Ngo Dinh Diem The Burning Monk
The Ultimate Sacrifice On June 11th, 1963, one man in the town of Saigon, South Vietnam took his own life to protest the religious oppression he and his fellow Buddhists were facing. Their plea to end the suffering was caught on camera by a man named Malcom Browne, an Associated Press photographer in South Vietnam at the time. Leading up to this point in time, leader of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, dedicated South Vietnam to the catholic church, when 70-90% of the country was Buddhist (Gale). Lindsay informs readers that religious differences triggered discriminatory laws against all Buddhists, which eventually led to Diem banning the Buddhist flag completely, spring of 1963. Anger intensified in the oppressed citizens and the protests escalated.
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In a rally against the banning of the flag, police fired into the crowd, killing nine, and wounding 14. This event sparked hunger strikes and more violent protests, but nothing seemed to make Diem budge. On June 11th, Duc and over 350 Buddhist monks and nuns marched onto one of Saigons busiest streets and blocked all traffic for the ultimate sacrifice. While the crowds held off police, Duc doused himself in gasoline, lit a match, and let the flames consume him (Lindsay).
In the photograph, “The Burning Monk”, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the chaotic and uncontrollable flames consuming Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc.
The right side of the man can be seen fairly clearly and he is sitting in the traditional, meditative lotus position with his legs crossed. Despite his skin beginning to char, Duc’s face is one of peace and acceptance, patience and purpose. His composure shows that this is an act of suicide and he is not trying to escape the flames. Feelings of shock and dismay are evoked due to the gruesome, yet beautiful features of the burning man, and questions of the monk’s motives begin the surface as one examines the rest of the photograph. A ring of other monks surround the burning man, all wearing the same traditional robe as Duc. The crowd portrays a wide range of emotions with some faces set like stone, others shocked or crying. A few monks are beginning to bow, showing respect to their priest and fellow Buddhist for giving the ultimate sacrifice, his own life, but no one seems to be trying to stop the flames from consuming the man. This protest seems to be planned, and the contrast between the chaotic crowd and the peaceful, burning man is tremendous. Duc’s bravery and peace show purpose in his protest during a time of religious oppression in South Vietnam. The patience the monk demonstrates as he is being burned alive, communicates his desire for change in his society. This surfaces questions of what pushed such a peaceful man, to such drastic measures, to communicate the need for change. Confusion erupts as one wonders what needs to
changed. Photographs taken by an Associated Press photographer, Malcom Browne, of Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation spread rapidly in june of 1963. According to RPH, the photos were featured on the front pages of newspapers and magazines worldwide within days of the event. During the 1960’s, Browne's photos were sold as postcards in Europe, and China, a communist country at the time, distributed the photos through Africa and Asia as evidence of “US Imperialism”, due to the US’ involvement in South Vietnam at the time. Not only did Browne’s photos spread like wildfire, they received numerous awards as well (Lindsay). Browne won the award for World Press photo of the Year in 1963, and his photo “remains among the most famous (and haunting) images from the Vietnam War” (Lindsay). RPH also states that his photo won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963, and despite the time that has passed, his photos of the monk’s sacrifice have been reproduced in media for decades. The still was used as an album cover in 1992 for the band, “Rage Against the Machines”, and has been referenced in many films as well (Wikipedia can we use wiki???). Browne’s photos of Thich Quang Duc generated extreme shock and outrage in the public due to its rapid publication. Appearing of newspaper covers the following morning, people were stunned by the gruesome beauty of the sacrifice. President John F. Kennedy, when seeing the newspaper, exclaimed, “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion round the world as that one” (Lindsay). America was used to seeing news about the crises in Vietnam, considering the fact that during this time period, they were in the middle of aiding South Vietnam in the Vietnam war. Everyone knew tensions were high in Vietnam, but they didn't know to what extent, until now. Browne’s photos stunned millions of people within hours of the event, and according to Lindsay, a US embassy official expressed that the photo “had a shock effect of incalculable value to the Buddhist cause, becoming a symbol of the state of things in Vietnam”. These photos proved how extreme the Buddhist crisis was becoming, and not only stunned American readers, but the public worldwide. Back at home in South Vietnam, chaos filled the cities as many other monks resorted to self-immolation to protest the religious oppressions still being placed on them by their leader, Ngo Dinh Diem. Anger grew and protests escalated in Vietnam as Diem refused to acknowledge the Buddhists pleas for freedom. Diem began using his own troops to arrest and imprison over 100,000 Buddhists from cities like Hue and Saigon (Cope). Distraught, the monks began committed self-immolation in alarming numbers.. Gale explained that about two months after the act, another monk set himself on fire in Phan Thiet, South Vietnam, just miles outside of the city Duc sacrificed himself in. A Buddhist nun also set herself on fire in the city of Hue, home to Duc’s pogoda, in the following months of the Buddhist crisis. The monks in Vietnam felt there was no other way to bring attention to the policies of Diem's government, so the suicide rates grew. As the rates went up in Vietnam, so did the rates in America. In 1965, “four Americans set themselves on fire to protest U.S. involvement in the vietnam war”, as did a monk living in North Carolina to protest religious rights for his home country (Gale). Self-immolation spread to the US as the crisis in Vietnam grew, and showed no signs of slowing. As the protests escalated in Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy began to reconsider the support and aid he was providing for Diem in protection of infiltration by Communist, North Vietnam. Having American advisors in South Vietnam, Kennedy hoped their fighting performances would improve,bringing the insurgency under control (Jones), but Cope explains that JFK, along with much of the population, questioned Diem’s regime, and how it could drive such peaceful Buddhists to go to such an extreme measure as self-immolation. As Diem refused to find a way to stop the protests, the US government found it very difficult to continue the support they were giving him. According to Cope, “Diem refused, outrageously claiming yet again that the communist infiltration lay behind the Buddhist protests”. Diem, part of the Catholic minority, believed the Buddhists were behind everything due to their religious differences. No matter how violent protests became, or how hard the US president bargained, Diem would not budge, and with his increasingly dictatorial rule, America lost their patience. With Diem’s relentless refusal to change, president JFK, with the help of his advisors, decided a change in government was the only way to improve the war effort and help facilitate the US’ withdrawal from Vietnam (Jones). University Research Professor and author, Howard Jones, describes the Vietnam war as “unwinnable”, and that Kennedy wanted to pull his advisors out of there as soon as possible. Diem was uncooperative and no longer useful to the US, so as the Buddhist crisis deepened, (non-communist) Vietnamese Generals met with American officials and organized a coup to overthrow Diem. This Day in History reveals that President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother were captured on November 1st 1963, and assassinated the following morning by Vietnamese Army General Duong Van Minh and his “co-conspirators”. Though Kennedy did not directly assassinate Diem, he did look the other way as his officials encouraged Vietnam to go through with their plans, hoping the assassination would set forth his plan to pull the US from Vietnam completely. With Diem’s death, Vietnam plunged into political chaos, forcing the US to become more involved, rather than withdrawing. Although Diem’s assassination caused celebration among many citizens of South Vietnam, their government was falling apart. This Day in History explains that the US became heavily involved in South Vietnam to stabilize their government and hold back the communist rebels who started infiltrating the South the second Diem’s death became public. Though the US denied their involvement in the assassination, it was later revealed that Kennedy felt obligated to mend South Vietnam’s political chaos because of their promotion of the coup. Kennedy’s plans to bring the troops home immediately became impossible. Many Americans did not agree with Kennedy’s involvement in the Vietnam war, and as the US became even more tied to South Vietnam, many citizens became angered. Kennedy was assassinated three weeks after Diem, and although the true reason behind his death can never be revealed, involvement in Vietnam is one of the many conspiracies behind it (Jones). Some people believe it was just a citizen who disagreed with Kennedy's ways, but some believe it was actually the CIA who orchestrated Kennedy's death. Lee Harvey Oswald, Kennedy's assassin, never went to trial because a local nightclub owner shot and mortally wounded Oswald on the way to jail. The reasons behind Kennedy's assassination died with him that evening in the same hospital Kennedy passed away in just days before. On June 11th, 1963, a brave Buddhist monk set himself aflame for the whole world to see. The photo of this event, taken by Malcom Browne, illustrated the extremity of the protests against religious oppression Buddhists were facing during Diem's reign. This single photo set off a catastrophic chain of events all around the world. Not only did it bring light to the the crises in South Vietnam, generating shock and outrage worldwide, but it set an example for Buddhists everywhere. As the US questioned their support of the country, protests in Vietnam grew, leading Kennedy to look the other way as a coup rushed into the country and assassinated their leader Ngo Dihn Diem. In the weeks following the assassination, the US became more heavily involved in South Vietnam, contrary to Kennedy's hopes of withdrawal. Shocking the entire nation, this chain of events is believed by some to have led to Kennedy's assassination just three weeks after Diem’s.
In a rally against the banning of the flag, police fired into the crowd, killing nine, and wounding 14. This event sparked hunger strikes and more violent protests, but nothing seemed to make Diem budge. On June 11th, Duc and over 350 Buddhist monks and nuns marched onto one of Saigons busiest streets and blocked all traffic for the ultimate sacrifice. While the crowds held off police, Duc doused himself in gasoline, lit a match, and let the flames consume him (Lindsay).
In the photograph, “The Burning Monk”, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the chaotic and uncontrollable flames consuming Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc.
The right side of the man can be seen fairly clearly and he is sitting in the traditional, meditative lotus position with his legs crossed. Despite his skin beginning to char, Duc’s face is one of peace and acceptance, patience and purpose. His composure shows that this is an act of suicide and he is not trying to escape the flames. Feelings of shock and dismay are evoked due to the gruesome, yet beautiful features of the burning man, and questions of the monk’s motives begin the surface as one examines the rest of the photograph. A ring of other monks surround the burning man, all wearing the same traditional robe as Duc. The crowd portrays a wide range of emotions with some faces set like stone, others shocked or crying. A few monks are beginning to bow, showing respect to their priest and fellow Buddhist for giving the ultimate sacrifice, his own life, but no one seems to be trying to stop the flames from consuming the man. This protest seems to be planned, and the contrast between the chaotic crowd and the peaceful, burning man is tremendous. Duc’s bravery and peace show purpose in his protest during a time of religious oppression in South Vietnam. The patience the monk demonstrates as he is being burned alive, communicates his desire for change in his society. This surfaces questions of what pushed such a peaceful man, to such drastic measures, to communicate the need for change. Confusion erupts as one wonders what needs to
changed. Photographs taken by an Associated Press photographer, Malcom Browne, of Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation spread rapidly in june of 1963. According to RPH, the photos were featured on the front pages of newspapers and magazines worldwide within days of the event. During the 1960’s, Browne's photos were sold as postcards in Europe, and China, a communist country at the time, distributed the photos through Africa and Asia as evidence of “US Imperialism”, due to the US’ involvement in South Vietnam at the time. Not only did Browne’s photos spread like wildfire, they received numerous awards as well (Lindsay). Browne won the award for World Press photo of the Year in 1963, and his photo “remains among the most famous (and haunting) images from the Vietnam War” (Lindsay). RPH also states that his photo won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963, and despite the time that has passed, his photos of the monk’s sacrifice have been reproduced in media for decades. The still was used as an album cover in 1992 for the band, “Rage Against the Machines”, and has been referenced in many films as well (Wikipedia can we use wiki???). Browne’s photos of Thich Quang Duc generated extreme shock and outrage in the public due to its rapid publication. Appearing of newspaper covers the following morning, people were stunned by the gruesome beauty of the sacrifice. President John F. Kennedy, when seeing the newspaper, exclaimed, “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion round the world as that one” (Lindsay). America was used to seeing news about the crises in Vietnam, considering the fact that during this time period, they were in the middle of aiding South Vietnam in the Vietnam war. Everyone knew tensions were high in Vietnam, but they didn't know to what extent, until now. Browne’s photos stunned millions of people within hours of the event, and according to Lindsay, a US embassy official expressed that the photo “had a shock effect of incalculable value to the Buddhist cause, becoming a symbol of the state of things in Vietnam”. These photos proved how extreme the Buddhist crisis was becoming, and not only stunned American readers, but the public worldwide. Back at home in South Vietnam, chaos filled the cities as many other monks resorted to self-immolation to protest the religious oppressions still being placed on them by their leader, Ngo Dinh Diem. Anger grew and protests escalated in Vietnam as Diem refused to acknowledge the Buddhists pleas for freedom. Diem began using his own troops to arrest and imprison over 100,000 Buddhists from cities like Hue and Saigon (Cope). Distraught, the monks began committed self-immolation in alarming numbers.. Gale explained that about two months after the act, another monk set himself on fire in Phan Thiet, South Vietnam, just miles outside of the city Duc sacrificed himself in. A Buddhist nun also set herself on fire in the city of Hue, home to Duc’s pogoda, in the following months of the Buddhist crisis. The monks in Vietnam felt there was no other way to bring attention to the policies of Diem's government, so the suicide rates grew. As the rates went up in Vietnam, so did the rates in America. In 1965, “four Americans set themselves on fire to protest U.S. involvement in the vietnam war”, as did a monk living in North Carolina to protest religious rights for his home country (Gale). Self-immolation spread to the US as the crisis in Vietnam grew, and showed no signs of slowing. As the protests escalated in Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy began to reconsider the support and aid he was providing for Diem in protection of infiltration by Communist, North Vietnam. Having American advisors in South Vietnam, Kennedy hoped their fighting performances would improve,bringing the insurgency under control (Jones), but Cope explains that JFK, along with much of the population, questioned Diem’s regime, and how it could drive such peaceful Buddhists to go to such an extreme measure as self-immolation. As Diem refused to find a way to stop the protests, the US government found it very difficult to continue the support they were giving him. According to Cope, “Diem refused, outrageously claiming yet again that the communist infiltration lay behind the Buddhist protests”. Diem, part of the Catholic minority, believed the Buddhists were behind everything due to their religious differences. No matter how violent protests became, or how hard the US president bargained, Diem would not budge, and with his increasingly dictatorial rule, America lost their patience. With Diem’s relentless refusal to change, president JFK, with the help of his advisors, decided a change in government was the only way to improve the war effort and help facilitate the US’ withdrawal from Vietnam (Jones). University Research Professor and author, Howard Jones, describes the Vietnam war as “unwinnable”, and that Kennedy wanted to pull his advisors out of there as soon as possible. Diem was uncooperative and no longer useful to the US, so as the Buddhist crisis deepened, (non-communist) Vietnamese Generals met with American officials and organized a coup to overthrow Diem. This Day in History reveals that President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother were captured on November 1st 1963, and assassinated the following morning by Vietnamese Army General Duong Van Minh and his “co-conspirators”. Though Kennedy did not directly assassinate Diem, he did look the other way as his officials encouraged Vietnam to go through with their plans, hoping the assassination would set forth his plan to pull the US from Vietnam completely. With Diem’s death, Vietnam plunged into political chaos, forcing the US to become more involved, rather than withdrawing. Although Diem’s assassination caused celebration among many citizens of South Vietnam, their government was falling apart. This Day in History explains that the US became heavily involved in South Vietnam to stabilize their government and hold back the communist rebels who started infiltrating the South the second Diem’s death became public. Though the US denied their involvement in the assassination, it was later revealed that Kennedy felt obligated to mend South Vietnam’s political chaos because of their promotion of the coup. Kennedy’s plans to bring the troops home immediately became impossible. Many Americans did not agree with Kennedy’s involvement in the Vietnam war, and as the US became even more tied to South Vietnam, many citizens became angered. Kennedy was assassinated three weeks after Diem, and although the true reason behind his death can never be revealed, involvement in Vietnam is one of the many conspiracies behind it (Jones). Some people believe it was just a citizen who disagreed with Kennedy's ways, but some believe it was actually the CIA who orchestrated Kennedy's death. Lee Harvey Oswald, Kennedy's assassin, never went to trial because a local nightclub owner shot and mortally wounded Oswald on the way to jail. The reasons behind Kennedy's assassination died with him that evening in the same hospital Kennedy passed away in just days before. On June 11th, 1963, a brave Buddhist monk set himself aflame for the whole world to see. The photo of this event, taken by Malcom Browne, illustrated the extremity of the protests against religious oppression Buddhists were facing during Diem's reign. This single photo set off a catastrophic chain of events all around the world. Not only did it bring light to the the crises in South Vietnam, generating shock and outrage worldwide, but it set an example for Buddhists everywhere. As the US questioned their support of the country, protests in Vietnam grew, leading Kennedy to look the other way as a coup rushed into the country and assassinated their leader Ngo Dihn Diem. In the weeks following the assassination, the US became more heavily involved in South Vietnam, contrary to Kennedy's hopes of withdrawal. Shocking the entire nation, this chain of events is believed by some to have led to Kennedy's assassination just three weeks after Diem’s.