A Vietnamese Buddhist monk died after setting himself on fire Wednesday at an altar outside his temple.
Temple members believe Thich Chan Hy, 74, took his own life to protest the persecution of Vietnamese Buddhists.
Thich, who lived at the Lien Hoa Temple for more than 10 years, left a note. Translated from the Vietnamese by his followers, it said: "I wish that all Vietnamese living in Vietnam and abroad can practice religious freedom. I wish that all Vietnamese will be entitled to human rights and protected by a democratic state."
Self-immolation is a traditional Vietnamese form of protest that gained international attention in 1963, when a famous photograph was taken of a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire in what was then Saigon.
Spokesmen for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not immediately return calls seeking comment. A captain overseeing operations Wednesday night had no information about the incident.
The temple had no listed telephone number.