-
derivative filename/jpeg
-
363-07446 to 363-07453.pdf
-
Digital Object Identifier
-
363-07446 to 363-07453
-
Title
-
Article about a Unified Buddhist Church conference
-
Description
-
Original title: "conference", Keever's title: "Exclusive: Buddhist Politico-Preists, Having Sparked Overthrow of Three Saigon Governments, Confer to Decide Fate of Current One and More", Article draft about the Unified Buddhist Church and its conference, for the New York Herald Tribune
-
AI Usage Disclosure
-
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
-
--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
deepe
conference--1
march 11, 1965
SAIGON-The United Buddhist Church--lead by politico-priests
who have (deleted) sparked the overthrow of the three Vietnamese
governments--are preparing this week-end for a major policy
conference with delegates from throughout this war-weary nation..
Political observers (deleted) are known to be ready to
watch the three-day conference to determine if the politically
important Buddhist movement makes any key policy decisions om
the issue of peace.
Some of the Buddhist priests, who are suspected of
being pro-neutralists, have issued nebulous religious statements
on the question of bringing peace to the country. These
priests have influence over some pro-Buddhist elements which
gives them considerable importance as a
political force in within and outside the Saigon government.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 2
--------------------
deepe
conference--2
At the time of the recent arrivals of Korean soldiers and American
Marines, a whispering campaign was launched among the Saigon population
that the Buddhists would peacefully protest against the introduction of
(deleted) foreign soldiers, who would intensify (deleted) and enlarge
the anti-Communist war in their country.
Hundreds of delegates are expected to attend the conference, though
the exact number is unavailable.
The brief inauguration
ceremony opens Saturday night, Saigon time, and full-day sessions
flee to be held Sunday and Monday..
Delega tes who have been invited to attend include Buddhist
priests, numbers, laymen, representatives from the provinces and districts
in the countryside, representatives of Buddhist- sponsored or allied
associations, such as Buddhist youth organizations, women organizations,,
charity services, Some political party leaders are expected to be
invited.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 3
--------------------
buddhist 3
deepe
Also
Reliable sources said invitations had also been sent to the
heads of the six departments of the United Buddhist Church,,
delegates of the Church from the provinces and Saigon,
the Buddhist university,, the Buddhist chaplains corps in the
American-backed Vietnamese armed forces and representatives of
Buddhist associations.
According to documents distributed to the incoming
delegates, the business sessions of the conference would be devoted
to reports of past activities of the United Buddhist Church, and all
its related agencies and associa tions, revision of the charter,,
"consolidation of leadership," to "discuss the
present situation and the line of activities of the Church," and
to draft the budget.
The rather vague wording of "consolidation of leadership"
raised the question to observers here whether there would be
a shift in the key leadership positions..
(More)
--------------------
- Page 4
--------------------
deepe
buddhists-4
The conference--a similar one was held thirteen months ago--
comes at a time when the Buddhists have presented five demands to
the month-old American-backed government of Prime Minister Pham Huy Qua t. These demands
call for (deleted) release of students and Buddhist priests
arrested by the previous prime minister--Tran Van Huong who regarded
the Buddhists as "playing the Communist game." Other demands include
permission for government civil servants who consider themselves Buddhists
organize and join Buddhist associations; destruction of
police files of Buddhist students, monks and youth who had been
arrested; (deleted) reopening some newspapers closed by the previous government; and re-instating Thich (Venerable) Ho Giao as deputy chief of (deleted) chaplains in the Vietnamese Armed forces. Many Vietnamese officers regard Thich Ho Giao
as "pro-Communist." Government has yet to take a
specific stand on the foe demands.
The demand to allow government civil servants join them and form
a Buddhist association within the government is considered to
permit the formation of a "q uasi-political cell" within the
government's administrative apparatus. The Buddhist movement has
already been granted the permission to have 60 Buddhist chaplains in the
a rmed forces--and an additional 60 are being trained--and to have
three-man Buddhist groups within each army battalion.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 5
--------------------
deepe
buddhists 54
The conference is considered politically significant to
for the following reasons: to give the Buddhist politico-priests
a rather exact estimate of their strength among the masses
throughout the country, to determine their organization strength
as well as their low-level Buddhist leadership in the provinces,,
and to measure the mood of the Buddhists about the
current political situation in the Saigon and in Vietnam.
In behind-the-scene caucuses, key Buddhist priests and
lay leaders are expected to form their over-all political
program regarding the issue of peace, their attitude to the
American military support to Vietna m,, and their positiom regarding
the government of Pham Huy Quat.
(MORE)
--------------------
- Page 6
--------------------
deepe
buddhist 65
the Buddhist leaders have also called for reports from all
Buddhist associations, agencies, and pagodas, at all levels of their
impressive hierarchy--from the hamlets to the villages, the
districts, the provinces and then to the central level.
Political obs ervers are amazed at the efficiency of the Buddhist
organization. The Buddhist leaders have sent a "model form"
for their reports--asking detailed low-level leaders
are to answer. These reports, which were sent to Saigon by March 5th,
are expected to give the Buddhist leaders a sweeping (deleted)
barometer of the political mood of the country.
"This model form for their reporting is very, very scientifice,"
one Vietnamese political lea der explained. "It's almost the
same way the Communists organize things."
An example of the "model form" (deleted) throughout the
country concerns the section about (deleted) organizations: who are
the members of the executive committee and what Buddhist sects do
they represent, when was the organization established, "what is the
spirit (or mood) of the members--is it positive or not and what
are the ca uses of this--how often the organization meets--how often members review the situation, the (deleted) relationship between the
lower-level members of the organization and the leader
(More)
--------------------
- Page 7
--------------------
deepe
buddhists-7
Another area of 9deleted) interest in the "model form" included
reports at all-levels of the "Special Commissioner for Youth"--
important in view of past youth demonstrations in Saigon
and the provinces. Their reports are asked to include: the general
situation of Buddhist youth, how many members, what (deleted) Buddhist activities they participate in, wha t is their (deleted)
"spirit or mood", what is the situation with the Buddhist Boy Scouts
a nd Girl Scouts.
The "model form" also asks for reports from all-levels about
"the (deleted) performance" of the Buddhist movement: What is the
mood of the Buddhist believers, what is the spirit of the masses after each campaign (of (deleted) sparking overthrow of three (deleted)
governments)--does their spirit go higher after each campaign or
does it go lower and what is the inte sity of that spirit--how the
non-Buddhist population (deleted) react to the Buddhists campaigns, what is the attitude (Inserted: of Non-Buddhists) concerning "the national situation", what is
the attitude of political parties and governme nt officials to the
Buddhist movement after each campaign, what is the attitude of
other religions (deleted) and the the Communists to the Buddhists
and the (inserted: general) security situation in the provinces.
--------------------
- Page 8
--------------------
Dear Mr. Rosenfeld:
I'm enclosing a rather drab news article--not analysis on the
The conference
upcoming Buddhist conference. The conference begins Saturday, March 13,
in the evening-which is Sunday morning New York time.
will be undramatic and probably not worthy fo much spot news coverage-
but it will be very, very significant in the future. I've tried to
include some specific examples of the "model form" document of the
Buddhists used in gathering reports from the provinces--I think
no other correspondents have this and they may give the readers
some idea of the immense scope and depth of their organization.
Sincerely,
B
-
Date
-
1965, Mar. 11
-
Subject
-
Vietnam (Republic), 1961-1975; Buddhism and politics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Religious aspects--Buddhism; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government; Buddhist monks; Giáo-há»™i Pháºt-giáo Việt-Nam Thống-nhất
-
Location
-
Saigon, South Vietnam
-
Coordinates
-
10.8231; 106.6311
-
Size
-
20 x 26 cm
-
Container
-
B4, F10
-
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
