-
derivative filename/jpeg
-
363-07778 to 363-07783.pdf
-
Digital Object Identifier
-
363-07778 to 363-07783
-
Title
-
Article about the change in tactics of Buddhists against General Khánh
-
Description
-
Original title: "Buddhist", Article draft about the actions and tactics of Buddhist groups against General Nguyễn Khánh's government in South Vietnam, for the New York Herald Tribune
-
Transcript
-
--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
Beverly Deepe
101 Cong Ly
Saigon
Bx Buddhist--1
Saigon--The Buddhist movement-which sparked the overthrow
of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime last November-is again on the political warpath.
Instead of the spectacular bonze-burnings, hunger strikes and
mass demonstrations used last year, the Buddhists are now using more subtle
approaches which erode the strength of the American-backed government of
General Nguyen Khanh. While the political objective of the Buddhist crisis
last year was to topple the Diem government--which Buddhist leaders publically
admitted after the November 1 coup-now the effect, though perhaps not the objective
of Buddhist political activity is to undermine the strength of the Khanh government.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 2
--------------------
Deepe
Buddhist 2
A flag-raising incident on Buddha's birthday last year precipiated the
world-renown Buddhist crisis. This year a Buddha's birthday next Tuesday
will mark the peak of Buddhist festivities and prayer sessions.
Mult-colored Buddhist flags and brightly-lit lanterns dance from the
Burdethward
windows of open-air shops and austere huts throughout Saigon as Buddhists
籍
"express their joy and enthusiasm, according to Buddhist priests.
"The Buddhists have adopted a wait-and-see attitude," one
authoritative American source said. (Informatively Lodge). "They are not
completely behind this government. "
As the Buddhists attempt to consolidate their quick rise to
power, the Catholic position has also hardened, which has caused a continual
subsurface simmering of religious tensions. "And you know the Communists exploit
any of our weaknesses and disunity," one high-ranking government source
explained. (Informatively General Khanh). In their future struggle, the Buddhists
an anti-government me to an anti-Catholic line.
may shift from The religious question is a serious one," the government
official emp ✓ continued.
"But we believe the religious leaders know if the
Communists win the war, there will be no religion left. In any society, there
will always be petty quarrels. The government is trying to prevent petty
quarrels from becoming explosive crisis."
According to highly informed sources, (U.S.I.S officials in Hue,
American Embassy Buddhist-watcher)/ informatively) the principal objective
of the Buddhist movement at this time is to expand its strength and solidify
its position of power. It is building and staffing primary and secondary
Buddhist schools and higher-level institutes, encouraging and educating
(More)
--------------------
- Page 3
--------------------
Deepe
Buddhist 3
younger monks, planning and collecting funds for larger pagodas and
establishing its grass roots support among the urban and rural population.
According to a Buddhist spokesman, Thich Duc Nghiep, the
Buddhists are sending mobile teams into the Vietnamese villages propagating the fai
and telling the population to be "good citizens." He explained, however,
it is difficult for the teams, totalling fifty men, to take a direct anti-
Communist line or to tell the villagers about the atheistic conditions in the
North Viet Nam, for fear the pro-Communist guerrillas will kill them.
Internationally, the Buddhists have more prestige throughout
Asia than the Vietnamese government, for it maintains religious affiliations
with neutralist nations-like Cambodia and Ceylon-which the government does not
recognize.
The Buddhist movement will obviously oppose any government that
blocks this expansionism-as they did with Ngo "inh Diem, who refused to
compromise with them. The Khanh government has been extremely conciliatory with
them, giving them land of for pagodas, allowing them to use government
equipment and military personnel to build a Buddhist memorial on the Saigon
Such privileges granted to the Catholics by the Diem government
riverfront.
outraged the Buddhists.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 4
--------------------
deepe
buddhist-4
If, however, the Khanh government is useful to the Buddhists,
why are they taking an anti-government stand? Reliable observers believe the
anti-government line is a means of increasing the Buddhist membership and
strength. Buddhists can rekindle the anti-Diem emotions of the population
by accusing the Khanh government--or the "remnants of thx Diem regime in
tabx
the Khanh government"-of being as oppressive against them as Diem was.
At the center of the Buddhist state is the Venerable Thich
Tri Quang, who plotted the strategie moves of last year's crisis from the
belltower of Xa Loi pagoda.. He is a small, frail bez bonze with hypnotic
hands and intense captivating eyes. His official title in the national
movement is secretary (and hence strongman) of the Institute of Buddhist Clergy.
His source of power, however, is his immense control of Buddhism in the
northern two-thirds of Viet Nam, with with his headquarters in the holy
city of Hue, a center of Buddhist learning and the most militant Buddhist
A
followers in the country.
The shaven-headed monk is as controver controversial as he is
adroit. The Diem regime accused him of being a Communist and this charge
is still circulated by some factions.
However, during the final stages
of the Buddhist affair, he escaped jail by posing as a Buddhist nun and was granted
political asylum in the American Embassy, where his vegetarian meals were served
in the third floor airconditioned conference room.
American officials here note that "he has never me made any
strong anti-Communist statements and this disturbs some people." Even some
fellow Buddhist priests and layment lay leaders consider him "headstrong and
--------------------
- Page 5
--------------------
deepe
buddhist--5
However,
his position is being strengthened by the returns of
One of these, chubby-faced Thich Minh Chau
his associates from overseas.
returned from twelve years of study in India. Some reliable sources say that
he "is so well known as a Communist neighter neig neither Diem nor the first
military junta would allow him to return to Viet Nam."
In an interview last week, Thich Tri Quang charged that "buddhists
in is six northern provinces are suffering as much now as they did under the
Diem regime." He had earlier made detailed statements of Buddhist slayings in
Central Viet Nam in a newspaper article written earlier this Month.
Despite the strength and power of the Central Viet Nam faction,
The current writings in
the Buddhist movement is not completely monolithic.
Vietnamese language newspapers play up the split between the Hue-faction of
Tri Quang and the 60 refugee-priests from Hanoi, who constitute a religion in
exile. While the Hanoi-born priests expound a pro-government, anti-Communist
line, reliable Vietnamese observers believe the split is a hoax intended to
capture support from the Americans and favors from the government. Two of these
pret priests are known to have asked American Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge for
several million dollars for pagoda-building,
but the request was rejected.
The walth wealthy Southern wing of the movement, drawing support
is much less militant or
and money from the rice-rich Mekong Delta area,
organized.
And
Like all political forces in Viet Nam, the Buddhists are adroit
at copying Communist tactics. One generation of Vietnamese of all political hues
have seen these tactics prove successful; even President Diem's brother and
politcal brain, thought one could beat the Communists by using better Communi
tactics. These tactics fall into three
categories: the legal and direct:
the semi-least
ond
--------------------
- Page 6
--------------------
Deepe
Buddhists--6
EXAMPLE
An expale of the Buddhist use of the legal, direct methods was the
Tin Sang (Morning News) newspaper, which the government closed for its
numerous anti-government articles.
Once the government closed the paper,
however, the Buddhists could expound on the oppression of the government and
the may martyrdom of the staff--which has now gone on a rotating hunger strike.
These are the whipped up issues which the
FROUsing
to arouse the population.
Communist attempt to perpetuate for
Then the Buddhists shifted into the illegal tactics of distributing
in An Quang pagoda
mimeographing and distributing by hand tha newsheet of the
which takes an extreme antigovernment and anti-American stand.
same name,
agit activities
Reliable sources refuse to speculate on Buddhist illegal, underground
if any.
The Buddhists also generate emotionalism by these tactics:
a handful of "sick" Buddhist nuns, injured in anti-Diem riots, demanded and got
government medical care-an incident which Americans here label "completely
phony; " constant agitation for the trials and execution of Diem's brother, Can, and
his aides; circulating leaflets calling for the release of the four generals
of the first military junta whom Khanh arrested during the second coup, While
the arrest of these four generals is a major embarrassment to Khanh, the
Buddhists also did not sem completely support these four while they were in
power.
As the Buddhist movement develops into a major religious--and
political force during the coming years,
everyone is asking--but no one is
guessing--whether the leadership will make an anti-Communist stand, a neutralist
stand or a Communist stand. It will become one of the most important questions for
-
Date
-
1964, May 21
-
Subject
-
Vietnam (Republic), 1961-1975; Buddhism and politics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Religious aspects--Buddhism; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government; Nguyễn, Khánh, 1927-2013
-
Location
-
Saigon, South Vietnam
-
Coordinates
-
10.8231; 106.6311
-
Size
-
20 x 26 cm
-
Container
-
B3, F7
-
Format
-
dispatches
-
Collection Number
-
MS 363
-
Collection Title
-
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
-
Creator
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Collector
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Copyright Information
-
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
-
Publisher
-
Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
-
Language
-
English
