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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-08108 to 363-08112.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-08108 to 363-08112
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Title
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Article about Buddhist tensions before Lodge's arrival
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Description
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Original title: "Lodge", Article draft about Buddhist tensions before Lodge's arrival, for the Washington Post
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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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Beverly feape
Saigon
PHAN THIST, SOUTH VIETNAM-While Saigon has settled back into
"lull before Lodge", Buddhist grievances are sweeping through the coastal
provinces north of tx Saigon.
Buddhist leaders' announced strategy for Saigon into wait for the
arrival of Henry Cabot Lodge as a new United States Ambassador 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 "religious
discrimination" by the Catholic-led government of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
But even even a casual te statement by departing Ambassador Frederick
E. Nolting Jr., produced an outburst of annoyance from Saigonese. Nolting's
romark that he had seen no evidence of gli religious persecution in
Viet Nam during his two and half year tour caused on Vietnamese atheist
to delaro, "Holting is a rare bird. It's not a question of whether
his statement is right or wrong-it's just that no one could understand
why he main had to say it when he was leaving."
Observers here believe Lodge will be faced with the difficult
task of revising this middle-of-the-road policy which has created only
suspicion suspicious and angry enemies of both the Buddhists end the
government, without gaining support from either side.
(More)
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Deepo-2
Lodge
"Lodge will find the big problem of counterinsurgency here is
working with a hostile friendly government,"
one American official laughed,
But a more formidable problem facing Lodge is the seepage of Buddhist
anti-government grievances to the unsophisticated, isolated rural
provinces where the Vietnamese government-with sig substantial American
economic and military backing-has been attempting to to win the support
of the people as a means to defeat the Communist Viet Cong guerrilles.
A weak ago a second bonze-burning in this provincial capital of
60,000 persons living x 120 miles northeast of Saigon focused attention
on the sweep of Buddhist discontent to the ten critical provinces
bordering South China Sea from Saigon m 400 m los north to old imperial
capital of this. / It was in Hue, President Diem's hometom, that the
religious crisis bogan on May 8.
Of the remaining 42 other provinces in the country, those in the
mountainous plateau region bordering Laos, populated mostly by primitive
tribesmen x practicing enimien instead of Buddhism, are fly fairly
isolated from the Buddhist flareup. In face, in one provincial capital
and division hon quarters in the high plateau region, Buddhists have
tain painted banners proclaiming their support for the government instead
of their religious leadership.
The other provinces in the rico-rich Mekong Delta, where Communist
nativity is concentrated, have not been substantially affected by the buddhist
crisis, according to informed american sources. Many of theBuddhists living
there are of combodian or South Vietnamese extraction, which makes them
Less energetic and excitable on matters of politics and religion.
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Lodge
Doope-3
For this tiny country already besieged with the enormous problem
of wiping out communist subversion and infiltration, the three-month old
Buddhist crisis has wiped up division, disagreement, indecisiveness and
emotions that reach from the stately yellow Presidential Pel oo to the
most modest huts in Saigon and the coastal regions.
Not since late 1950s when President Dien defeated armies of
political-religious groups has he faced as much discontent as he has
in thepast three months. But at that time, as one goverment official
noted, President Dien was viewed as "the great hope of Vietnam./ in
Now he's a tired old men that everyone is tired of."
To add to the President's--and Lodge's-headaches of defeating
the Communist guerrillas, the country was hi hit with Buddhist religious
Egunerguments that have since became a focus of anti-government discontent.
President Diem tried to quell the disturbances and demonstrations--against
American advice--withe the same violent tactics he would use against his
"omunist enemy. It did not work. The issue mushroomed and emotions rose.
For the first time intellectuals and political oppositionist,
long disenchanted with the little President, had an issue to grab onto.
Persons whose religion was a curious Vietnamese hybrid of animiem, Taoism,
Confucianism, and Buddhism identified themselves with the Buddhist
Young students who proudly considered themselves atheists w/began
showing up at Buddhist pagodas for memorial services.
side.
Vietnamese housemaids, after reading Buddhist leaflets, pested
pictures of Buddha on kitchen walls and begon lighting joss sticks for nightly
prayer session.
(More)
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Lo
Deep0-4
H
Husbands and wives began arguing. One 62-year-old husband told his
wife not to participate in a demonstration. "ho anolded me," he said.
"She
"She
said she was a Buddhist and would die for Buddhism." She wont
ten the demonstration.
Tempore flared at cocktails partion between Catholics, Buddhists and
Americana until pro-government Vietnamese no longer nccepted invitations of
friends and long-time associates.
And while Buddhist charges of discrimination are aimed at the President's:
1logod favoriti temende Catholion, tax the government is now in
the process of losing some of its Cathelio mpport. In a pastoral lotter
dated June 27, the Archbishop of Saigon, Paul guyen van Binh stressed,
"The Church ale teschon and prootioon Justion, charity, harmony and peace
tovare all, without distinction of race, language or creed."
ilet
Yet, while the Buddhist-government controversy remained isolated in
urban centers like Baign where the battle against the Viet Cong was not
being waged, the problem was still relatively simple. It has now become
increasingly complex. The concern now is two-folds How to prevent its moving
further into the provinces were it will benefit the Viet Cong guerrillag
and second, how to solve not only the religious controvary, but also to call
the political discontents who have become attached to it.
The problems are serious, for the intensity of emotions in Saigon
have been faned fanned into the provinces. In the northern provinces,
civilian population defiantly wear yellow Buddhist patches, which "means
they've joined the ht olub," one government official maid. Young girl
students act as liaison agents and messengers by carrying Buddhist leaflete
between Saigon and the provinces.
(More)
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Lodge
Tope-5
More significantly, it caused one 18-year-old me m malo student,
a Buddhist, to says "I'd rather go to jail then be drafted (into military).
There's no purpose in fighting the V. C. (Viet Cong merrillas)-it's only
to keep a privilegod group in power."
To become such a potent force in Viet Nam the Buddhists have
swiped a page from the Communist guerrilla handbodt. By short, shin
simple, yet emotional leaflets; by pagode meetings where the people lought,
sing, clap and chants by direct contact with the people through
demonstrations and processions; by use of an explosive religious
force comparable to Communist ideology,
the Buddhists have begun
to win the hearts and minds of the population which the Vietnamese government
has been unable to do with its American-supplied equipment, money, training
"If the Viet Cong wore ever discouraged," one m
lamented, "This Buddhist business should pucker them up.”
official
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Date
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Unknown
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Subject
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Vietnam, 1961-1975;
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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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B2, F1
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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
