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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04727.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04727
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Title
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Article about Buddhist unrest in South Vietnam
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Description
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Original title: "Buddhist Discontent Gaining Support in Viet-Nam Provinces", Keever's title: "Buddhist Discontent Spreads", Article for the Washington Post about the Buddhist Crisis caused by President Diệm's Catholic favoring policies, page unknown
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AI Usage Disclosure
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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.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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Buddhist Discontent Gaining
Support in Viet-Nam Provinces
By Beverly Deepe
Special to The Washington Post
PHAN THIET, South Viet-
Nam-While Saigon has set-
tled into a "lull before Lodge,"
Buddhist grievances are
sweeping through the coastal
provinces north of Saigon.
Buddhist leaders' announced
strategy for Saigon is to wait
for the arrival of U. S. Ambas-
sador Henry Cabot Lodge in
mid-August, apparently in a
bid to gain his support. The
American policy has been to
"keep hands off" the internal
Buddhist struggle against so-
called religious discrimination
by the Catholic-led govern-
ment of President Ngo Dinh
Diem.
Observers here believe
Lodge will be faced with the
difficult task of revising this
middle-of-the-road policy which
has evoked only anger and
suspicion from both the Bud-
dhists and the government,
without gaining support from
either.
Grievances Spreading
the
KHANG VIỆT NAM THƯỜNG
Monks and soldiers are shown in Pan
Thiet, a provincial capital 120 miles south-
east of Saigon, where Buddhist demonstra-
cisiveness and emotions that
Photo by Beverly Deepe
tions flared earlier this month. Buddhist
protests against alleged discrimination
have spread from Saigon into provinces.
The concern now is two-
But a more formidable prob-
lem facing Lodge is the seep-
age of Buddhist anti-govern-
ment grievances to the unso-
phisticated, isolated, rural
provinces where
Viet- Buddhist crisis, according to beginning to lose some of was not being waged, the
namese government-with sub- informed American sources.
its Catholic support. In a pas- problem was still relatively
stantial American economic For this tiny country, al- toral letter dated June 27, the simple. It has now become in-
and military backing-has ready besieged with the enor
creasingly complex.
been attempting to win the mous problem of wiping out Archbishop of Saigon, Paul
Communist subversion and in- Nguyen van Binh stressed,
support of the people as a
means to defeat the Commu- filtration, the three-month-old "The Church always teaches fold: How to prevent its mov-
Buddhist crisis
has created and practices justice, charity, ing further into the provinces
nist Viet Cong guerrillas.
A week ago a second Bud-division, disagreement, inde- harmony and peace
towards were it will benefit the Viet
all, without distinction of race, Cong guerrillas; and second,
dhist monk committed suicide reach from the stately yellow
how to solve not only the re-
language or creed."
ligious controversy, but also
in this provincial capital of Presidential Palace to the Page From Reds' Book
to quell the political malcon-
60,000 persons, 120 miles north- most modest huts in Saigon
east of Saigon. The suicide fo- and the coastal regions.
To become such a potent tents that have become at-
force in Viet-Nam, the Bud-tached to it.
cused attention on the sweep The Buddhist religious argu- dhists have taken a page from
of Buddhist discontent to the ments have now become a the Communist guerrilla hand-
10 critical provinces on the focus of anti-government dis- book. By short, simple, yet
edge of the South China Sea. content, and the crisis is con- emotional, leaflets, by pagoda
These provinces stretch from tinuing to mushroom.
meetings where the people
Saigon 400 miles north to the
For the first time intellec- laugh, sing, clap and chant
old imperial capital of Hue. It tuals and political opposition- and by direct contact with the
was in Hue, President Diem's ists, long disenchanted with people through demonstra-
hometown, that the religious the President, have an issue tions and processions, the
crisis began on May 8.
to grab onto. Persons whose Buddhists have begun to win
In these northern provinces, religion was a curious Viet- the hearts and minds of the
the civilian population now de-namese hybrid of animism, population which the Vietna-
fiantly wears yellow Buddhist Taoism, Confucianism, and mese government has been
patches. Young girls act as Buddhism have identified unable to do with all its
liaison agents and messengers themselves with the Buddhist American-supplied equipment,
by carrying Buddhist leaflets side. Young students who money and training.
between Saigon and the prov- proudly considered themselves Yet, while the Buddhist-
inces.
atheists are now showing up at government controversy
More significantly, it caused Buddhist pagodas for memorial mained isolated in urban cen-
one 18-year-old male student, services.
ters like Saigon where the
re-
a Buddhist in Phan Thiet to The government now also is battle against the Viet Cong
say: "I'd rather go to jail than
be drafted (into the military).
There's no purpose in fighting
the V. C. (Viet Cong guer-
rillas)-it's only to keep a priv-
ileged group in power."
So far the Buddhist con-
troversy has not spread to
the 42 other provinces in the
country. Those in the moun-
tainous plateau bordering
Laos, populated mostly by
primitive tribesmen practicing
animism instead of Buddhism,
are fairly isolated from the
Buddhist flareup. In fact, in
one provincial capital and di-
vision headquarters in the high
plateau region, Buddhists have
painted banners proclaiming
their support for the govern-
ment instead of their religious
leadership.
Other Areas Unaffected
The other provinces in the
rice-rich Mekong Delta, where
Communist activity is con-
centrated, have not been sub-
ntially affected by the
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Date
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undated, approximately 1963
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Religious aspects--Buddhism; Buddhism and politics--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup d'état, 1963; Ngô, Đình Diệm, 1901-1963
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Location
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Phan Thiết, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.9239; 108.1075
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Container
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B2, F3
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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
