Some context: Thich Quang Duc (Vietnamese: [thic kwa:NG dik] ( listen); 1897--11 June 1963, born Lam Van Tuc), was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. Quang Duc was protesting the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government led by Ngo Dinh Diem. Photographs of his self-immolation were circulated widely across the world and brought attention to the policies of the Diem government. John F. Kennedy said in reference to a photograph of Duc on fire, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one."
In a country where surveys of the religious composition at the time estimated the Buddhist majority to be between 70 and 90 percent, President Diem was a member of the Catholic minority, and pursued discriminatory policies favoring Catholics for public service and military promotions, as well as in the allocation of land, business arrangements and tax concessions. Diem once told a high-ranking officer, forgetting that the officer was from a Buddhist family, "Put your Catholic officers in sensitive places. They can be trusted." Many officers in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam converted to Roman Catholicism as their military prospects depended on it. Additionally, the distribution of firearms to village self-defense militias saw weapons given only to Roman Catholics, with some Buddhists in the army being denied promotion if they refused to convert to Roman Catholicism.  Some Roman Catholic priests ran their own private armies, and there were forced conversions and looting, shelling, and demolition of pagodas in some areas, to which the government turned a blind eye. Some Buddhist villages converted en masse to receive aid or avoid being forcibly resettled by Diem's regime. The "private" status that was imposed on Buddhism by the French, which required official permission to be obtained by those wishing to conduct public Buddhist activities, was not repealed by Diem. Catholics were also de facto exempt from corvee labor, which the government obliged all citizens to perform, and United States aid was distributed disproportionately to Catholic majority villages by Diem's regime.  The Roman Catholic Church was the largest landowner in the country and enjoyed special exemptions in property acquisition, and land owned by the Roman Catholic Church was exempt from land reform. The white and gold Vatican flag was regularly flown at all major public events in South Vietnam, and Diem dedicated his country to the Virgin Mary in 1959.  Buddhist discontent erupted following a ban in early May on flying the Buddhist flag in Hue on Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha. Just days before, Catholics had been encouraged to fly the Vatican flag at a celebration for Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc of Hue, Diem's elder brother. A large crowd of Buddhists protested the ban, defying the government by flying Buddhist flags on the Buddhist holy day of Vesak and marching on the government broadcasting station. Government forces fired into the crowd of protesters, killing nine people. Diem's refusal to take responsibility -- he blamed the Viet Cong for the deaths -- led to further Buddhist protests and calls for religious equality. As Diem remained unwilling to comply with Buddhist demands, the frequency of protests increased.
If they were the majority, then why were they being persecuted?
A: President Diem was a member of the Catholic minority, and pursued discriminatory policies favoring Catholics for public service and military promotions,
Some context: Saosin is an American post-hardcore band from Orange County, California, United States. The band was formed in 2003 and recorded its first EP, Translating the Name, that same year original vocalist Anthony Green left Saosin due to personal reasons. In 2004, Cove Reber replaced Green as vocalist after auditioning for the role. The group recorded its self titled debut album which was released on Capitol Records on September 26, 2006.
The original lineup for Saosin, consisting of Burchell, Shekoski, Kennedy and Green, was formed in the summer of 2003. On June 17, the band released their first commercial production, the EP Translating the Name. It was an immediate success and was immensely popular on online forums and music sites. Saosin first became popular through promotion and exposure through the Internet. They became known for their distinct musical styles long before their first studio-length album was released, and were popularized on social networking and music sites such as MySpace. The E.P. has sold an estimated 62,000 copies.  Bassist Zach Kennedy left the band early on, as he wanted to pursue a career in art. He was later replaced by Chris Sorenson. A local Southern Califonian drummer by the name of Pat Magrath,  was hired only for the recording for the EP, according to Burchell. The band was impressed with his drumming skills however, and he later appeared as a guest performing Lost Symphonies live with the band. Alex Rodriguez was unable to record Translating the Name as he had promised his band at the time Open Hand he would finish recording with them. Danny King filled in for live drums with the band before Rodriguez completed his responsibilities with Open Hand and joined Saosin full-time after the EP release. Saosin went on a U.S. tour with bands Boys Night Out and Anatomy of a Ghost shortly after the release of Translating the Name.  In February 2004, the band's vocalist Anthony Green left Saosin and later formed the band Circa Survive. Green was homesick, depressed and said he was missing his family. Green was also disenchanted with the direction of Saosin and disliked that the band excluded him from the writing process. The band finished their Warped Tour obligations with Story of the Year's Philip Sneed taking the mic. A public, nationwide audition then took place.
Was the EP well received?
A:
Saosin went on a U.S. tour with bands Boys Night Out and Anatomy of a Ghost shortly after the release of Translating the Name.