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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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
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