SOCIAL ACTIVISTS from Vietnam

Top 2

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Vietnamese Social Activists of all time. This list of famous Vietnamese Social Activists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Thích Quảng Đức (1897 - 1963)

With an HPI of 67.75, Thích Quảng Đức is the most famous Vietnamese Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages on wikipedia.

Thích Quảng Đức (chữ Hán: 釋廣德, Vietnamese: [tʰǐk̟ kʷâːŋ ɗɨ̌k] ; born Lâm Văn Túc; 1897 – 11 June 1963) was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who died by self-immolation at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. Quảng Đức was protesting against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government of Ngô Đình Diệm, a staunch Roman Catholic. Photographs of his self-immolation circulated around the world, drawing attention to the policies of the Diệm government. John F. Kennedy said of one photograph, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one." Malcolm Browne won the World Press Photo of the Year for his photograph of the monk's death. Quảng Đức's act increased international pressure on Diệm and led him to announce reforms with the intention of mollifying the Buddhists. However, the promised reforms were not implemented, leading to a deterioration in the dispute. As protests continued, the ARVN Special Forces loyal to Diệm's brother, Ngô Đình Nhu, launched raids across South Vietnam on Buddhist pagodas, seizing Quảng Đức's heart and causing deaths and widespread damage. Several Buddhist monks followed Quảng Đức's example, also immolating themselves. Eventually, a US-backed coup toppled Diệm, who was assassinated on 2 November 1963.

2. Lê Đức Thọ (1911 - 1990)

With an HPI of 65.49, Lê Đức Thọ is the 2nd most famous Vietnamese Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Lê Đức Thọ (Vietnamese: [lē ɗɨ̌k tʰɔ̂ˀ] ; English: Lay-Duhk-Toh; 14 October 1911 – 13 October 1990), born Phan Đình Khải in Nam Dinh Province, was a Vietnamese revolutionary general, diplomat, and politician. He was the first Asian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1973, but refused the award.