List of political self-immolations


This is a list of notable self-immolations done for political reasons. Non-political self-immolations are not included in the list. Self-immolation was a relatively common protest tactic among Buddhists in South Vietnam, anti-communists in Czechoslovakia during the mid 20th century and continues to be used by Tibetans protesting rule of Tibet by China and Crimean Tatars protesting forced deportation from their land.

List

Before 1900

1940s

1950s

1960s

DateNameAgeCountryProtestingNotes and references
66Persecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình DiệmLed to several other monks and nuns committing the same act before Diệm was toppled. The photo, photographed by Malcolm Browne, became well-associated with his political protest.
20sPersecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình DiệmBuddhist monk. Self-immolated in the town center of Phan Thiết. Government soldiers removed his body before other monks could recover it.
17Persecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình DiệmBuddhist novice monk.
–Persecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình DiệmBuddhist nun. Self-immolated in the courtyard of Từ Đàm Pagoda in Huế.
71Persecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình DiệmBuddhist monk. He soaked his robes in gasoline and self-immolated in the courtyard of Từ Đàm Pagoda in Huế. Before, he announced over the loudspeaker that he was going to kill himself in demand for Buddhist rights. After his death, the government declared martial law, sparking more Buddhist protests.
27Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageInspired 5 other self-immolations.
21Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageHotel worker
21Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageMadras city government employee
33Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageWorked in Madras for the Telephone Department.
26Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageSchool headmaster
21Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageFarmer
20Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil languageStudent
82Vietnam WarWomen Strike for Peace member. Self-immolated on a street corner in Detroit, Michigan.
62Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of KoreaWorked for a minor political party. Self-immolated on the steps of the Seoul Capitol.
36Vietnam WarJapanese American Buddhist. Self-immolated in San Diego, California.
31Vietnam WarQuaker from Baltimore, Maryland. Committed act below Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's Pentagon office, in front of his one-year-old daughter.
22Vietnam WarCatholic Worker. Self-immolated in front of the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
24Vietnam WarMother whose three-month-old baby died in October 1965. Her brother had also died in the Korean War. Self-immolated in front of her home in South Bend, Indiana.
55Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist nun.
58Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist laywoman. Self-immolated in pagoda in Saigon. Thousands were present, and monks covered her body with a Buddhist flag.
19Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist nun. Self-immolated in Huế.
Name missing–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist monk self-immolated in Da Lat.
17Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist laywoman. Self-immolated outside a pagoda in Huế.
Name missing–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist
Name missing–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist
26Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist nun. Self-immolated in the courtyard of a small pagoda in Da Nang.
24Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist nun. Self-immolated in the same location as Thích Du Dien Dinh in Da Nang.
–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeBuddhist nun. Self-immolated in the same location as Thích Du Dien Dinh in Da Nang.
Name missing–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regimeNovice Buddhist monk. Self-immolated in Quảng Trị
Woman; name missing–Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regime
70Destruction of the Famen TempleBuddhist monk
34Vietnam WarBuddhist nun
–1967 South Vietnamese presidential electionBuddhist nun
Woman; name missing–1967 South Vietnamese presidential electionBuddhist nun
55Vietnam War
–1967 South Vietnamese presidential electionBuddhist nun
–1967 South Vietnamese presidential electionBuddhist nun
73Vietnam WarEsperantist.
27Vietnam WarZen Buddhist. Self-immolated in Sunnyvale, California.
March 19, 1968Ronald Brazee16Vietnam WarStudent. Died in hospital five weeks later.
59Poland's participation in Soviet invasion of CzechoslovakiaDied in hospital four days later.
40Soviet rule in UkraineSet himself on fire on Khreshchatyk, Kiev's main street, while shouting "Colonialism out of Ukraine!" and "Long live a free Ukraine!"
20Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaStudent. Inspired a number of self-immolations in protest of Soviet satellite states.
17Communist rule in HungaryApprentice
25Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaBlue-collar worker. Self-immolated in Plzeň and died five days later.
–Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaBlue-collar worker. Referenced Jan Palach. Self-immolated in Brno.
16Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaApprentice. Referenced Jan Palach. Self-immolated in Cheb.
45Soviet rule in Ukraine
19Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaStudent.
39Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaBusinessman.
20Communist rule in CzechoslovakiaSurvived, became professor of mathematics.
20Genocide against Biafra in the Nigerian Civil WarColumbia University student. Died in hospital several hours later.

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s