Speaking at the ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council and Chairman of the HCM City Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee, affirmed the great contributions made by those Buddhist monks who had immolated themselves for the religious cause.

He recalled the brave and immortal image of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc who burned himself to death in Saigon on June 11, 1963 to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the Ngo Dinh Diem administration and demand the realisation of a fair religious policy towards Buddhists.

The image of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation has left strong impression in the minds of every Vietnamese and people all over the world, marking a new stage of development in Vietnam’s Buddhist history, he said.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers in HCM City also prayed for earthquake victims in China and cyclone victims in Myanmar.