Buddhist flag - Kennedy's Administration - Coup Generals (6/6)
kim nguyen
Reasons for U.S. to eliminate Mr Diem
What the world and Vietnamese public have often been told or thought of
until now about 2 main reasons for U.S. to annihilate Mr Diem : Buddhist
"oppression" and Mr Nhu's negotiating with communists. Available
documents one follow until now show that these two reasons are indeed
faked; they are just smokescreens or pretexts U.S., Vietnamese generals
and Buddhists make up to justify for their participation in a scheme.
Then, what is the reason ? It is nothing more than American interest :
Messrs. Diem-Nhu are not docile enough to obey totally U.S. This can be
reflected from secret White House documents.
1) In the American House of Commons, there is a powerful committee called
"Ways and Means" (DDu+o+`ng lo^'i va` Phu+o+ng tie^.n) specifying for a
country how to use U.S. means respecting its policy.
A country receiving U.S. aid must obey American policy whether or not that
aid meets that country's need. There is more complexity occurring under
Mr Diem's regime because of that. If that country doesn't execute
correctly U.S. would cut aid or create coup d'etat. Mr Diem got many
problems with the Americans on this issue. He has planned many necessary
methods to curb the insurgency of communists, but the Americans objected
them giving that their plans are better (TT Diem muo^'n mo+? dd+o+`ng va`o
Cao Nguye^n, dda`o kinh va`o ca'c vu`ng si`nh la^`y va` du`ng Ba?o An la`m
lu+.c lu+o+.ng ba'n qua^n su+. lu+u ddo^.ng thi` My~ cho^'ng va` ba?o
ra<`ng pha?i thu+.c hie^.n o+? tha`nh thi. cho da^n chu'ng tha^'y. Tu+`
na<m 1955-1959, My~ chi? lo la^.p 7 su+ ddoa`n theo chie^'n tranh quy
u+o+'c theo kie^?u chie^'n tranh Cao-Ly va` bo? ngo? no^ng tho^n. Na<m
1957, TT Diem qua Washington xin ta<ng vie^.n dde^? lo va^'n dde^` an ning
no^ng tho^n, nhu+ng o^ng bi. tu+` cho^'i, do ddo' khoa?ng tro^'ng ve^` an
ninh no^ng tho^n ra^'t co' lo+.i cho CS).
It's Nguyen Ngoc Tho (Nguye^~n Ngo.c Tho+), a Buddhist vice-president who
takes side to Vietnamese coup generals, also shows sympathy to Mr Diem not
to choose between tight demand of U.S. to be against communists at the
same time of applying American pure democracy. It's one of reasons to
create discordance between Mr Diem and the American government from 1961
and drive the Americans to find another docile man. After 1/11/1963, the
center of power of Vietnam is not the Viet government but the American
embassy.
2) With this attitude, Kennedy is discontented with the limited role of
American advisors; he wants them to participate in any decision related to
politics, economy and military. Mr Diem sees it as though Vietnam is a
"protectorate" of U.S. and it's unacceptable to Mr Diem. However, the
Americans see it as prime condition for necessary changes so that "their
people at home and the world opinion believe that U.S. involvement in
Vietnam is not to support an non-democratic regime". In 1961, due to
increasing communists activities, Mr Diem assigns minister Nguyen Dinh
Thuan to go to Washington requesting more aid to enhance the Vietnamese
military and send more American military advisors, but not U.S. combat
troops to Vietnam except when the war explodes.
Next, U.S. sends more military advisors to Vietnam even to the level of
province. Mr Diem shows disatisfaction and complains that the Americans
don't even have visas or passports. Messrs. Diem-Nhu want the Americans
to withdraw at least half of the contingent of advisors, especially from
the provincial level. On 10/5/1963, Mr Nhu announces with Warren Una of
the Washington Post that the presence of American advisors "makes the Viet
war become their war with many casualties because of their fervency.
There are at least 50% of them which are not necesary for the
battlegrounds..."
According to "A Death in November", this announcement is seen as an
"alert" by the American experts who plan policies for Washington. French
ambassador L'Alouette says :"U.S. decides to eliminate Messrs. Diem-Nhu
from the day Nhu announces those words."
3) From 1961, the Americans request Mr Diem to grant them the Cam Ranh
Bay as naval and air base, but he backs it down. On the National Day of
26/10/1963, while the coup d'etat is in progress, with high emotion, Mr
Diem expresses to representatives of parliament, Personalist Labor Party
(Ca^`n Lao Nha^n Vi.) and National Revolutionary Movement (Phong tra`o
ca'ch ma.ng quo^'c gia) who come to welcome him, wordings seen as the will
reported by the press as follows :"If I go forward, go with me. If I
yield, kill me. If I die, revenge for me." (Ne^'u to^i tie^'n thi` ca'c
o^ng ha~y theo to^i. Ne^'u to^i lu`i thi` ca'c o^ng gie^'t to^i. Ne^'u
to^i che^'t thi` ca'c o^ng tra? thu` cho to^i." Mr Diem says that he has
refused to yield the Cam Ranh Bay. After the coup d'etat, Vietnamese coup
generals hand obediently the bay to U.S..
4) Mr Diem opposes the formation of the coalition government of Laos in
1961 because this would benefit NVN communists who will use Laos as heaven
for depots and ground (Ho Chi Minh trail) to intrude SVN. This creates a
"personal hatred" in the part of Averell Harriman, head of American
delegation, towards Mr Diem. After the conclusion of the Laotian Treaty
in 9/1961, Mr Diem orders the Viet delegation not to sign the treaty
regarding status of Laotian government; Averell Harriman comes to meet Mr
Diem for the second time in a meeting which ambassador Nolting depicts as
"plenty of storms". Mr Diem only agrees to sign it when Kennedy promises
to support his goverment, but later, Kennedy makes a breach of promise by
collaborating with Averell Harriman, current Undersecretary of State, to
overthrow Mr Diem. Harriman's mistake is so clear that the Coalition
Government of Laos of prince Souvanna Phouma is in failure because NVN
communists not only refuse to withdraw their 6,000-10,000 soldiers, but
ameliorate the Ho Chi Minh trail into a highway which the Americans called
"Hariman Memorial Highway" (DDa.i lo^. tu+o+?ng nie^.m Harriman).
It's no surprise to see the Coalition Governemnt of Souvanna Phouma
collapse 2 years later and fall into the hands of Pathet Lao. This helps
NVN communists intrude much more into South Vietnam. Nobody knows why
young Kennedy lets Harriman do such thing as transforming a personal
hatred into a national policy. It's Robert Kennedy to say that "it's an
personally emotional matter and as a result, Harriman's advice is a
mistake. The truth is that this fellow has pushed all of us into a
dangerous course." However, that is not one person to be pushed, but the
whole government of Kennedy is.
Ngo Dinh Can and his friend - Ven. Thich Tri Quang
Marguerite Higgins cites that when asked about Ngo Dinh Can, Hilsman
answers Can can apply for amnesty if he wants so. The Americans keep
promise to Mrs. Nhu by sending her children to Rome to see her there, but,
to Can they don't.
Ngo Dinh Can goes to American Consulate in Hue to take a refuge. The
Americans want him to go to Saigon where they say that there is enough
facilities, but Can refuses to go. Tran Trung Dung and his wife are
present at that moment at the consulate hearing the American consul try to
convince Can to use an American plane and promise Can that he would be
transferred to a safer place in Saigon which is understood only as the
American embassy. Believing in those words, Can goes.
Escorted by an American officer, Can rides on a military jeep going from
the consulate to the airport Phu Bai. Here, Can goes aboard an airplane
sent from the U.S. embassy in Saigon. It has been known that the pilot
suggests to fly straight to Philippines, but the CIA officer doesn't
agree. When the plane arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport, there is no
American officials waiting, but Viet police. Police carry with them a
stretcher for Can because he got serious diabetes and heart problem. Can
is transferred to a jail, not a safer place.
Mr Can is sent before a court where the judge is his close friend, Colonel
Dang Van Quang (DDa<.ng Va<n Quang), "god-son" of Mr Nguyen Van Am
(Nguye^~n Va<n A^'m), Can's brother-in-law. Amazingly, contradictory to
accusations, the court found no clear evidences of bribery or
misfeasance. The reason ? The people who misused the authority were the
ones who often came to Can's house to bribe him; they are generals,
colonels, provincial heads, national assembly representatives,...and they
can't show up to prove those sins because it's them to be criminals too.
Despite of this matter, Mr Can is still condemned to death.
Meanwhile, General Nguyen Khanh has made a political adjustment and taken
the position as prime minister; Mr Duong Van Minh was kept as head of
state. Khanh sends a letter to Minh requesting to pardon Can but Minh
doesn't accept except that Khanh frees Tran Van Don, Mai Huu Xuan and Ton
That Dinh who have been jailed in Da Lat due to cooperating with the
French to neutralize South Vietnam. Marguerite writes that Cabot Lodge
did fly to Hue and spend the whole day to convince Venerable Thich Tri
Quang to pardon Ngo Dinh Can, but Ven. Thich Tri Quang rejected flatly the
idea although Ngo Dinh Can says that they have been friends...
Defense minister Tran Thien Khiem says to Marguerite Higgins that General
Nguyen Khanh sentenced Ngo Dinh Can to death in order to please Ven. Thich
Tri Quang and that "that is the price Khanh must pay to get Ven. Thich Tri
Quang's support". However, General Tran Van Don says that Khanh kills Can
because Can did not hand over Khanh a suitcase containing 6 million
dollars which have been promised to give Khanh... Can is shot to death at
5pm of 20/4/1964. Before his last minute, Can says to one of his
relatives to come to see him that," Don't curse on betrayers...Nothing to
be sad about. Doing politics is just like this..."
Before his death, Mr Can begs pardon from everybody. 15 m from him stand a
row of military police. A lawyer takes off Can's glasses. Then a round of
fires...Meanwhile, at home, at the same moment, General Nguyen Khanh is
taking a cup of heavy wine.
Liquidation and continuation of "struggle" -- haughty mobs
After the collapse of Mr Diem's regime, Ven. Thich Tri Quang sets up right
away "the People's Council of Salvation" (Ho^.i DDo^`ng Nha^n Da^n Cu+'u
Quo^'c". Ven. Thich Tri Quang's "struggle against the oppression of
Diem's regime" is just the goal of one of tactic for a whole strategy.
Due to this, when it is accomplished, he creates another goal for the next
tactic destroying remnants of Can Lao (the Personalist Labor Party). Who
are the latter ? It is thought by him as all Catholics and all
organizations who disagree with his viewpoints. In this period, his
Council has a banner "Elimination of the remnants of the "Catholic"
Personalist Labor Party". Ven. Thich Tri Quang's goal is to annihilate
this party and its subordinates, and other opponents so that the next
target is to take the power to reunify with his communist brothers. Ven.
Thich Tri Quang and Mr Vo Dinh Cuong (Vo~ DDi`nh Cu+o+`ng) order his
organization to attack Catholics and other opponents indiscriminantly, but
Ven. Thich Tri Quang can't estimate the reaction from Catholics, opponent
parties and other Buddist factions.
To create the reason for an instigation for an attack on "remnants of Can
Lao", on 3/8/1964, Ven. Thich Thien Minh leads a delegation to meet
General Nguyen Khanh and at the same time to submit a document accusing
some local Can Lao members who are oppressing Buddhists in Quang Nam and
Da Nang : making arrest of Buddhists at Duy Xuyen (Duy Xuye^n), burning
houses' Buddhists at Phuoc (Tuy Phu+o+'c), killing Buddhists in An Thach
(An Tha.ch),... Nguyen Khanh orders an investigation but according to the
reports he finds out that all arrested people are sleeping communists.
It can be said that almost of all local authorities in the Central Vietnam
are excelled by the People's Council of Salvation of Ven. Thich Tri
Quang. After building up that influence, the Council turns to attack
directly Catholics. All Catholic officials are discriminated; some are
arrested, some relocated to remote areas. Parishes are provoked or
threatened. Recognizing that the Council goes beyond the limit, those
parishes must prepare for defense.
On 26/8/1964, forces of the People's Council of Salvation suddenly round
up two parishes Thanh Bo (Thanh Bo^`) and Duc Loi (DDu+'c Lo+.i) in Da
Nang. They kill 11 persons and injure 42 others. The two parishes look
like two cemeteries after the attacks. General Nguyen Chanh Thi (Nguye^~n
Cha'nh Thi) announces aid but not compensation. He makes a rough
investigation and drops the case. Two persons who direct the attack are
Ha Xuan Ky (Ha` Xua^n Ky`) and Phan Xuan Huy (Phan Xua^n Huy). Thanks to
this success, Phan Xuan Huy is chosen as parliamentary candidate. Few
days before the attacks at the two parishes, others in Qui Nhon have the
same fate.
Asked for help from Da Nang and Qui Nhon, on 27/8/1964, some 2,000
Catholics come to the Joint General Staff Headquarter and request to meet
the Council of Generals to solve the problems in those 2 provinces; they
ask for solutions to confront those VC sympathizers. A clash occurs and
there are 2 dead, 11 injured. Another group go to the radio station and
ask for announcing a Declaration of Anti-communism and Anti-neutrality.
Then, there is another clash with some students of Nguyen Truong To's
school. High-level representatives of both religions tell people to be
calm.
However, on 28/8/1964, the People's Council of Salvation's group encircle
Nguyen Ba Tong's school and ransack the office of Catholic newspaper "Xay
Dung". Catholics come in to protect the school. The paratroopers are
mobilized to disband both groups. The clash occur and there are 2 dead, 48
injured. The two dead are brought to Vien Hoa DDa.o for a Buddhist funeral
ceremony.
Then, on 29/8/1964, Vien Hoa Dao announces that from now on it has no
responsibility towards violences because its goal has been satisfied and
"struggle" is finished. However, this announcement of Ven. Thich Tam Chau
is objected fiercely by Ven. Thich Tri Quang and Hue's Buddhists. Due to
this, Ven. Thich Tam Chau hands a notice to request the government for
settling once for all the fate of "bad men of the old regime" and not to
label Buddhists who have participated in the struggle as "rioters". Ven.
Thich Tam Chau threatens that if the government doesn't execute these
demands before 27/10/1964, he will organize school and general strike.
To match this, Father Hoang Quynh hands the Council of Generals a letter
requesting them to look at the matters in Qui Nhon and Da Nang; if not,
Catholics will do all they can for self-defense.
But, on 21/9/1964, a force of the People's Council of Salvation attack the
radio station in Qui Nhon and search for "remnants of Can Lao". At the
same time, Ven. Thich Tri Quang and Mr Vo Dinh Cuong open an operation to
This time, parishes in the Central Vietnam must arm themselves with guns
and that stops partly attacks. Nobody listens to leftist catholics Ly
Chanh Trung (Ly' Chanh Trung), Nguyen Dinh Dau (Nguye^~n DDi`nh DDa^`u),
Truong Ba Can (Tru+o+ng Ba' Ca^`n),...because if doing so they will be
destroyed by the People's Council of Salvation.
Father Cao Van Luan
One of the prickle Ven. Thich Tri Quang wants to get rid of is Father Cao
Van Luan, president of the university of Hue but he can't do it right away
because Father Luan has had great merit in creating this institution and
has been loved by almost everybody here. In the past Buddhist crisis, he
is neutral. However, the presence of Father Luan at the university will
obstruct Ven. Thich Tri Quang's plan to take the power because the former
doesn't allow to bring politics into his institution. Ven. Thich Tri
Quang also doesn't want a Catholic to take such important position. Due
to this, after controlling Hue and the Central Vietnam's situation, Ven.
Thich Tri Quang orders his men to flatten this obstacle. At first, the
People's Council of Salvation publishes weekly magazine Lap Truong (La^.p
Tru+o+`ng; Standpoint) to propagandize its contention to cheer Ven. Thich
Tri Quang's policy and public opposition towards the government.
On 18/9/1964, some professors and students ask Father Luan to resign so
that he can't obstruct the campaign of ridding Can Lao. Ly Chanh Trung
who ever supported Buddhists in their last struggle against Mr Diem, can't
stand it by saying that after receiving a message from some professors at
the university of Hue, the ministry of education accepts right away the
resignation and appoints Minister of education as concurrent president.
Some students don't agree with professors' deed and object them. However,
these professors say that Father Luan is a cancer needed to get rid of. Ly
Chanh Trung writes that cancer has built up the institution from the
scratch and made it mature. He did go around the world to beg money, find
available professors, no matter of what viewpoint, religion and
provenance, to help the institution. Afer 7 years of hard labor, the
institution has a good image. Without the determination of this cancer,
how would the faculty of medicine of Mr Le Khac Quyen (Le^ Kha<'c
Quye^'n), director of the Hue hospital - dean of the faculty - a member of
the People's Council of Salvation, to be formed ?
Ly Chanh Trung also writes that "you indeed bring him down because he
doesn't agree with your political maneuver. If so, the Hue institution
became a political party already. You request for democracy by starting
using dictatorial methods..."
In Saigon, on 27/9/1964, the "Force of Students to Protect Pure Education"
demonstrates before Vien Hoa Dao requesting to shift politics out of
schools. The Student Association of Saigon declares not to bring politics
into schools and universities. However, these organizations are labeled
right away as remnants of Can Lao.
Attacking all who have different views
After General Nguyen Chanh Thi is dismissed from his post as commander of
the 1st Military Corps because of his tolerating "Concord and
Reconciliation" movement of the Buddhist group of Ven. Thich Tri Quang.
Seeing that they lose the main supporter, Ven. Thich Tri Quang and Mr Vo
Van Cuong turn to oppose the Council of Generals. In this operation, Ven.
Thich Tri Quang won't pardon any organizations he labels as "reactionary"
if they don't side with his group.
About political parties, the Nationalist Party of Nguyen Tuong Tam's
faction headed by Nguyen Tuong Hieu (Nguye^~n Tu+o+`ng Hie^'u) who follows
Ven. Thich Tri Quang, but others keep neutral or oppose Ven. Thich Tri
Quang. To the press, except Buddhist newspapers, the majority of them are
not on his side. All Southern Buddhist factions like the Southern
Buddhist Study Association (Ho^.i Pha^.t Ho.c Nam Vie^.t of Mr Mai Tho
Truyen), Vietnam Buddhist Confederation (To^?ng Gia'o Ho^.i Pha^.t Gia'o
VN) separate from the Central Vietnam Buddhist group of Ven. Thich Tri
Quang. Even some Northerner monks in Vien Hoa Dao often object his
decisions. Before this situation, Ven. Thich Tri Quang opens operations
to attack all who disagree with him...
Conclusion
In "No More Vietnams", p. 65, Nixon writes :
"The issue of religious repression was a complete fabrication. Diem
appointed his top oficials without regard to their faith. Of his 18
cabinet ministers, 5 were Catholic, 5 Confucianist, and 8 Buddhist,
including the vice president and the foreign minister. Og his thirty-eight
provincial governors, 12 were Catholic and 25 were either Confucianist or
Buddhist. Of his 19 top generals, 3 were Catholic and 16 were Taoist,
Confucianist, or Buddhist. He permitted Buddhist to exempt themselves from
mandatory military service on religious grounds, while Catholics and
others were required to serve. No Buddhist was ever arrested for
practicing his religion, and not a single piece of credible evidence has
ever been produced to show that Diem repressed Buddhists on the basis of
religion.
Politics, not religion, was on the minds of those behind the crisis. A few
ambitious Vietnamese had shaved their heads, donned Budhist monk's
clothing, and contrived the crisis to advance their own political agenda.
Their leader was Tri Quang, and they operated out of the Xa Loi pagoda in
Saigon. It was hardly a place of reverence. Mimeograph copiers churned out
propaganda sheets. Organizers barked out instructions on where to hold the
day's demonstrations. Messengers hurried about with newly painted banners.
Journalists and photographers milled around hoping to get the inside word
on the location of the next burning. Anyone who glanced in the door could
see that the Xa Loi pagoda was not a house of worship but the political
headquartes of a movement intent on bringing down Diem's government.
During a UN investigation of the charges against Diem, two young Buddhist
who had been prevented from burning themselves to death testified about
Tri Quang's General Buddhist Association had recruited them. Both were
told horror stories about how Diem's government was burning pagodas and
beating, torturing, and disemboweling Buddhists. One said a recruiter told
him that "the Buddhist Association worked for the Communist" and that 10
volunteers were neded for death by fire. After he volunteered, he was told
that the "suicide-promotion group would make all the arrangement". This
included providing him with a gasoline-soaked robe, driving him to a
location that would be handed out to the waiting press.
The other, who came from a remote province, said he was horrified when a
recruiter told him Diem had burned Saigon's pagodas. He volunteered to die
when he was informed that by doing so he might be reincarnated as a
Buddha. He was brought to the capital and given a carefully prescribed
route, designed to avoid the city thoroughly intact pagodas, to reach the
location for his suicide. When he changed the course because a street was
blocked off, he came upon a pagoda where Buddhists were peacefully
worshipping. He then voluntarily surrendered to a policeman.
Just as he sought to deceive the world, Thich-Tri-Quang deceived his
victims in order to acheive his political ends. After Diem had yielded to
all reasonable demand, Tri Quang injected unreasonale one to keep the
crisis alive. He was interested not in compromise but in conflict. As one
monk at Xa Loi asked a reporter,"How many suicides will it take to get rid
of Diem".
Thich-Tri-Quang made no secret of his real goals. He had been arrested
twice by the French for working with the Vietminh. He admitted that after
1945 he had served with Buddhist groups that were nothing more than
Communist front organizations to help Ho's army. He was a disciple of
Thich-Tri-Do, the leader of the Communist-dominated Buddhist Church in
North Vietnam, and had once said that Buddhism was entirely compatible
with communism. On one occasion, a reporter asked Thich-Tri-Quang whether
it was ethical to induce young monks to commit suicide in so painful a
manner just to be able to fly the Buddhist flag a notch or two higher.
Thich-Tri-Quang shrugged his shoulder and said with perfect candor that "in
a revolution many things must be done.
Mo^.t ngu+o+`i kha'c dda~ bi. lo^i cuo^'n va`o qui~ dda.o cu?a TT Tri'
Quang lu'c dda^`u la` cu. Mai Tho. Truye^`n, Chu? ti.ch Ho^.i Pha^.t ho.c
Nam Vie^.t. O^ng dda~ tu+`ng tham gia chie^'n di.ch cho^'ng chi'nh phu?
Ngo^ DDi`nh Die^.m na<m 1963, nhu+ng khi nha^.n ra su+. tha^.t, o^ng dda~
ru't ra kho?i GHPGVNTN va` no'i :
"O^ng Die^.m kho^ng a'c nhu+ ngu+o+`i ta tu+o+?ng. Co' chuye^.n Pha^.t
Gia'o xa?y ra, o^ng a^'y cu~ng kho^? " ("PG va` Chi'nh tri. ta.i VN Nga`y
Nay", Hoa`ng Xua^n Ha`o; trang 182).
Mo^.t ngu+o+`i kha'c nu+~a la` Ba?o DDa.i, trong "Con Ro^`ng Annam" (Le
Dragon d'Annam, p. 348), o^ng nha^.n xe't ve^` vie^.c "dda`n a'p PG" nhu+
sau :
"Khi ca'c su+ sa~i, do My~ va` tay sai cu?a VC ddie^`u ddo^.ng, ba<'t
dda^`u lao va`o nhu+~~ng cuo^.c bie^?u ti`nh, thi` nha` ca^`m quye^`n
pha?i ddo^'i pho' la.i. Nhu+ng Die^.m Nhu la` ngu+o+`i Co^ng gia'o, vi`
va^.y su+. ddo^'i pho' cu?a nha` ca^`m quye^`n bi. coi la` mang ma`u sa<'c
to^n gia'o".
Ta ne^n bie^'t, tuy o^ng Die^.m la` ngu+o+`i CG, nhu+ng ddu+'ng tre^n
ngo^i vi. nguye^n thu? QG o^ng cu~ng dda~ giu'p TT Tri' Quang xa^y du+.ng
Ho^.i Pha^.t Ho.c Trung Pha^`n.
This a bloody page in Vietnamese history whereby untalented, immoral and,
fond of position of few Vietnamese generals who listen (or have no choice
to do so ?) to the American ally who sometimes show a gesture of a boss in
conducting an anti-communist war for its own interest rather than be a
friend to cooperate and listen to his ally.
Mr Diem has at least created South Vietnam with the great help of US ally
from zero to a country with basic elements for a modern society. Among
all of his opponent politicians, there is no one to prove that they can
handle the diversified political situation of SVN which started learning
democracy. With one Bao Dai and his General Nguyen Van Hinh who just
liked to search for pleasures in France and used manipulations of the
French colonialists to to screw the Vietnamese. With these kinds of
people, SVN would collapse long time ago.
About An Quang sect, it is obvious that this "movement" is not request for
religious equality, democracy in freedom, but for shaking hands with
communist believing that the Sect can share power with communists, that
communists, as their "close and real brothers", would let Buddhism be
state religion and then this would lead to Buddist state like the time
under dynasties Ly and Tran. However, the reality is not the case. SVN
is gone, so is the sect which often self-claims that Buddhism is
Vietnamese people; democracy to them means Vietnam would be a Buddhist
state. After 30/4/75, they went to a next step that attempted to unify
all other Buddhist sects under one umbrella called the Unified Buddhist
Church of Vietnam (UBCV) to control Buddhism that could lead to a Buddhist
state. However, Vietnamese communists didn't let the sect do that. The
ambition was shattered.
Religion intruding into politics creates more harm than benefit for a
country. That is experience of VN.
kim nguyen
Thich Tam Chau threatens that if the government doesn't meet these demands
before 27/10/1964, he will organize school shutdown and general strike.
Father Cao Van Luan
country. That is an experience of VN.
Kim Nguyen
Reasons for U.S. to eliminate Mr Diem
What the world and Vietnamese public have often been told or thought of until
now about 2 main reasons for U.S. to annihilate Mr Diem : Buddhist "oppression"
and Mr Nhu's negotiating with communists. Available documents one follow until
now show that these two reasons are indeed faked; they are just smokescreens or
pretexts U.S., Vietnamese generals and Buddhists make up to justify for their
participation in a scheme. Then, what is the reason ? It is nothing more than
American interest : Messrs. Diem-Nhu are not docile enough to obey totally U.S.
This can be reflected from secret White House documents.
1) In the American House of Commons, there is a powerful committee called
"Ways and Means" (DDu+o+`ng lo^'i va` Phu+o+ng tie^.n) specifying for a
country how to use U.S. means respecting its policy.
A country receiving U.S. aid must obey American policy whether or not that aid
meets that country's need. There is more complexity occurring under Mr Diem's
regime because of that. If that country doesn't execute correctly U.S. would
cut aid or create coup d'etat. Mr Diem got many problems with the Americans on
this issue. He has planned many necessary methods to curb the insurgency of
communists, but the Americans objected them giving that their plans are better
(TT Die^.m muo^'n mo+? ddu+o+`ng va`o Cao Nguye^n, dda`o kinh va`o ca'c vu`ng
province. Mr Diem shows dissatisfaction and complains that the Americans
Father Cao Van Luan
Conclusion
pleasures in France and used manipulations of the French colonialists to screw
the Vietnamese. With these kinds of people, SVN would collapse long time ago.
About An Quang sect, it is obvious that this "movement" is not request for
religious equality, democracy in freedom, but for shaking hands with communist
believing that the Sect can share power with communists, that communists, as
their "close and real brothers", would let Buddhism be state religion and then
this would lead to Buddist state like the time under dynasties Ly and Tran.
However, the reality is not the case. SVN is gone, so is the sect which often
self-claims that Buddhism is Vietnamese people; democracy may mean Vietnam
would be a Buddhist state. After 30/4/75, they went to a next step by
attempting to unify all other Buddhist sects under one umbrella called the