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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04867 and 363-04895.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04867 and 363-04895
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Title
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Viet: New Junta and Death in the Saigon Streets
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Description
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Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about a new Junta being selected in the chaotic aftermath of Diệm's overthrow, page 1 and 2
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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Viet: 'New' Junta and Death in the Saigon Streets
CATHOLICS VS. BUDDHISTS
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON.
South Viet Nam's ruling Military Revo-
lutionary Council yesterday named three
generals to run the country for 60 days,
evidently in the hope of damping down
the fires of religious animosity that sent
Roman Catholles and Buddhists into the
streets of Saigon yesterday to fight each
other.
First place in the new triumvirate went
to Maj. Gen, Duong Van Minh. Named
third was Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, who
seized power from Gen. Minh last Janu-
ary. In between was Lt. Gen. Tran Thien
Khiêm, Gen. Khanh's Defense Minister.
The news that Gen. "Big" Minh, a Bud-
dhist favorite, was to become head of the
triumvirate apparently set off the most
More on JUNTA-P4
VIET NAM'S RULING TRIUMVIRATE
Dynamic, outgoing Maj. Gen. Nguyen
Khanh, 36, fought against the Japanese
late in World War II... Joined the
Communist Viet Minh fighting the
French became staunch supporter
of the late President Ngo Dinh Diem,
but ardor for Diem cooled... after
military coup last November, was sent
to an obscure command... then in
January, staged his own coup
Maj. Gen. Duong Van Minh, lop figure
in the overthrow of Diem last November,
is most popular man in the South Viel-
namese Armed Forces... was tempo-
rarily ousted in the January uprising.
than mada nominal chief of state... a
200-pound six-footer, he's known as big
Minha professional soldier for half
his 48 years... speaks fluent French,
fair English.
Li. Gen. Tran Thien Khiêm, 39, it
shy and soff-spoken, but has had a
formidable career... like Khanh,
fought the Japanese in World War I
and the French later, then became a
Diem supporter... played key role in
the November coup against Diem and in
the January coup... Khiem then be-
came Defense Minister and head of the
Armed Forces.
... AND THE DIM FUTURE
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON,
South Viet Nam today faced the possi-
bility of having a pro-Communist or pro-
Neutralist Chief of State in two months.
This unhappy prospect is the result of
a decision made by the Military Revolu-
tionary Council yesterday to place the
election of a new Chief of State in the
hands of a national congress. The congress
is to be chosen by the new ruling triumvi-
rate of Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, Maj.
Gen. Duong Van Minh and Lt. Gen. Tran
Thien Khiem.
Both Gen. Minh and Gen. Khiem are
said to be easily pressured by pro-Neutral-
ists or pro-Communists. It appears that
they have formed an alliance which would
overrule the staunchly anti-Communist
Gen. Khanh.
More on FUTURE-P 4
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- Page 2
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'New' Junta; Death in Streets
(Continued from page one'
militant Catholic factions, which include
many refugees from Communist North
Viet Nam.
When a mob of 5,000 Catholics tried to
storm the Joint General Staff headquarters
where the Revolutionary Council had been
wrangling for two days over what to do
about the opposition to Gen. Khanh,
guards fired into the crowd, killing at
least eight people.
THE SLAUGHTER
Scores more were wounded as groups
of Buddhists and Catholics roamed the
city with machetes, natchets, iron bars
and wooden clubs for weapons. When
Catholics demonstrated outside a pre-
dominantly Buddhist school, five were re-
portedly taken inside and beaten. The
Catholics allegedly retaliated by beheading
two Buddhists boys.
The mobs were still in the streets at
dusk when a lone helicopter swooped low
over the capital, dropping leaflets an-
nouncing the new triumvirate. The 57-
man Revolutionary Council also dissolved
itself and voided the new constitution that
was supposed to give Gen. Khanh broad
Presidential powers when it was promul-
gated less than two weeks ago. Gen. Khanh
resigned as President on Tuesday.
THE QUESTIONS
The triumvirate will serve only until
a provisional National Assembly can be
named and choose a new Chief of State
and Cabinet. Its main tsks will be to
restore order after the latest flare-up of
rioting between Catholics and Buddhists
and to prosecute the war against the
Communist Viet Cong guerrillas as actively
as possible.
The announcement did not specify how
the provisional assembly-which it called
a "people's congress"- would be named.
Gen. Khanh, who was under fire from
militant Buddhists as a "dictator" when
he quit as President, had said earlier that
free elections are out of the question until
the war against the Viet Cong is won.
The Catholic demonstrators against Gen.
Minh marched in two directions: one
toward the general staff headquarters on
the edge of the city near the airport and
one toward the government radio station
in the center of Saigon. The latter group
was halted before it could get anywhere,
but the former-featuring banners urging
"Down With Gen. Minh"-reached its
destination and began pushing forward
toward the gates of the headquarters
building.
P2
Combat police in steel helmets and green
battle uniforms dragged a fire engine up to
the gates and turned on the hoses to drive |
off the crowd. But the water was only a
trickle. The police had their bayonets fixed.
"Suddenly," said an eyewitness, "a shot
was fired. Then there was shooting every-
where." Some witnesses said the police
were shooting directly into the crowd as
well as in the air and at the ground. At
any rate whether the bullets ricocheted
off the gates or were aimed at the mob-
eight people were killed, including two
women.
The crowd stopped shoving forward but
refused to disperse. Although perhaps 250
police opposed them with fixed bayonets,
they stood their ground and hurled stones,
sticks and shoes, smashing the windows
of the gatehouse.
KHANH APPEARS
A Catholic officer emerged from the
junta meeting, leaped a barbed-wire barri-
cade and waded into the crowd.
"It is against your religion to kill," the
officer shouted. "Do not try to kill these
soldiers." By this time the crowd was
soaked from the monsoon rain, but it
would not leave even when Gen. Khanh
himself came out and climbed up on the
hood of a truck to address his Catholic
supporters.
Gen. Khanh was greeted first with a
hush, then with a roar. He told the demon-
strators those who had done the shooting
would be punished, and said the junta was
trying to reach an acceptable solution to
complaints about the government.
PLEASE GO BACK
"I appreciate your support," Gen. Khanh
said, "but please go back to your homes.
This is a matter of state."
Most of the demonstrators remained
long after dark as a priest led prayers
over the body of one of the shooting vic-
tims. His body, draped in the red and yel-
low flag of South Viet Nam, was raised
before the crowd, and the victim's mother
placed a crucifix around her son's neck.
One officer who is known to favor Gen.
Khanh said he had won a place in the
triumvirate only because of the Catholic
demonstration on his behalf. Both Gen.
Minh and Gen. Khiem had opposed him,
but agreed to a coalition with the demon-
strators shouting at the gate. "They would
have died," the officer said, "if they had
not."
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Date
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1964, Aug. 28
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Subject
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Nguyễn, Khánh, 1927-2013; Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup d'état, 1963; Vietnam (Republic); Military government
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Container
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B186
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Format
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newspaper clippings
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
