Thích Quảng Đức

<p>Thích Quảng Đức (<a href="/facts/Ch%25E1%25BB%25AF_H%25C3%25A1n/1aRhRRQU">chữ Hán</a>: 釋廣德, Vietnamese: [tʰǐk̟ kʷâːŋ ɗɨ̌k] ⓘ; born Lâm Văn Túc; c. 1897 – 11 June 1963) was a Vietnamese <a href="/facts/Mahayana/hxwvCFe3">Mahayana Buddhist</a> <a href="/facts/Bhikkhu/AX9w7Y1a">monk</a> who died by <a href="/facts/Self-immolation/pvBkM4P7">self-immolation</a> at a busy <a href="/facts/Ho_Chi_Minh_City/TyQxqTmQ">Saigon</a> road intersection on 11 June 1963. Quảng Đức was protesting <a href="/facts/Buddhist_crisis/xJ7265Hz">the persecution of Buddhists</a> by the <a href="/facts/South_Vietnam/2QwTFmzd">South Vietnamese</a> government of <a href="/facts/Ng%25C3%25B4_%25C4%2590%25C3%25ACnh_Di%25E1%25BB%2587m/m6pYmcEQ">Ngô Đình Diệm</a>, a staunch <a href="/facts/Catholic_Church_in_Vietnam/Xk2wcCX6">Catholic</a>. Photographs of his self-immolation circulated around the world, drawing attention to the policies of the Diệm government. <a href="/facts/John_F._Kennedy/1cdDaswg">John F. Kennedy</a> said of one photograph, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one". <a href="/facts/Malcolm_Browne/hUqTXtKb">Malcolm Browne</a> won the <a href="/facts/World_Press_Photo_of_the_Year/PprE7JMd">World Press Photo of the Year</a> for his photograph of the monk's death.
</p><p>Quảng Đức's act increased international pressure on Diệm and led him to promise reforms with the intention of mollifying the Buddhists. However, these reforms were not implemented, leading to a deterioration in the dispute. As protests continued, the <a href="/facts/Army_of_the_Republic_of_Vietnam_Special_Forces/WtFxgy37">ARVN Special Forces</a> loyal to Diệm's brother, <a href="/facts/Ng%25C3%25B4_%25C4%2590%25C3%25ACnh_Nhu/Sywjb6Bg">Ngô Đình Nhu</a>, launched <a href="/facts/X%25C3%25A1_L%25E1%25BB%25A3i_Pagoda_raids/jschgR37">raids across South Vietnam</a> on Buddhist <a href="/facts/Pagoda/KekTlSK1">pagodas</a>, seizing Quảng Đức's heart and causing deaths and widespread damage. Several Buddhist monks followed Quảng Đức's example, also immolating themselves. Eventually, <a href="/facts/1963_South_Vietnamese_coup_d%2527%25C3%25A9tat/vIwECNEX">a US-backed coup</a> toppled the also US-backed Diệm, who was <a href="/facts/Arrest_and_assassination_of_Ngo_Dinh_Diem/CrKpIV8d">assassinated</a> on 2 November 1963.
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Thích Quảng Đức