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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-07829 to 363-07835.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-07829 to 363-07835
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Title
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Article about Buddhist-Communist relations
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Description
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Original title: "buddhism", Article draft about Buddhist-Communist relations, for the New York Herald Tribune
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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bev deepe
101 cong ly
saigon
buddhist-1
sept. 3, 1964
SAIGON Willingly or unwillingly, the Buddhist-movement
in South Viet Nam today is openly and obviously siding a
tool of the Communists.
Some middleclass Saigonese and Western diplomats afgue that
Buddhist leaders are simply allowing themselves to be used by
the Communists.
ATL
ATLEAST
Others argue that some extman-if not all-of the
decision-making Buddhist leaders are simply Communist agents. -
Others look at theirmeninhashasnanim the effects of their
policies and conclude they are overt Communist cadre.
But the almost unanimous opinion of Western diplomats-and
more important, the impressions among Saigonese-is that the
Buddhists are spam in one way or another helping
the Communists.t
As the Buddhists (or) have become the dominant political force
in
Viet Nem the military
war against Communist guerrillas-t
conducted with aid of 18,000 American advisors
-has waned into
significance.
"If we won a clear out military victory against the Communist
guerrillas," said
one Western diplomat, "we could still lose
this country in five
minutes through political subversion."
(More)
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- Page 2
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Beverly Deepe
Buddhist 2
American officials-and some of the press corps-who
openly sympathized with the Buddhists in their fight
against the Ngo Dinh Diem regime last year are now
obviously irked at the troubles the Buddhists are creating..
Officially, however, American officials maintain that the
Buddhists are simply manuevering for more political power
in the upcoming government, but are not Communi st
agents.
"It's stupid to ask if the Buddhist leaders are
OFFICIAL
Communist or not," said one Vietnamese
"You have to check them the policy they are
making. They are making the government so weak it can not
fight the Communists-and this is the exact policy of th
our Communist enemies."
(More)
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decpe
Buddhi at-3
"We will never finish with the Buddhists," he continued.
"The Communists have infiltrated the movement and the real
monks can not do anything about it. If we (the Vietnamese
government) does not put them back to a position & as a
religion and keep them out of politics-we will never finish
with them."
舊
A Western diplomat agreed with the Vietnamese official.
"The record of the Buddhists over the past year is stepping
from one slippery stone to another jockgying for position.
They've taken advantage of every concession we've (the government)
made them-
o each of their final demands tingin has
been broken the next day."
WHO
Another Vietnamese, hoc closely watches the political
scene, # said, "I'm not ashamed to say that I was wrong.
I was for the Buddhists last year when they were fighting
Ngo Dinh Diem and his family. I did not think the Buddhists
wore dominated by the Communist party. I thought maybe the
high level Buddhists at the high levels and the low levesl
levels had the same goals of the Communists-to get rid of
Diem. Bud now I think the Communists have infiltrated
at all levels, pa rticularly the middle class level."
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deepe
buddhist-4
He explained the pyramid-type hierarchy of the Buddhist
organisation as "sort of another government." He said the
borad broad-base at the grass roots in begins in the
the villages and city precints, rising to the district level,
thrn the provinces, regions and then to major in Buddhist
tomy institutes in Saigon.
In Saigon, the nationwide organization epexos to
the chief priest of the Buddhist movement, the Vonorable Thich
Late 70's
+24
Khiet. Feeble and weak in his 80's, he's considered
a figurehead. He heads the Buddhist
Institute for Clerical Affairs, but the power man is Secretary
General, the Venerable Thich Tri Quang, who was the
principal strategist of last year's campaign against the
Ngo Dinh Dion regime.
A small, elfish looking priest, he sought and was granted
refuge in the American Embassy last year after go Dion regime
cracked down on Buddhist pagodas. An increasing number of
Vietnamese intellectuals are now calling him a Communist
cadre. But the highest ranking government officials (Informatively
General Khanh) say that it can not be proved.
Other governmentofficials argue "ell "we'll never know if
Tri Quang is a Communist-but he's acting exactly according to
Communist
policy.
(more)
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deepe
buddhist-5
"We can never check or find out if he's a Communist," he
continued. "You can look and look for a Communist Party cord
on him, but you will never, never find it."
Paralleling the fie Clerical Institute is the Institute for
Secular Affairs, headed by the Venerable Thich Tam Chau.
Chaus a refugee from North Viet Nam, has made anti-Communist
public ef
statements, has ng talked with the
American Embassy and the Vietnamese government and generally
represented the "softline", moderate view of the Buddhist
position.
Few believe he is a Communist agent, but admits
that he is Communist coni dominated.
As Chau has made promises and compromises with the government,
the for "hard-line" monks around Tri quang have broken them.
"It's all a game they play," said one Vietnamese official.
"Two monks make an agreement with the government and the
others then say no.
u just for laughing.
comedy."
They form a committee for the stage-
It's what you Americans call a
(More)
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deepe
buddhist--6
But the main work of the Institutes is delegated to
commissioner-generals for specialized affairs--such as youth,
information, religious affairs. This is termed the middle-level
of the Buddhist organization, and most Vietnamese observers
assisted by
believe these monks--angkthm
Buddhist layment-are optaly Communist andre, though some
of them may be covert members of the Communist organization.
Most observers believe the delirious pace of events during
past weeks is the Communist reaction to the Tonkin incidents
and the Taman American bombing of North Viet Nam.
the reaction for which'te American-backed Vietnamese
It is
government was least prepared for. Origina Immediately
following the American bombing in North Viet Nam, the
threat appeared to be a North Vietnamese ground invasion
or aerial attacks, backed by Communist China. When this
did not materialise, the government feared an all-out
military campaign by Viet Cong Communist guerrillas, with
regimental-sized attacks against provincial capitals and
important installations.
(More)
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- Page 7
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deepe
buddhist--7
But instead, the Communists stepped into the political
arena first to weaken the anticommunist forces in the
Vietnamese government and armed forces, and then to
maneuver for a pro-Communist government during the
coming months.
Vietnamese
The battle is clearly one which the anticommunist
must deal with.
Informed sources here believe Marian
additional American advisors, American military supplies-
even further American retaliations against North Viet Nam
A.d
will not be able to solve the inevitable confrontation
between the Buddhists and the anti-Communist geve
forces in Viet Nom.
-30-
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Date
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1964, Sep. 3
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Subject
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Vietnam (Republic), 1961-1975; Buddhism and politics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Religious aspects--Buddhism; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government; Buddhist monks; Communism and Buddhism
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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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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B3, F7
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Format
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dispatches
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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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Collector
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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
