Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist Monk from Hue, Vietnam, had sent letters to member of the community and the government about why he was going to burn himself. He did not like the way that the Catholic Dieme Regime was treating them and was trying to make a point. The South Vietnam monks had sent a letter to the government explaining what they wanted. They wanted the ban on Buddhist that were practicing to be lifted. They wanted Buddhist to stop being detained. They wanted Buddhist to have the same rights as Catholics and to be able to spread their religion without facing any punishment. They also wanted the government to pay for compensations toward the families of the victims and punishment be given to those that had murdered them. These request though were not followed.
On June 11, 1963 history would be made. Thich Quang Duc got out of a car in the middle of a busy intersection in downtown Saigon, Vietnam and sat down. He had two people pour gasoline all over him and then he ignited the match. A reporter from the New York Times by the name of David Halberstam was covering the Vietnam War and happened to be there when this happened. He described Thich Quang Duc as not moving as he was burning. He described him not making a sound either. His death was described as a holy suicide. He sixty seven years old when he died, The event sparked national attention and a picture appeared on John F, Kennedy's desk that very same day. After his death more monks also burned themselves.
This issue is very important because the novel The Things They Carried took place during this time. I think this topic gives you a better understanding of how harsh the conditions were and the actions that people were willing to take to get things to change. I think this subject will show you the horrors that soldiers had to go through.
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| Thich Quang Mich burning himself |
I find it amazing that this man and many others had the courage to die in a horrific way to fight for what they believe in. There are very few people in the world who would do something like this. I am also fascinated at how this man was able to burn to death without moving and in silence. I wonder what kind of training they had to go through to do this? Do they just meditate to the point where they feel nothing in the physical world, or do they also train to stand against extreme heat?
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't think killing yourself is ever the answer, the commitment, and or dedication that these monks had for their cause is incredible.
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