Article about the celebration of the end of the military regime

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363-06984 to 363-06990.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-06984 to 363-06990

Title

Article about the celebration of the end of the military regime

Description

Keever's title: "Buddhist victory march celebrates military regime's conversion Nguyẽ̂n Cao Kỳ to hold election soon", article about celebrations of the end of Prime Minister Nguyẽ̂n Cao Kỳ's military regime

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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.

Transcript

(Morgan Gandy) SAIGON, 14200, (UPIS)--An orderly Buddhist “victory march” with thousands of their youth, old women and [deletion: fail] faithful gaily waving [deletion: color ban] colorful banners along the streets of Saigon Thursday night marked the beginning of the end of [XXXX indicating deletion] Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky’s military regime. The Buddhist “victory march”, which was also [XXXX indicating deletion] an impressive show of force, was made following major concessions [deletion: --or “outright concessions,”--] by the Ky government to hold elections for aye constitutional assembly “within three to five months.” At best, Prime Minister Ky and the [deletion: militar] ruling ten-man military junta will survive as aye caretaker government that long, [deletion: as] since moderate Buddhist leaders accepted this major concession. But, leaders of the more militant Buddhist wing are known to [XXXX indicating deletion] advocate the toppling of the Ky regime and installing aye civilian government which would act as aye caretaker to supervise the elections. (More--Miller--BD) first add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x the elections x x x. The happy Buddhist march was also [insertion: considered] aye victory for President Lyndon Johnson. At the Honolulu Conference last February, President Johnson reportedly pressed Prime Minister Ky to hold elections in Vietnam [XXXX indicating deletion] as soon as possible [insertion: initially by June]. Vietnamese government sources interpreted this to mean the Johnson administration would be prepared--[XXXX indicating deletion] to accept [XXXX indicating deletion] aye political [deletion: settlement] re-arrangement within the South which would in the future [XXXX indicating deletion] include the Communist Liberation Front in the government. Prime Minister Ky reportedly resisted President Johnson’s suggestion--”it’s not aye question of my government; it’s aye question of my country,” he later said--but Thursday the Buddhist victory march indicated he had lost the battle, after aye [XXXX indicating deletion] turbulent, violent five weeks of political turmoil. (More--Miller--BD) second add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x political turmoil x x x. “This decision today (for aye constitutional assembly) marks the beginning of President Johnson’s poker game with the Communists,” one anti-Communist diplomatic source explained. “In deference to your President, may I say he forgot the Communist deck [deletion: of] [XXXX indicating deletion] has only wild aces and jokers in it--and no one can predict anything. Who will win [XXXX indicating deletion] the most seats in the coming election? The Catholics? No, they have only ten percent of the population. The Vietnamese army, which is the most [deletion: con] cohesive anti-Communist force? No, they won’t even be on the [deletion: batt] ballot. The majority of the assembly will be filled with Buddhists, pro-French elements and crypto-Communists, all of whom pretend to be [deletion: nati] instant anti-Communists for the time being.” The militant wing of the Buddhist politico-religious organization has long been considered to be penetrated by pro-Communist sympathizers or agents. (More--Miller--BD) third add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x or agents x x x. [deletion: The constituent Assembly] The assembly, to be elected, would be charged with the responsibility of drafting and approving aye national constitution; Ky had wanted the constitution approved by aye referendum, but the Buddhist [insertion: leaders] did notrptnot. According to Chief of State General Nguyen Van Thieu, in aye decree signed this morning, this assembly would be established within three to five months and [deletion: “tho] “through universal, direct and secret balloting all over the territory of the Republic of Vietnam.” Aye strict interpretation of this provision would mean that even the Communists and pro-Communist elements would be given the right to vote; also that the election would be held notrptnot only in government-controlled areas, but also in “contested” or [XXXX indicating deletion] insecure areas. (More--Miller--BD) fourth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x insecure areas x x x. The electoral procedures, however, are to [deletion: determined] delineated later by another decree law. The Buddhist leadership--at least today Thursday--considered the concessions by Prime Minister Ky aye major [insertion: but notrptnot total] victory by meeting their four initial demands made at aye press conference on March twelve, two days after the ouster of Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chanh Thi as commander of the five northern, Buddhist-dominated provinces. These demands were: 1. All the military generals who contributed to the revolution should be re-integrated into military positions. [deletion: This] Ky made aye partial concession on [deletion: that] this point by [XXXX indicating deletion] naming Lieut. Gen. Ton That Dinh as a replacement to ousted General Thi. [deletion: Din,] General Dinh, and other ex-generals [deletion: who] whom the Buddhists support, composed the first military junta in November, nineteen sixty three, but were [deletion: three months] later purged by General Nguyen Khanh on changes of being pro-neutralist and pro-French. (More--Miller--BD) fifth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x or pro-French x x x. 2. The military generals should return to purely military positions. Currently, the ten-man ruling junta is the political base of the regime--with the power to form future governments. But, after the election of the Constitional Assembly in three to five months, the Vietnamese armed forces would withdraw from the political [deletion: area] arena. Diplomatic sources believe that once the armed forces, [XXXX indicating deletion] the most cohesive anti-Communist element, leaves the political arena, aye power vacuum would result in which [deletion: subversive] Communist subversive maneuverings become more widespread. 3. The main Buddhist demand--for an elected assembly--was [XXXX indicating deletion] the most significant concession by [deletion: [illegible]] Ky and the military junta. 4. To realize in aye hurry the promises to carry out aye revolution, particularly aye social revolution relating to the living of the mass of the people. This vague Buddhist demand was already the basis of Ky’s government program outlined at the Honolulu Conference. (More--Miller--BD) sixth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x honolulu conference x x x [XXXX indicating deletion] “The Buddhist victory today [deletion: [illegible]] (Thursday) is notrptnot aye solution to the problem,” one informed American source explained. “This only will lead to aye whole series of [insertion: political] battles [XXXX indicating deletion] between now and when the Constitutional Assembly is elected.” (Endit--[XXXX indicating deletion] Miller--BD)

Date

1966, Apr. 14

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Buddhism and politics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Religious aspects--Buddhism; Nguyẽ̂n, Cao Kỳ; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government; Elections

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Size

20 x 26 cm

Container

B188, F3

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