Thích Quảng Đức Self-Immolation (1963) Thích Quảng Đức was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who, on this day in 1963, burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection to protest the... NSFW

Thích Quảng Đức Self-Immolation (1963)

Tue Jun 11, 1963

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Image: Thích Quảng Đức's self-immolation during the Buddhist crisis in Vietnam. Photo taken by American Malcolm Browne, who won the 1963 World Press Photo of the Year for a similar photo. [Wikipedia]

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Thích Quảng Đức was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who, on this day in 1963, burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection to protest the persecution of Buddhists by the West-backed dictatorship of Ngô Đình Diệm.

Diệm was a Catholic ruling over a majority Buddhist country, and his government favored Catholics in public service, military promotions, and the allocation of land, business, and tax concessions.

Photographs of Thích Quảng Đức self-immolation were circulated widely around the world and brought attention to the oppressive policies of the Diệm government. Quảng Đức's act increased international pressure on Diệm and led him to announce reforms in an attempt to appease the Buddhists.

The promised reforms were not implemented, however, leading to inflamed tensions and Diệm's eventual assassination on November 2nd, 1963.

Quảng Đức's body was re-cremated during the funeral, but his heart was kept intact and not burned. Some Buddhists considered the heart to be holy and had it placed in a glass chalice at Xá Lợi Pagoda, regarding it as a symbol of compassion.

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• Date: 1963-06-11
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, time.com.
• Tags: #Assassinations.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org