4.4 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 27 November 2024
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
In June 1963, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk died after setting himself on fire in protest against the Catholic South Vietnamese government.
Malcolm Brown's photograph of Thich Quang Duc's burning body became one of the most famous images of the 20th century.
Sister Chan Khong witnessed the protest. She spoke to Lucy Burns in 2013.
Some listeners may find this programme disturbing.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Sister Chang Khong. Credit: Getty Images)
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0:00.0 | You are about to listen to a BBC podcast and I'd like to tell you a bit about what goes into making one. |
0:06.5 | I'm Sadata Sese, an assistant commissioner of podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
0:11.1 | I pull a lot of levers to support a diverse range of podcasts on all sorts of subjects, |
0:16.0 | relationships, identity, comedy, even one that mixes poetry, music and inner city life. |
0:22.4 | So one day I'll be helping host develop their ideas, the next fact-checking, a feature, |
0:28.3 | and the next looking at how a podcast connects with its audience, and maybe that's you. |
0:33.6 | So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds. |
0:47.3 | Hello and welcome to the Witness History podcast from the BBC World Service. |
0:53.0 | We're taking you back six decades to the shocking sight of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk setting himself on fire in protest against the Catholic South Vietnamese government. |
0:59.0 | In 2013, Lucy Burns spoke to a nun who witnessed the disturbing scene. |
1:04.8 | It's June the 11th, 1963, and a group of Buddhists have called a demonstration in central Saigon. |
1:11.2 | An elderly monk called Tick-Quang Duck steps out of a small blue car |
1:15.2 | and sits cross-legged on the tarmac. |
1:17.8 | Associated press photographer Malcolm Brown is shooting a role of film |
1:21.0 | and captures what happens next. |
1:23.0 | Two young monks came over quite rapidly with a Jerry Kanig poured over the old monk |
1:27.3 | and stepped back and then |
1:29.4 | he instantly was enveloped in flame |
1:32.2 | I just kept shooting and shooting and shooting |
1:35.2 | and that protected me from the horror of the thing |
1:38.6 | the smell of the burning flesh |
1:41.0 | the expression of anguish |
... |
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