U Thant, the former UN Secretary General and one of the most respected 20th-century Burmese statesmen, is buried here. A chapter in The River of Lost Footsteps by his grandson Thant Myint-U recounts the horrific details of U Thant's burial in 1969 when students fought with the military and riots led to hundreds of dead, many more imprisoned and martial law being imposed.
To learn more about U Thant visit his former home, U Thant House.