Quote Originally Posted by FunkyDexter
It was just the one monk and he was protesting against the South Vietnamese governments represssion of the budhist religion. Apparently he sat stock still while he burned. It's probably the single most iconic protest there's been in modern times (certainly the most iconic I've come across) but it didn't actually affect any significant change - which demonstrates the futility of protest.
Its not something you see everyday, but they do see that if you believe strongly enough in something you should be prepared to die for it. I think it was a very noble act.