The U.S. Embassy in Yangon announced today that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has passed away, paying tribute to his efforts for world peace and human rights.
A devout man, former President Jimmy Carter served his public duties with integrity, compassion, and steadfast commitment, and worked to ensure free and fair elections and conflict resolution in Myanmar, the embassy said in a statement.
Jimmy Carter was a member of The Elders, a group of world leaders and influential figures who have contributed to Myanmar’s democracy. He personally visited Myanmar in April and September 2013 and met with leaders and civil society leaders. The Carter Center also monitored the 2015 Myanmar elections.
In an exclusive interview with VOA in 2007, the late U.S. President Jimmy Carter said that pressure on neighboring China and India would be necessary to bring about change in Myanmar.
In the 2000s, former President Jimmy Carter was an outspoken critic of the Burmese military government over human rights abuses, including the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta sent a five-member team to the Carter Foundation to try to improve relations.
State funerals for former President Jimmy Carter will be held in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia, on January 9, and the day will be declared a national day of mourning, President Joe Biden said.
