Coup Flop a Boost for Khanh

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-04775.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-04775

Title

Coup Flop a Boost for Khanh

Description

Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about a failed coup d'etat against General Khánh, page 16

Transcript

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COUP FLOP A BOOST FOR KHANH
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON.
Yesterday's attempted coup against
Premier Nguyen Khanh paradoxically is
expected to strengthen his position in deal-
ing with both the Army and with the Bud-
dhists and civilian politicians who have
been challenging his rule.
The failure of the uprising-which some
skeptics here refer to as a "Hollywood
coup" is likely to result in the purge of
some dissident generals and a centraliza-
tion of control over the Armed Forces in
the hands of Gen. Khanh and his as-
sociates, notably Lt. Gen. Tran Thien
Khiêm.
The Khanh government, moreover, now
can be expected to take a tougher at-
titude and get away with it-toward the
demands of the Buddhists, students and
civilian politicians who have been exerting
pressure on it for the last month.
The revolt appears to have been largely
a military reaction against Gen. Khanh's
recent concessions to these groups-notably
his dismissal or reassignment of officers
who had antagonized the Buddhists.
It is believed that Gen. Khanh, after
lengthy talks in Dalat yesterday with Gen.
Khiem, now will accede to the military
demands for a harder line toward such de-
mands. At the same time, the coup attempt
gives him a powerful excuse to stop making
concessions.
"This is a game they play," said one
Vietnamese political observer, giving the
most extreme cynical analysis of the revolt.
"Khanh had to have some reason to stop
making concessions to the Buddhists and
students." Whether or not Gen. Khanh
was aware that the revolt was originating,
he does have occasion to be gratified with
this result.
Buddhist pressure on the government
this month reached a peak in which Bud-
dhist leaders blocked assignment by Gen.
Khanh of generals and other high officers
to key corps assignments. There were hints
that Gen. Khanh himself might fall victim
to Buddhist influence.
In late August, Buddhist and student
demonstrations forced Gen. Khanh to step
down as President.
The Buddhist movement, considered by
some reliable observers here to have pro-
Communist or neutralist leanings, had been
demanding increasing civilian authority.
Pro-Buddhist elements in Hue, 400 miles
north of Saigon, nad established virtually
their cwn government. Students gained the
right to broadcast on the government radio
station and university professors and pub-
lic servants attacked the central govern-
ment in Saigon. Even the ranking army
commander in the area was known to be
working closely with the pro-Buddhist or-
ganization.
Gen. Khanh had also agreed to set up a
National Council of civilian leaders which
would draw up within two months a fu-
ture constitution and name a new govern-
ment.
The fear among many Army officers was
that the future government would be
dominated by Buddhist-backed politicians
and would eventually set the country drift-
ing toward neutralism.
Yesterday's developments represent an
attempt by the Armed Forces both to stop
any drift toward neutralism and to block
the power of civilian politicians. While
petitioning for religious and regional unity,
the Armed Forces made clear that they
would not tolerate "opportunists who are
hiding under the label of religious free-
dom" to meddle in the nation's politics.

Date

1964, Sep. 14

Subject

Nguyễn, Khánh, 1927-2013; Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup d'état, 1964; Vietnam (Republic)--Government and politics

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Container

B4, F6

Format

newspaper clippings

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

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