Jun 11, 2019, 06:15AM IST

Source: TOI.in

Thich Quang Duc was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who immolated himself on 11 June 1963. He was protesting against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government led by Ngo Dinh Diem. The immolation was considered to be an act of defiance against a corrupt government. Thich's story starts on May 8, 1963, at a Buddhist celebration in the city of Hue. It was Phat Dan, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, and more than 500 people had taken to the streets waving Buddhist flags and celebrating. In Vietnam, however, this was a crime. it was under the rule of a Roman Catholic, President Ngo Dinh Diem, who had made it a law that no one could display a religious flag. The holiday turned into a protest, with a growing crowd coming out to demand equal treatment for Buddhists. The army was brought out to keep the peace, but things got out of the hand. Soon the army opened fire on the crowd, leaving nine dead. Not only that on 10 June 1963, but around 350 monks and nuns also marched in two phalanxes. They surrounded Thich Quang Duc who burned himself to death.