is loved and respected, one of the reasons is his friendly smile and friendly demeanor.

U Thant's demeanor, which is often used to solve every problem, is also the second reason why he is loved by people. U Thant is also a very eloquent person. When discussing international affairs, he does not give long speeches that would bore the listeners. He often speaks briefly and concisely, with a sense of humor. This is probably one of the reasons why U Thant, the UN Ambassador from Myanmar, became well-known and prominent.

In 1961, U Thant attended the Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with then Prime Minister U Nu. At that time, U Thant's book Pyidaw Tha Kree had already been published in Myanmar, and the book was already being distributed to universities and schools in Myanmar by the Myanmar Translation Society (Sayyar Beeman).

12. U Thant's journey to Pyitaw

In compiling the book Pyidawthar Kee, U Thant's aim was to present to the Burmese people the struggle for independence and national unity of Burma without exaggeration. In fact, the Union of Burma had been a sovereign state since January 4, 1948, but there was no book on the history of the struggle for independence. U Thant was aware of this. U Thant had a desire to compile a book that was needed. While this desire was developing, U Thant's friend U Nu, who was the Prime Minister at the time, advised him to compile a book on the struggle for independence that would reflect the history of the present-day Burma.

U Thant collected all the relevant documents, printed books, speeches, and reports for this book, and then, in his free time, he worked tirelessly on the book, titled Pyidawthar Kee. By mid-1954, U Thant had completed the first volume of the book. He presented the manuscript to some of the country’s leaders who had participated in the independence struggle and the revolutionary movement. Later in 1954, U Thant returned to Burma after traveling internationally on government duties.

Then he continued writing the second part of the book, Pyitawsara Kee.

The second volume of the book was completed in 1956. While U Thant was still writing the third volume, he was appointed as Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations in New York City.

While working on the UN and giving speeches and broadcasting about Burma, he wrote the third volume of the book as he was able. He finished the third volume before the end of 1958. This is stated in the preface to U Thant’s book “Pyidaw Tha Kree.”

“In compiling and writing this book entitled ‘The Journey of the Country’, I admit that it is impossible to accurately and completely present the entire great Burmese endeavor.

“I sincerely believe that such a comprehensive compilation can only be achieved through the use of literature collection centers found in major countries, modern libraries with easy-to-search tables, constant communication and exchange of information with various departments, and a full complement of researchers who will help and support the search.”

"Therefore, if additional content is needed in this book, it will be based on the information and will have meaning."

"If there is any mistake in the compilation, it is entirely the responsibility of the author." In describing the author's intention, U Thant wrote in this same speech: "In compiling this book, only

The purpose of this article is to present the great work of the Burmese effort to the Burmese people without further ado. The aim is that they will be able to appreciate the impact of such a great effort and keep their eyes on the goal of the Burmese people.

If they can understand the power of such efforts and the nature of their goals, they will understand the power of unity and the appeal of correct ideology. If the readers of this book can understand this, the author's main purpose will be fulfilled.

"We will succeed." U Thant's book Pyidawthar Kee consists of three volumes: Volume One, Volume Two, and Volume Three. The first volume covers the period from the loss of Myanmar's independence to the year 1948, when it regained independence.

In the first volume of Pyidawthar Kee, U Thant writes as follows, which will inspire readers to read about the patriotic Burmese who fought against the loss of independence and showed their determination to not let the flag fall, even if it means leaving the boat behind.

The Revolutions, (On November 30, 1885, the 8th day of the full moon of Ta Saung Mone, 1247 Burmese calendar, the British officers captured King Thibaw, his two queens, and some high officials and took them from Rangoon to Madras and from there to Ratanagiri in Bombay. With these events, the whole of Burma fell under the British rule. From that day on, Burma faced a period of complete desolation, desolation, desolation, and desolation. In that year, Burma was transformed into a territory under the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, "to be administered by the Governor-General of India and the Governor-General of India, as may be specially appointed from time to time by the King."

At that time, Queen Victoria was ruling Britain. Although they were defeated due to unequal military power, the Burmese people gritted their teeth and endured, but in their hearts they did not give up. They tried in various ways to regain their lost independence.

Revolutionary battles were fought all over the country. However, an organized revolution was not possible. They could not find a leader who could unite the revolutionary forces scattered throughout the country. Even so, the Burmese patriots formed small organizations and fought fearlessly and with great courage. They continued to fight the revolutionary war for two decades. The revolutionary groups often attacked and drove away British military camps and even managed to control some cities. The general public welcomed the Burmese heroes with joy. They generously helped them. When the revolution faced difficulties, the general public kept the guerrilla heroes in secret.

In this way, the armies that had taken over the country were in constant fear day and night. Once, a large army of thirty-two thousand soldiers, commanded by two major generals and six brigadier generals, was sent to the battlefield to fight against the heroes of the Burmese revolution. In this era of continuous resistance, with the determination to "not give up, not to give in, to the bone, to the skin," Bo Min Rauang and others

The revolutionary generals became famous. In central Burma, the British troops particularly feared the name of General Min Rau.

The great Burmese national leader General Aung San, who was associated with World War II and the independence of the Union, is a descendant of the aforementioned Burmese hero, General Min Rau, which is a remarkable event in Burmese history. After the British occupied Burma, the British issued a proclamation on January 1, 1886, declaring that “Peace and order prevail in Burma. Peace and order prevail as before,” but even the British records show that serious and unspeakable evils had emerged.

If I may give one example, when the Governor-General arrived in the golden city of Mandalay, the senior officials of the Myanmar Parliament stood with stern faces, did not bow, did not participate in the ceremony, and did not take off their shoes in the presence of the Governor-General. Such behavior of the Burmese people is very meaningful. It clearly showed the Burmese spirit of “let the boat remain, let the flag be changed” to those who forcibly took over the country. At that time, Burma

The revolutionary leaders gathered all the weapons and fought with all the manpower they could, but there was no leader who could rally them together.

There was no one from the center to inspire the revolutionary spirit to emerge. There was no hope or goal. The British, who were ruling the country, had a huge military force, so after more than 5 or 6 years, we could see that the country was in peace and order.