In other news...

[Richard M]

Two protesters set themselves alight outside the French embassy in London yesterday to show their opposition to the arrest of members of an Iranian opposition group. The men were protesting against raids on the People's Mujahedin of Iran in Paris.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/pol...p?story=417544

[grum1978]

Originally posted by Roger K
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/pol...p?story=417544

thats 4 this week now why do ppl do such things?

[bopdude]

Sorry BUT, as long as they dont get in the way or hurt anyone else or property let them get on with it. When they see that the world has had enough of their senseless waste of life ( because that is what it is ) they may stop being so fanatically brainwashed and stand up to their so called " leaders "

Could there be a more idiotic, stupid and selfish act! Selfish because they know someone will be there to try and rescue them.

[Delta Whiskey]

I can't see what they hope to achieve by these actions, surely they know that such senseless sacrifice won't change anything.

[Ramrod]

Originally posted by Delta Whiskey
I can't see what they hope to achieve by these actions, surely they know that such senseless sacrifice won't change anything.

desperation can make people do strange things

[Xaccers]

Anyone remember why the buddist monk did the same thing ages ago?

Originally posted by Gogogo
Could there be a more idiotic, stupid and selfish act! Selfish because they know someone will be there to try and rescue them.

I'm not so suree that's true. We have no real understanding of their upbringing, their beliefs or what really makes them 'tick'. If they were westerners, it might well be easier to accuse them of only doing it because they knew they would get rescued. I'm not so sure about these guys. I think they really believed what they were doing was in some way effective.

Don't get me wrong, I think they're quite misguided. I just think in trying to understand world affairs it's essential to understand how the other guy arrived at his point of view first.

Originally posted by Xaccers
Anyone remember why the buddist monk did the same thing ages ago?

EDIT - Phew, glad you found us Xaccers, I was beginning to think these threads would never be quite the same ...

[ronald146m]

Originally posted by Xaccers
Anyone remember why the buddist monk did the same thing ages ago?

Hi Xaccers

I certainly do.

The Buddhists of South Vietnam were having a hard time under the rule of President Diem.
Diem was a Catholic and favoured his own people.

The text in my book says:-

"On June 11, 1963, in Saigon, Quang Duc, a sixty-six-year-old Buddhist monk, drenched his body in gasoline, knelt down in a position of prayer, and set himself ablaze, commiting suicide as an act of protest. The pictures of Quang Duc were published in newspapers worldwide, setting off a furor of protest. The American ambassador at the time, the stately Henry Cabot Lodge, warned Diem that repression must cease if U.S. aid was to continue."

I've scanned a picture too.

btw
The correct name for one of these monks is a 'Bonze'.
Also this type of suicide is known as 'self-immolation'
(This information is bound to come in useful in a pub quiz - eventually)

The reason for these actions is to bring the world's attention to a problem.
In Vietnam then, in Iran now.

Best wishes

Ron

[Xaccers]

Happy to be here

Thanks for that Ron, very interesting information

[ronald146m]

Erm ...

When I said MY book, I don't mean that I wrote it - I'm not that good.



Ron