Thich Quang Duc

Thich Quang Duc was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who burnt himself to death on a busy intersection in Saigon on June 11, 1963. His act of self-immolation, which was repeated by others, was witnessed by David Halberstam, a New York Times reporter, who wrote:

I was to see that sight again, but once was enough. Flames were coming from a human being; his body was slowly withering and shriveling up, his head blackening and charring. In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think... . As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him.

Thich Quang Duc was protesting against the way the Catholic Diem administration, that reigned during the Vietnam War, was oppressing his religion.

References

• Self-Immolation of Thich Quang Duc, Rollie Hicks