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Home , Ngo Dinh Diem, Persecution of Buddhists

UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 62 Date 30/05/2006 Time 9:35:54 AM

S-0871-0005-03-00001

Expanded Number S-0871 -0005-03-00001

items-in-Peace-keeping operations - - (correspondence of the Secretary-General and his office with personalities and organizations in relation to the Vietnam situation)

Date Created 01/12/1964

Record Type Archival Item

Container S-0871 -0005: Peace-Keeping Operations Files of the Secretary-General: U Thant - Viet-Nam

Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit CS/st

28 August 1962

Bear Etev Candauy la the atesenee from Eead^u&eters of the Acting jSecreteay-Genesjalj, I should lUse to rep3jr to your1 letter of 20 August 1962, $& note that Br, Bram teas left Saigon and that you to appoint a successor to him in th® asaar ftrfcure. the arrangenefit tindgr whlefe 52p<. Brown undertook

reirpoiaibilities of Seewity Officer worked so ^&H.f Ife woulcl be v^cy useful if we cdild eontiaue tba ea?o© arraggement with bis SUCCGSBOT also. I should like to talse thie opportunity to tbaiik you for the continued eo-opej*atiO)a t?e have received la this matter ffrom the World aealth Organization. Sincerely yours.,

C.¥, Uorasimhan Chef de CSsbinet

World Health Organisation Palais des Geneva, UNITED NATIONS fggjf NATIONS UNIES

NEW YORK

FILE NO.I PO 240 VINA (2)

The enclosed communication dated- 11 October 1962 is transmitted to the Permanent Missions of the Stages/Members of the United Nations at the request of the Permanent"representative of to the United Nations. \

17 October 1962 o, STALA MISE CESKOSLOVENSKE REPUBLIKY U SPOJENYCH NARODU Telephone: LEhigh 5-8114 PERMANENT MISSION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS 1109-11II Madison Avenue New York 28, N. Y.

V odpovedi uvedte c'slo: In reply please quote No.: 2822/62 11 October 1962

Excellency,

I have the honour to enclose the note from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam addressed to H.E. Mr. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, President of the XVIIth session of the United Nations General Assembly as well as 109 copies of the publication entitled "The U.S. Policy of Inter- vention and Aggression in South Viet Nam" issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and to request you to have the letter with the enclosed publications circulated as an official Lnited Nations document. Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Dr. ItTirl Hajek Permanent Representative 6f the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic to the United Nations

His Excellency U Thant Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations NOTE PROM THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM TO MR. MUHAMMAD ZAFRULA KHAN, PRESIDENT OF THE XVIIth SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Hanoi, September 19, 1962

Excellency,

On October 25, 1961, I had the honour to draw the attention of the member-governments of the XVIth Session of the U.N. General Assembly to the dangerous situation which might arise as a result of the US Government a contemplated armed intervention in the southern part of our country, What was then a subject of grave concern to my Government, has indeed happened. The US Government has openly and continuously brought into South Viet Nam many military units, military aircraft and helicopters of various types. In , it set up in Saigon itself a U.S. Military Command under General Paul D. Harkins, Deputy Commander of the US Land Forces in the Pacific, with the task of directing, not only the US forces in South Viet Nam and those of the Administration, but also the US forces in . By now, more than 10,000 US officers and men belong- ing to various armed services are, along with the armed forces of the Ngo Dinh Diem Administration, waging an "un- declared war" against the people of South Viet Nam. Bombs, napalm bombs, bullets and noxious chemicals, are showered unremittingly on the villages of South Viet Nam. The ceaseless military operations carried out by the forces of the US and the Ngo Dinh Diem Administration are claiming a daily average toll of hundreds of persons killed and wounded, while thousands, and sometimes tans of - 2 -

thousands of others are herded into prisons and concentrat- ion camps dubbed "strategic hamlets". The Geneva Agreements have restored peace in Viet Nam for more than eight years now, yet the people of South Viet Nam are still living today in the horrors of war. This grave situation may even further deteriorate in of the fact that in his recent inspection tour of the South Viet Nam operational zone, General Maxwell Taylor, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, held many discussions with the Saigon authorities and General Harkins on the question of expanding US armed intervention in this area. The "undeclared war" now raging in South Viet Nam is a clear manifestation of the policy of intervention and aggression which the US has been pursuing over the last eight years with a view to turning South Viet Nam into a US new type colony and military base. By these schemes and acts, the US Government has grossly infringed upon the independence and sovereignty of Viet Nam. It has most gravely violated the fundamental provisions of the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Viet Nam which it undertook to respect. It has acted contrary to the spirit of the U.N. Charter and the U.N. Resolution relating to the liquidation of colonialism in all its forms. The US Government has created in South Viet Nam & dangerous hotbed of tension which is likely to expand, and which is posing a threat to the peace and security of the peoples of Indo-China and South-East Asia. It is no accident that the US Government a policy of armed aggression in South Viet Warn is being firmly opposed by the people of South Viet Nam united in the South Viet Nam Liberation National Front, and is being severely condemned by world public opinion, US opinion included.

Being a signatory to the 1954 Geneva Agreements, and deeply conscious of its sacred duty towards its Fatherland and its countrymen in the South, the Government of th« Demo- cratic Republic of Viet Nam has consistently and correctly - 3 - implemented the Geneva Agreements, and has spared no efforts in the cause of strengthening peace and peaceful reunification of Viet Nam. In the present situation, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam has many a time pointed out that, to safeguard peace in South Viet Nam, it is imperative that the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Viet Nam be correctly implemented by the parties con- cerned that the US Government put an end to its policy of armed aggresion in South Viet Nam, disband forthwith the US military units and military personnel, arms and war material, and that the internal affairs of the be settled by the Vietnamese themselves in accord- ance with the principles of the United Nations and the 1954 Geneva Agreements. In the interests of world peace and security, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam once again requests the member countries of the U.N. and the U«N. General Assembly to pay special attention to the very dangerous situation obtaining at present in South Viet Nam, in the hope that Your Exc^llrrcy and the U.N. General Assembly will use Your authority to have the U.S. Govern- ment honour its international undertakings in regard to the Geneva Agreements on Viet Nam, thereby contributing to the safeguarding of peace and security in Indo-China and South East Asia. With a view to shadding further light on the situ- ation in South '"Viet Nam, I have the honour to request Xour Excellency to kindly forward to the Delegates to the pre- sent Session of the U.N. General Assembly, - as U.N. docu- ments - copies of this note as well as the book published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Repu- blic of Viet Nam "The US Policy of Intervention and Aggres- sion in South Viet Nam", which will reach you shortly. - 4 -

I take this opportunity to renew to lour Excellency the assurances of my high consideration.

UNG VAN KHIEM Minister for Foreign Affairs Democratic Republic of Viet Nam caf 7

V II V

0$ c Cfr^dju^ fc VL <5

,4 /fcf /S^c/ -r /o~

4 /? 0 ^ 29 Harch 1963

Dear Mr. Saillant,

On behalf of the Secretary-General, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 19 March 1963.

Yours sincerely,

C.V. Narasimhan Chef de Cabinet

Mr. Louis Saillant Secretary-General World Federation of trade Unions Prague, Gseehoslbvakia

cc: Mr. Hogan *•38342

WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS FEDERATION SYNDICALE MONDIALE FEDERACION SINDICAL MUNDIAL Prague> le 19 mars1963 BCEMHPHAH OEJJEPAIJHfl nPOOECCHOHAJILHHX COI03OB

Address all correspondence to: Adresser la correspond ance au: Toda comunicaci6n ha de ser dirlgida a:

TT . SECRETARIAT DE LA U FEDERATION SYNDICALE MONDIALE Secretaire General PRAGUE 1, NAM. CURIEOVfCH 1 TELEPHONE 67.856 de 1 * Organis at ion des Nations Unies ADRESSE TELEGRAPHIQUE: FESYMOND PRAGUE LS/GB/fT0 V NEW-YOKE

Monsieur le Secretaire General,

La Federation Syndicale Mondiale a appris avec indigna- tion que des produits chimiques toxiques sont largement r^pandus par des avions militaires americains survolant le territoire Sud-Vietnam. Des informations qui nous parviennent en provenance de la Federation des Syndicate du Vietnam, qui est I1organi- sation Syndicale de la Republique Kemocratique du Vietnam, affili^e a la Federation Syndicale Mondiale, confirment que 20 communes populeuses de la province Bentre se trouvent dans la zone atteinte. Des milliers d*hectares de cultures seraient detruits avec une importante contamination dans le "betail» Mais en plus, il faut enregistrer qu'il est question de nombreuses victimes parmi la population civile. On es- time que dans la seule de Thuan Dien, 1.700 person- nes, et en majorite des femmes et des enfants, souffriraient de diverses affections dues a 1'empoisonnement consecutif a lxepandage par I1armde americaine de produits toxiques. Outre que cette situation a cree une assez grande emo- tion dans la region asiatique consideree, un sentiment •d1indignation se developpe partout dans le monde a la con- naissance de telles informations. Il nous semble, Monsieur le Secretaire General, qu'il serait opportun pour I1 Organisation des Nations Unies, d*interroger le Gouvernement des Etats-Unis d'Amerique. IJTexplication fournie par lui jusqu1^ ce ^our qu'il s'agi- rait de simples deshertaants, ne peut pas etre consideree comme pouvant donner satisfaction a I1opinion publique. Une condamnation solennelle doit intervenir en jugement de ces actes inhumains et totalement inacceptatiles cau=- tionn^s par le gouvernement des Etats-Uhis d'Amerique. He plus, le dit gouvernement devrait prendre 1*engagement devant I1Organ!sation des Wations-Unies, de cesser im- mediatement de pareils agissements. H nous semble que dans le respect des Accords de Ge- neve de 1954 sur 1'Indochine, se trouve I1issue a la si- tuation creee dans le Sud Tietnam, jtistement par la non application de ces Accords 'Ayant la certitude, Monsieur le Secretaire Ge'neralj

Louis SAILLANT Secretaire General sss as

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tr-THANT SECRETARY SENERAl UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION NY

RESPECTFULLY INFORM YOU THAT IN COURSE OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION AT HtlE AGAINST BANKING OF v ON OCCASION WESAKH EIGHT PERSONS WERE KILLED AND MANY INJURED £Y SO^ERNMENT TROOPS STOP EARNESTLY REQUEST YOU APPEAL TO PRESIDENT DIEK TO ABANDON DISCRIMINATORY MEASURES BUDDHISTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO BRING MATTER TO OF LEAGUE FOR DEFENCE STOP HIGHEST REGARDS STOP THICHTINH KHIET PRESIDENT VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST HUE . -i _ M&M-HIL r £3

. cr? -r ~^

OS Unofficial translation from French

INCOMING CLEAR GABLE

To: Secretary-General From: Prince , Cambodian Head of State Date: 13 No.: 158/SPU/T

Shocked and alarmed by the tragic developments in the religious conflict between the Saigon Government and the Buddast and faithful in South Viet- Nam, appeals to Your Excellency to induce the South Vietnamese leaders to respect the most sacred rights of the human person, namely the right to live according to one's faith and the right freely to practice one's religion. In this connection, allow me to point out to Your Excellency that over 600,000 farmers living in South Viet-Nam have for several years been enduring the most cruel religious at the hands of the civil and military authorities of that country.

Norodom Sihanouk, Chief of State of Cambodia 165ACR GG9.34

UNATION 420544 ACRS/KK AN763 FFF PHNOMPENH 129/128 13 2327

ETAT SON EXCELLENCE U THAN? SECRETAIRE-GENERAL DES NATIONS UNIES KEWYOSK

NO 158/SPU/T BOULEVERSE ET A LARME PAR LES TFASIQUES DEVELOPPEMENTS DU CONFLIT RELIGIEUX ENTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT DE SAIGON ET LES MOINES ET FIDELES BUDDHISTES DU SUD BLPWUXAM LE CAMBODGE FAIT APPEL A BVOTRE EXCELLENCE POUR OBTENIR DES DIRIGEANTS SUD

2/50 VIENAMIENS LE RESPECT DES DROITS LES PLUS 3ACRES DE LA PERSONNE HUM'AINE CEUX BE VIVRE SELON SA FOI ET 5>E PRATIQUER LIBREMENT SA RELIGION STOP A CETTE OCCASION QU IL ME SO IT PERMIS DE RAPPELER A VOTRE EXCELLENCE CUE PLUS DE SIX CENT MILLE KHMERS VIVANT AU SUB VIETNAM

3UBISSENT a/as , i '•'.-• «-• •' • •-•. --•> LES RELJGIEUSES LES PLUS .7" X CKUEL1ES BEPUIS PLUSIEURS AI^NEES BE LA PA.BT DES . > AUTORITES GIVILES ET MIL IT ft IRES DE CE PAYS STOP • • c; HOROBOM SIHANOUK CHEF D ITAT'DU CAMBODGE ! - ••

COLL J58/SPU/T AD/rt>

1$ Quillet 1963

Itttsre du 7 Jain 1963 a bjbsa <§t$ re^ue par le ties !latd.ons Uides. eroire S, 1* assurance dear «®® sentiments les

J, Chef de Cabinet Adjoint

Charles

O;^CK I* 15 juiUet 1963

l^bouaesar de was accuser r^ceptioa de la Xettre du 8 Juillet 19^3 > P&z* laqualls voias avea bioti Toolu coM3Ujaiqii«r a,u Sec^Sfcairs G^a^spal de I'os^asisatloa des Hatioaa ;.;rile8 « i'Aasociatl0a lafceatiationale sur la sitoation ast Suc!-?ieteasiu , Mossiear 1« Seerltsirs G&i^ral, les

J* Chef de CaM.net

Monsieur le ;>eci€talre G&ndraL d® IntestiatioBal© des Jurists® 234 ra® 5 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEMOCRATIC LAWYERS

Brussels, 8

The Secretary-General of the United Nations New York, N.Y. U.S.A«

Sir, I have the honour to transmit enclosed the copy of a statement by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers on the situation in South Viet-Kam. Accept, Sir, etc.

(signed) Jo*e Kordraann Secretary-General

Enclosure Brussels, 8 July 1%3

Statement in connexion with the ninth anniversary of the Geneva agreements on Indo-China

On 20 July 1954 the Geneva agreements on Indo-China were signed. Their conclusion was enthusiastically welcomed by all peoplaso However, the almost immediate violation of the agreements promptly plunged that part of the world back into a situation tvhich is growing more serious every day and to which the I»A.D*L» feels that attention should be drawn once again on this ninth anniversary of the signature of the agreements* The war that is being waged by the American army for the purpose of upholding a brutal dictatorship has led, among other consequences, to an uprising on the part of the population of South Viet-Nam in an attempt to defend its national ri$its and its , and the terrible repression that it has to endure day in and day out. The I.A.D.L. has frequently protested against this American intervention, which has now attained the proportions of an undeclared war conducted by particularly atrocious means - the transfer of rural inhabitants to "strategic hamlets1', executions of patriots and, more recently, the spraying of the Vietnamese countryside from the air with toxic chemical substances which destroy vegetation and crops, kill domestic anisials and cause serious cases of poisoning among the population, at times leading to the death of young children and old people. This open war, which is being waged in flagrant violation of the Geneva agreements and against all the principles of international law, is a dangerous threat to peace in South-East Asia. Whereas the national Liberation Front of South Viet-Nam has proposed the establishment of a neutralist and democratic State and the Vietnamese people have agreed, realistically, to postpone the reunification of their country until further negotiations have been held, the American array is persisting in its military intervention and supporting President Ng-Dinh-Diem, who openly boasts of preparing to reconquer the North, that is, to commit aggression against the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam. — 2 *»

World public opinion has already reacted strongly in an effort to prevent the further extension of this dangerous conflict and to end the martyrdom of the courageous South Vietnamese people. Indeed, 64 prominent Americans recently made an appeal on those lines to President Kennedy. But public opinion still needs to be expressed more forcefully. The International Association of Democratic La-wyers appeals to the signatories of the Geneva agreement of 1954, calling, in the spirit of thoae agreements, for the immediate cessation of chemical *ra,rfara, the withdrawal of American troops and weapons from South Viet-Hanij the neutralisation of the country and the restoration of democratic freedoms to enable the Vietnamese people to choose their own government. If* le 8„. juille•. ,^ t .

1" ". '.,•*,' * i« v ' v^-i'^^J-j*:-^? ji-^.' -'->¥J;L.^.i.^i^-l;i*i'-W-in~-. T1 »<• «'i-5 r\v\ *n^r»3-i 4" ji

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I» HUE Ml*? TSHPUE STILL BESIECEr FORTY ftQNKS AND THREEHUND8EC STUDENTS AMD YOUJiG BUDDHISTS BLOCKED IN FOR LAST SIX UAY3 FOOB SUPPLY AND MEEICSW. CAR^S STOP IN SAI60N 6WERKWENT TO iRTIMIDATE AND DISCREDIT AND INTESSIFYING G£PfESSiSTVEMEAStlRES STOP MORE PROTESTS TKSOU6H FASTINGS AMD MASS 'S^^SIfiStRATIONS BY BUBPHISTS IN SEVERAL PROVIWCES STOP PREUftlfiARY CONTACT WITH INTERM1N1STE8IAL COMMISSION OF VIETNAMESE'GOVERNMENT HAS NO • CONTINUATION o?4 CONTRARY MANY ARBITRARY i - . - , . ASSISTS' STOP AdCRAVAtlON OF SITUATION TO BE FEARS3J STOP SHALL BE CflAtEFUL FOR YOUH EMIHERT MEDIATION IN

RAISING'-SIEGE'ft'BA'M rRSEiNS BUDDHISTS KEPT IN PRTSEN PUSTONSIOS OF ARREST FOR PEACFUt, SETTLEMENT FUDDRIST. ISSUE STOP KPECfF0i*tY ' ' ' VIETNAMESE BtJJJlffllST

COLL m o tKAKt SECRETARY UNITEI-' NATIONS 20 July 1963

I have been asked by the Secretary-General, to your letter to him dated 17 July in regard to the telegrasa sent to the Secretary-General by the Vietnamese Buddhist Intersecto Couffiiittee. Accept, Jfedame, the assurances of c^y highest coasiderati on.

C. V. Harasijuhan

Madame 2ran-?an-Chuong Perraaaent Observer of Viet-fea to the United Hiationa 51st Street Hew York 22, B.Y.

cc - Mr, Lemieux BT/

23 ^«ly 1963

Dear Mp. Sigaifaara, $he SecretoEy-Geaeral h&s asked, jse to receipt of your ctssmmieatloa of 29

Vietnamf held IB Kyoto^ .

Yours sincerely?

CSbief de Cabinet

Secretary Kyoto SidSMst Assoclafeicm OJiasM ElgasM Kyoto, S3?

July 1963

® to 3?eply to your letter &t 3$ Jtxlgr 1963 OB the subset of the situation of the gopiilation of Seutto ?i$tj®a. AltkeugH this question bs?0a|*ht to bia atteatiOE^, tM Ctetar of fh® United ®iis tifm. tafelag a^r action IB a isatter wfeieh concerns 1 affairs of ai^ Stete* IB the p^seat ease# Sensth is 3K>t esrea a Msas&er c^1 tlje UaiteA Ifetions.

Seo?eta2?gr-6ene2al lias,fesw@ver ?saad s a pyMle to l^eeldeat Bis© oa this .stt^^et,, >Ssarlag tJie coiarse of a GGsS&s&as® ^Mch he held at tbe Uait04 Sat ions on 28 Juste 1963. I attaeb for your laforasaticm a coi^y of tba aisd the Se«J3feta3^r-Seaa*al.'s reepoase. Yours

C,V. Ghef

Hiss f fea? *. 1 f.

6ENERAL

$£ ARE GfeEATLt e'dlERNED. WITH -THE SJTOATIO^ IN SOUTH AMD m HletMTLY Al^PFAl TO YOUft HIGH OFFICE IN HELPING TO BHIMG ABOUT A JUST A ife. PEACEFUL SETf'LEMEKT RESPECTFULLt TOUHS SHINSHO- mmVftm BISHOP OF BUBDHIST CKOHCHES OF AMERICA

EBT JOL S4«* - mniwui «l^i* g' »«-<§™

'• - . • . •? ro *

c ^i y± ".en' NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -3- VIETNAM PRESIDENT UNDER 5/13/63 - P.; .FIRE FROM RED, ANTIRED AND NEUTRALIST CRITICS By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) : SAIGON, ¥ietnam, May 10—-President John Baptist Ngo dinh Diem and his government of the Republic of Vietnam are targets for critics communist, anticommunist and what may be called confusionist. There •' plenty to criticize, as there is in most governments, especially those recently developed and under enemy fire. But there \ 'i.. is certainly far more to criticize in Red-ruled . |$ One way to evaluate current criticisms of policies and <( practices i; >;outh Vietnam is to evaluate the critics. Communists are now notorious for deceit. Their criticisms are significant, however, in showing what they find to be worth exploiting in propaganda among the masses. Anticommunist critics usually intend to do good by showing up weaknesses that should be cured. Many of President Ngo dihh Diem's critics, Vietnamese and foreign, are anticommunist, well-meaning and intelligent. Then there are the critics of neutralist tint, hazily hopeful that some sort of compromise will save everybody and everything. Last month 62 Americans published an open letter addressed to President Kennedy, calling on him "to halt U.S« military intervention" in and to "utilize and International negotiation as was done successfully in ." That "success" in Laos must have looked better to those letter writers in the U.S. last month than it does here in Vietnam, next door to Laos. I do not recall having heard that any of the 62 signers of that open letter visited Vietnam during the last few years—the period of intensified guerrilla warfare and increased U.S. military advisory , i1 and material aid. Indeed, I suspect that few of them have firsthand "^. . « " knowledge of Vietnam or of anywhere else in East Asia. (MORE) /NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -4- (5/13/63 - F.) / Their open letter to President Kennedy was warmly welcomed by f Radio Hanoi (north Vietnam communist station), which has been quoting it and praising it, in Vietnamese and English, for weeks. An American journalist who visited Saigon early tMs year published a series of articles in which he presented views he attributed to "the American newspaper corps in south Vietnam." He declared that "there is not an American newspaperman in south Vietnam" who acdepts President Kennedy's "policy line" on the ••;...';,. situation here. As a visiting reporter, he said, he could not affirm "with any show of authority whether the American newspaper corps in south Vietnam has correctly analyzed the course of the war or not," but apparently he had adopted and was propounding the pessimistic views he attributed to the American correspondents. Many U.S. correspondents come and go in south Vietnam. Only about h_-i.f a dozen can be called in any sense permanent here. Among these I have found only one who recalls having talked to the. visiting reporter who wrote those articles. Ever since September, 195^* some French commentators, journal- yfcic and others, have been foreseeing for President Ngo dinh Diem the collapse that they apparently hoped for. After nearly seven years of nonfulfillment one does not take that forecast too seriously. Some criticisms are repeated at foreigners' dinner tables in Saigon until they become cliches. For instance, President Ngo dihh Diem is said to have a "mandarin mentality," by people who wouldn't know a mandarin if they found one on their front door step. They say this as if it were a profound and revealing diagnosis, not realising that a mandarin was simply a higher official, equivalent to governor of a .province. Q Vietnamese critics, whose opinions are canvassed and quoted by foreign inquirers, fall into several groups, some of them overlapping. In assessing their views, allowance most be made for the following facts: The "intellectuals" in most capital cities of Asia usually find fault with the government in power. (MORE) • / NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -5- (5/6/63 - P..) / .'/ Some of the more sophisticated critics in south Vietnam1have """V,' studied in Prance or have relatives who brought "back fashions of / / / thought and speech from Paris';;. One of these is an addiction to x • criticism, especially of governments. The Saigonnais who is cynical «/ ; / about his government today sounds like a Parisian, talking in some 'j boulevard cafe about his government in the 1930s or the postwar years. Apart from any French influence (which is evident even among the i avowedly anti9French), there has long been a pattern of splits and" J factions in Vietnamese nationalist movements. The anti-Diem f Vietnamese in Paris and elsewhere are themselves divided into rival f groups. \ Some of these divisions are to be expected in any country before 1 and after the winning of independence. Some are natural anywhere at , any time. There are only so many high offices in a government. The ;i "outs" always tend to be sharply critical of the "ins" and to feel that they would do things better if they had not been unfairly excluded. ' . An anti-Diem bulletin issued by a dissident group based in

'i * Paris and Cambodia last November ended with the declaration: "Dr. ! XYZ is the only man who can retrieve the situation in south Vietnam." J Apparently there are several such "only men." The present government has made mistakes and gives its friends < continuing cause for worry. But it does nothing badly that some of ! the dissident groups would not probably do worse.. Nor could a i change of regime be made by any extraordinary process that would not j open the way to a series of dangers worse than any current ; ' | shortcomings in administration. i Unfortunately, hardly any criticism, no matter how reasonable, \ may be published locally. Only outside south Vietnam can i : criticism break into print. One of the traits of the administration j is that, like most Asian governments, it is extremely sensitive. Hence criticism, however well meant, has little chance of doing the ; good it ought to do. It provokes reactions and rejoinders that draw i/ more criticism. One foreign observer has said that an immediate danger to Vietnam is that Americans and the Vietnamese government may exasperate each other. That could lead to a critical situation more harmful than critical men. * # # * NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -5-

DIEM HOLDS TO STAND 5/20/63 - M. ON FLYING BUDDHIST, OTHER RELIGIOUS FLAGS By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of Saint Columban (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, Vietnam, May 20 (Radio, NC) — President Ngo dinh Diem is maintaining his stand regarding Buddhist and other religious flags despite protests of Buddhists following a tragic clash in Hue , the feast of Buddha's birthday. The first request a six-man Buddhist delegation presented to him Wednesday (May 15) was to withdraw an order against flying the Buddhist flag. The President declared that the order affected Catholic as well as Buddhist flags. He insisted that the national flag must always be given precedence. He said the Buddhist flag should not be flown in the streets and when it is flown inside temple grounds it should be beneath the- national flag and smaller in size. In processions, the national flag should be in front of the Buddhist flag. The next day, Buddhist leaders held a press conference in a library attached to their recently built, brightly colored in Saigon's residential district and said that they were not fully satisfied with this reply. Their other demands included one for the same treatment as Christian churches enjoy and another for "permission to propagate and practice their religion." The President'deni/ed that there is any policy of and said that any complaints of abuses in administration regarding Buddhists would be investigated. Buddhist chiefs are now reportedly considering holding processions of Buddhist monks and nuns throughout southern Vietnam in further protest. Some Buddhist leaders give the impression that they are not altogether sorry the Vietnamese government's shortsighted and ill * x timed actions have given them an issue on which to make protests nationally and internationally. This attitude is indicated by an 'answer given by one Buddhist bonze () here when asked if any bonzes were in prison in Hue. (MORE) NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -6- (5/20/63 - M.) "I hope there are a thousand," he told this correspondent and two others. Government spokesmen insist that no bonzes have been arrested in Hue. Meanwhile, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Blnh of Saigon issued a letter reminding priests, Catholic associations and individuals that the flag of the should not be displayed exept inside churches and other religious buildings. The letter referred to a government oi-uci-1 already forbidding the flying of any flag except the Vietnamese national colors. The'Buddhist quarrel is -with the government, in which the vice president and the majority of cabinet ministers are Buddhists. The in itself has not been blamed or assailed—so far. * * # # NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -4- ; .. - ',

VIETNAM CATHOLICS DEPLORE DEATHS 5/27/63 - M. OP NINE BUDDHISTS IN INCIDENT CAUSED BY BAN ON RELIGIOUS FLAGS By Father. Patrick- O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, Vietnam/ May 27— Catholics in Vietnam deplore the tragic incident in which nine persons, according to latest reports, lost their lives in Hue on May 8, feast of Buddha's "birthday. They also deplore the suggestion implied in some foreign press reports that the Vietnamese government's position in all this matter is in some way/Catholic position. Catholics here also stress that the government took a political, not a religious action in its policy decree regarding all religious flags. They complain that some foreign press reports failed to emphasize that Catholics were forbidden to display the papal colors of out/doors, just as the Buddhists were forbidden to fly the Buddhist flag. Vietnamese Catholics deplore the bad timing of the ban, which came practically on the eve of the Buddhist festival, and the circumstances of its enforcement in Hue, even though the government version still differs from the Buddhist one. After the event, when condolence for the bereaved families and reassurance were called for, the government attitude fell lamentably short of Catholic desires. Some Buddhist leaders seem to have taken advantage of the happenings to make general charges of .intolerance. Some specific allegations made to this correspondent were certainly misstatements. As far as is known, no accusations were being made against Catholics as a whole. Thoughtful Vietnamese recognize that at times the government seems to give extra recognition to some Catholic persons and groups and to place special reliance on them. They point put that the government does this in its ow^ n interest, seeking to make the most of what are admittedly the most determined anticommunists in the country. (MORE) "" / NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -5- (5/27/63 - M.) / Responsible members of the Church much prefer to be classed as simply loyal citizens, not asking or accepting any special favors, giving good example and having friendly relations with, all fellow citizens, including Buddhist. They appreciate the government's struggle against communism and feel they have contributed perhaps more than their share to the defense of the entire population, including Buddhists. ' • In the same spirit, Catholic Relief Services—National Catholic Welfare Conference here has always distributed foodstuffs, Catholic- donated medical supplies and clothing to needy persons and institutions of all religions. "Approximately 40 per cent of all our relief goods including clothing has been going through a government agency XMhich deals directly with the general rural population," said Father Paul Duchesne, M.M., of Cohoes, N.Y., CRS-NCWC director in Vietnam. "Furthermore, we have always given a large amount of supplies through. Saigon's Social Welfare Department which is headed by a cabinet minister, a Buddhist. The Rural Affairs Department of the U.S. Agency for International Development is a distributor and controller of a large part of our supplies for people like fishermen, mountain tribesfolk, strategic hamlet populations and Vietnamese • military families. "We have helped thousands of fire, flood and typhoon victims whose religion we do not know and have never asked. "We helped the Protestant leprosarium in Banmethuot as long as it was open and we are still helping the leprosarium of Dr. Smith, a Protestant missionary in Danang. A Chinese Protestant minister in Cholon receives relief goods from us regularly. "At least half of the patients in the five Catholic leprosaria that we help are non-Christians, As soon as the Buddhists open a leprosarium we will be glad to put them on our list, too. No one has ever been refused help by us in Vietnam no matter what his religion was." \r At JLT At NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -4-

BONZES START HUNGER 6/3/63 - M. STRIKE TO PRESSURE VIETNAM GOVERNMENT By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Raditf, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) HUE, Vietnam, June 3--Four Buddhist bonzes (monks) began a hunger strike here Thursday afternoon () to put pressure on the government to concede five demands of Buddhist associations. Friday I moved among hundreds of Buddhist men, women and youths, including Buddhist Boy Scouts milling around in the yard of Tu Dam pagoda where four bonzes are on a hunger strike. A large gong boomed intermittently, prayers were chanted inside the pagoda, and occasionally a bonze addressed the people outside over a loudspeaker. Inside, I saw three of the four seated on cushions beside an altar and a statue of Buddha. The fourth, the leader, Tri Quang, aged 4l, sat back on a couch in a small room behind the altar checking written material apparently being prepared for mimeographing. This movement is carefully organised her© and in Saigon. No opportunity for publicity in the foreign press is let slip. Saigon Buddhists telephone statements to foreign correspondents. The five demands include withdrawal of a government order against flying the Buddhist flag outside pagoda grounds. Here I find this order was suspended by authorities in Hue early May 8, at least 12 hours before a demonstration that ended in eight deaths. May 31* I saw five large Buddhist flags flying in the bright sunshine from poles inside the pagoda grounds,but no Vietnamese flag was visible.

Other demands are that those responsible for the May 8 deaths be punished and that alleged discrimination against Buddhists and "persecution"be halted. It is difficult here as in Saigon to get Buddhist spokesmen to cite specific instances. And several Buddhists made statements to me that were certainly untrue.

u While.-here is no open hostility shown by Buddhists to Catholics in Hue or Saigon, one hears of strained relations between Buddhists and Catholics working in the same offices. Shortly after May 8, some Buddhists refused to sell to Catholics in a market heee. Others and .1 saw two young priests chatting in friendly fashion with a young bonze at Hue airport. Meanwhile, hundreds of bonzes and bonzesses went on a hunger strike in Saigon, beginning by staging an unannounced gathering in front of the national assembly hall. (MORE) /' NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -5- (6/3/63 - M.) The government has issued a public reminder to all officials that they must observe respect for rights of freedom of faith, religious practice and religious propagation as prescribed by the constitution. Today, the president has changed three top officials who held office In Hue May 8. Two of them are Buddhists. One is a Catholic. One Buddhist here spoke of "this Catholic government." I corrected him, pointing out that it is not a Catholic government, but a government in which there are some Catholics. * * * * ^ .NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -3-

VIETNAM ARCHBISHOP 6/3/63 - Tu. HAS NO ARMED UNITS, CORRESPONDENT SAYS By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) HUE, Vietnam, June 4— Nobody whom this correspondent questioned here, including an American military advisor, had any knowledge of any armed units in any way responsible to Archbishop Peter Ngo-dinh-Thuc of Hue. '{Newsweek magazine-said (May 27) that small units of troops in •• the norther^ coastal region around Hue are directly responsible to the Archbisnop and that their primary mission is to protect churches and priests. Newsweek added that they are armed with U.S. weapons and trained at least in part by U.S. advisers.) The Archbishop told the N.C.W.C. News Service that the statement is untrue. .1 •• He said that the province chief insists on giving him a security /not in escort whenever he goes out. This consists of four men/uniform traveling in one jeep. This correspondent, going to the Archbishop's residence to put the query, found no guard or sentinel, but rolled into the yard and. up to the door in/bicycle rickshaw without meeting anyone. An ordinary manservant answered the doorbell. # * * * NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -3-

KILLINGS AT VIETNAM BUDDHIST 6/10/63 -P. '' DEMONSTRATION IN MAY ANGERED CTSONS OP ALL RELIGIONS By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) HUE, Vietnam, June 7--What happened here on May 8 has angered Buddhists in Vietnam and elsewhere, grieved Vietnamese of all religions, gladdened communists and worried Americans. Yet these happenings, which have had repercussions from Saigon to Ceylon and Washington, are not known fully or clearly by the world at large. No foreign correspondent was in Hue on May 8. One came four days later and left on the morrow. In Saigon the government and the Buddhist organization gave out conflicting reports. It is still hard to uncover all the facts here. The following summary is based on information from various trustworthy sources: As far back as September, 1957, the Vietnamese government issued an order restricting the public display of "international religious flags." The order was repeated in 1958 and 1962 but remained a dead letter until early last month. On May 6, only two days before the feast of Buddha '.s birthday, the government sent out word that the order, with tighter restriction added, was now to be enforced. Catholic authorities were notified as well as Buddhists. During the previous week two Catholic bishops had been installed, one of them in Danang (Tourane) 60 miles south of Hue, amid profuse displays of papal -colors in flags and bunting. On May 7, Buddhist households had already hung out the Buddhist flag here. When the police went around telling people to take down their flags, some strong objections were made. The province chief who is also mayor of Hue, a Buddhist, then told the bonzes (Buddhist ' •'• monks) that he would suspend the order for three days. Accordingly late on May 7 or on the morning of May 8, the festival day, the Buddhists of Hue were told that they were free to fly their flags as before. A protest meeting was held^ , nevertheless, at a tfpagoda. Banners with slogans accusing the government of unfairness towards Buddhists were carried. A bronze made a speech quoting these slogans. (MORE) NCVJC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -4- (6/10/63 - F.) That evening Buddhists gathered at the principal pagoda, where a traditional flower dance was to be performed. It was cancelled by the bonzes, and the assembled people were asked to go in procession '• downtown to the government radio station. About 3,000 marched, the men, women, children and bonzes forming sections.; j the radio station a bonze demanded that §.,. radio program of his be broadcast. Some say that he wished to make a speech over the radio. Others say that he asked the station director to put a tape recording of the morning meeting on the air. In either case it would mean a speech accusing the government of persecuting Buddhists. The station director said that he could not put an uncensored program on the air. The crowd outside showed resentment. The security chief, a Catholic army officer, telephoned to the corps area commander, Gen. Le van Nghiem, in Danang, for instructions. The general, a Buddhist, told him that he should use the armed forces, if necessary, to protect the government* building. The security officer brought police and soldiers, two or three armored cars and a fire truck to the scene. The crowd reportedly taunted and jostled the soldiers. What finally led to the use of force by the military is not clear. First they turned a fire hose on the people and then used teargas grenades. They fired over the heads of the crowd—no bullet marks or shrapnel nicks are visible on the walls of the radio station, or near it. Then somebody threw a concussion grenade, which killed se>fen persons and wounded others, of whom one died later. The victims were two young women, not over 20, and boys and girls from 12 years up. An armored car went over two of the bodies, apparently after the victims had been killed or wounded. It is impossible to find out who threw the grenade that night. The type used is common in various branches of the armed forces here and could come into anyone's hands. It is likely that some soldier lost his head and threw it, perhaps without realizing how much harm a e concussion grenade could do*in the midst of a crowd. Two of the victims, according to a Catholic source here, had been taking instructions in Christian doctrine. They were probably Just onlookers. (MORE) NCVJC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -11- VIETNAM PRESIDENT SAYS HE AND 6/10/63 - Tu. CONSTITUTION BACK BUDDHIST RIGHTS By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, Vietnam, June 11—President Ngo dinh Diem, making one of his infrequent radio addresses, assured all Vietnamese (June 11) that Buddhist rights are backed by the Constitution and therefore by himself. i "I solemnly declare that Buddhism in this country has the ' Constitution behind it and that means myself," he stated in a text prepared for broadcasting. The President blamed "extremist propaganda" for hindering a settlement between his committee of three cabinet ministers (two Buddhists, one Catholic) and Buddhist representatives. Saigon was shocked"today by a sort of ritual suicide in which an elderly Buddhist bonze (monk) with the aid of two others poured gasoline on himself, struck a match and set himself aflame. Surrounded by a circle of some hundreds of bonzes and bonzesses, he quickly burned to death on the street at a busy intersection. This act, apparently planned three days ago, was preceded by memorial services, in a nearby pagoda for the eight persons who lost T. their lives in the Hue incident nearly five weeks earlier. After the services, bonzes and bonzesses went in a procession headed by a gray Austin passenger car toward the intersection. There it halted and several bonzes left the car,-bringing out a jerry can of gasoline. The suicide sat on the street ringed around by bonzes and bonzesses and, before police could interfere, set fire to himself. This was enacted little more than a mile from the cathedral where a Requiem Mass for Pope John XXIII was being celebrated. While shocked by this occurrence, the general population of Saigon was seemingly not at all aroused. There is a danger that hysteria may now lead to further acts like the suicide, but still within the ranks of bonzes and bonzesses under the influence of the "General Buddhist Association." * All these Buddhist demonstrations—and not all Vietnamese Buddhists are supporting them—aim at enforcing "five demands." Two of these are definite, namely permission to fly the Buddhist flag from private houses and without the national flag on Buddhist festivals, and punishment for whoever was responsible for the deaths in Hue. The other three complaints allege discrimination in general «/ terms. * # * # i n n ..vi!! /on futirid missions ; jwe'havefoii"nd"w«YYatTsVaction ] Iln noting the truly outstanding | id build tchool». If you ara not; FOREIGN •role played In recent yesr» by j ••able to wield the offensive andj jthe N. C. W. C. News Service. ] !A powerful beacon.. A service ••defensive weapon of a loyal ( jwhtch merits praise and lupport. j •Catholic Press-Pop* St. Plus X.! Pope Plus XII

ij ISSUED BY THE PRESS DEPARTMENT, NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE | 1312 Avenue. N. W. Tele. RE. 7-3556 P. Washington 5. D. C. Cable NACAWELCO c c 1 jj J^ ^MI^.?,,ti:,1?.:,^;M .;.. SE^S..?,^m'9m •• The N. C. W. C. News Service Issues: A world-wide coverage of Catholic news; a Catholic Radio-TV Newscrlpt; a Feature Service embracing •• .. the entire Catholic feature field; • Catholic Picture Service synchronlied with Its news; special syndications by noted authors.

!Ulij:t:i:rsirsss:ij::rjs:r:j:sj:::rji5s:ts::;.-i:sij::t:s:js::ii::S::«s:s:is:s::r:j:s::ssj:j::s:ii::::rrjsr:sr::rijj{::.-:s::::::i::K:rr:,-ss:::::::r:::::r:::::r:srT EDITORS: The following story is pre-dated for Sunday, June 16.

SAIGON PRELATE ISSUES 6/17/63 - PASTORAL: EMPHASIZES FREEDOM-OP By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, June 16—Archbishop Paul Nguyen van Binh of Saigon has issued a pastoral letter occasioned by a dispute between the Vietnamese government and Buddhists. Quoting papal encyclicals and canon law, the Archbishop reminds his priests and people of principles by which Catholics must be • guided. The pastoral stresses Catholics' duty of obedience to legitimate civil authority, the distinction between the proper function of the State and the function of the Church and the obligation to respect everyone's freedom of conscience. The letter was to be read from the pulpit at all Masses in all churches and chapels of the Saigon archdiocese on Sunday, June 16, or as soon as it is received. It could hardly reach parishes outside Saigon City until after June 16. "A good Catholic, by very reason of Catholic doctrine, is the best of citizens...obedient to established civil authority under any legitimace form of government," the Archbishop emphasizes, quoting

Pope Pius XI0 Quoting Pope Leo XIII!s encyical Immortale Dei, the Archbishop

points outvthat-the State has no authority in the domain proper to the Chuviin. Then comes the passage that Vietnamese Catholics and non- Catholics alike should find most relevant to the current situation. The Archbishop quotes Pope John's final encyclical in which the Pontiff declared: "Every human being has the right to honor according to the dictates of an upright conscience and to profess his religion privately and publicly." (MORE) .NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -2- (6/17/63 - S.) The Archbishop' adds,,: '"Accordingly, every Catholic is bound to recognize and respect the principle of freedom of conscience. "Of course, the Church keenly desires to see all men enjoying the light of the Catholic Faith...but she desires only free and sincere conversions." He cites canon, law (canon 752) which prescribes that no adult may be baptized except knowingly and willingly and after proper instruction. The Archbishop calls on every priest, Religious and lay person "to strive for harmony and peace" and "today more than ever to act in charity." In concluding, the prelate warns Catholics against being led astray "into dubious courses of action as a result of unfounded rumors.,.or of unfair statements concerning Catholics or as a result of anyone's imprudent deeds." In an earlier letter, the Archbishop instructed his priests to omit the customary outdoor processions of the Blessed Sacrament on Sundayj June 16, when normally Corpus Christ! is observed by the people. # # * *

PRIEST MURDERED IN VIETNAM 6/17/63 - S. SAIGON, Vietnam, June 15 (Radio, NC)—Father Peter Nguyen quoc Bong, 47, was killed by machinegun fire on the morning of June 12 while returning to his parish of Luong Son from one of his -mission stations about 150 miles east of Saigon. His attackers are believed to be communist Vietcong guerrillas. They ambushed hrs car, killing him outright and wounding his driver. Father Bong belonged to the Nhatrang diocese. A native of Thanh Hoa in north Vietnam, he was ordained in 19^2. He had studied abroad and was a seminary professor• before becoming a parish priest about a ^ j.r ago. # # # #

CARDINAL MISSES CONCLAVE 6/17/63 - S0 QUITO, Ecuador, June 15 (NC)-7Carlos Cardinal de la Torre, 89, who is convalesc Jg from a recent illness, is not going to Rome for the conclave which is electing the new pope. His doctors have advised him against trying to go to the conclave. Cardinal de la Torre attended the first session of the ecumenical council last fall, # * # *

PUBLIC SERVANTS UNITE 6/17/63 - S. MELBOURNE, , June 15 (NC)—About 100 government officials, including Catholics and members of seven other major Christian Churches, met at the University of Melbourne to set up an organization to promote Christian principles in public service. - NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -9- 6/17/63 - Tu. - TIMES EDITORIAL ON VIETNAM h MISLEADING, CATHOLIC : SOURCES IN SAIGON SAY By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of Saint Columban ; (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, June 18 -- A New York Times editorial () concerning Vietnam contains some misleading statements about Catholics, according to Catholic sources here* I !••',. ' : i' The article states:; "Most high government officials, chiefs of ^, ' 3.nct " >rovinces/ military officers (in Vietnam) are Catholigs." It is obviously impossible to ascertain the religious affiliations of all; military officers^without lengthy research. But i£ is certain i» that (jmly three out of the 19 generals in the Vietnamese armed forces are Catholics. Only one of the four corps commanders is Catholic. Out of 17 cabinet ministers, only five are Catholics. The vice president and the chief of staff are non-Catholics. Out of 44 chiefs of provinces and city mayors, less than half are Catholics, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The "Mew University" of Dalat was founded by Catholic founders and ! Catholic money, some of it donated by Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, some by Gregorio Cardinal Agagianian, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. The state university in Hue has indeed a Catholic priest-scholar as rector, but it is controlled by the Minister of Education who is not Catholic. The article says: "Restrictive social legislation, such as bans on dancing, contraceptives, divorce and polygamy, runs counter to the customs and beliefs of the majority." Western dancing and. contraceptives have never been part of the customs and beliefs of any segment of Vietnamese people. Polygamy is-obviously a social evil wherever it exists in East Asia and those who oppose it should hardly have to justify their stand. Divorce is also an evil for East Asia in the eyes of many. To infer that Buddhists make up "a majority of South Vietnam's people" is also misleading. There has been no religious census. Inscribed members of the General Buddhist Association numbered only one million last year. Practicing Buddhists are estimated at between three and four million at the most. Others practice ancestor venerationj and with occasional visits to Buddhist . Sizeable numbers of Caodaists and hundreds of thousands of animist mountaineers are also in South Vietnam. * * * * HCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -10- 6/17/63 - Tu. EDITORS; In connection with the following story, your attention is called to story datelined SAIGON PRELATE ISSUES, etc., sent you as LEAD of Saturday's foreign service. ALL VIETNAMESE RELIEVED BY BUDDHIST-GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT ON GRIEVANCES , By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of Saint Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. MEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, June 18 — All Vietnamese are relieved to hear that government i/ and Buddhist representatives had settled their dispute by Sunday (June 16) when Buddhists planned a huge funeral demonstration for a bonze who burned himself (June 11) in Saigon. Up to a late hour on Saturday, only a vague report of the agreement could be gleaned. A situation which had become increasingly dangerous to everyone has been remedied. -Buddhist grievances have certainly been exaggerated. The Buddhist flag is not an essential or historic part of the Buddhist religion. It does not seem to have even existed before 1950. Decree number 10 on associations was made in 1950 under Bao Dai as Chief of State in the French Union regime. It regulates property holding and other civil aspects of nonprofit associations -- cultural, religious, etc. Buddhism never was a Church or similar religious corporation. The present "General Buddhist Association of Vietnam," which is the chief agency on the Buddhist side in the current dispute, was founded only in 1953. It is not synonymous with the Buddhist religion nor does it include all the Buddhists of Vietnam. Christian Churches, Catholic and Protestant, are not included in decree number 10 because already in the 19th century after years of bitter persecution their status had been defined by international treaties with . These treaties obtained assurance of only rudimentary religious liberties for Vietnamese Christians and their priests and ministers, local and foreign. Buddhist complaints of persecution under the present government seem to be based on alleged incidents in various villages and localities in three or four of South Vietnam's 41 provinces. Even if these were all verified, they would hardly prove a general government program of policy though certainly they call for full investigation and correction if tiecessary, , • (MORE) NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -11- (6/17/63 - Tu.) It is generally agreed that Buddhists in Vietnam have made considerable progress since the present government catne to power. A book written by a foremost Buddhist leader last year asserts that Buddhist schools for bonzes have increased from four in 1956 to 10 in 1962 and describes various flourishing activities of the association. The government has issued statistics showing that out of 4,766 Buddhist pagodas in South Vietnam, 1,275 have been built since 1954 and 1,295 have been renovated. The government has given nearly nine million piastres in cash for Buddhist pagoda building or repairs and more than half a million piastres worth of materials, making the total equivalent to more than $128,000 in the same period; that iss since President Ngo dinh Diem took office. Such progress by Buddhism and such aid from the government obviously could not have happened in a climate of persecution or repression. Unfortunately, last May 8 and since, harsh measures of "security" taken by some local authorities, especially in Hue, have given real grievances that have aroused all Buddhists in Vietnam and outside it. On Sunday morning, despite the "peace agreement," signed less than eight hours earlier, a crowd of mostly youths clashed with police not far from a pagoda where the remains of the bonze who burned himself lay. Hurling large stones from a nearby railroad track bed, the youths attacked police„ Older men seen by an American observer were inciting them. Police threw tear-gas grenades, some of the gas drifting into Vincentian Father Robert Crawford's church a short distance away where Father Paul Duchesne, a Maryknoller, was celebrating 9:00 Mass for English-speaking Catholics. It was all over inside 20 minutes, but a 15-year-old boy was killed by a bullet as he was standing outside his house. Police had "? fired into the air, according to authorities. Forty police were said to be injured. The ^ty was quiet the rest of the day. * * * * ... j;ln vain will you found missions; iWe have found ret! satisfaction !j iln noting th« truly outstanding || '•and build schools. If you are not] i.. FOREIGN ••role played In recent years by ;• liable to wield the offensive andj lithe N. C. W. C. News Service, ji 'I • i',A powerful beacon.. A service ji ;;defensive weapon of a loyal! ••which merits pralit and support. |; ••Catholic Press-Pop* St. Plus X. I ::. Pope Plus XII •

ISSUED BY THE PRESS DEPARTMENT. NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE 1312 Ma^chusetts Avenue. N. W. Tele. RE. 7-3556 Washington S, D. C. Cable NACAWELCO : (NCI MEANS N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE TheM. C. W. C. News Service Issues: A World-Wide coverage of Catholic news; a Cathode Radio.TV Newscrlpt; a Feature Service embracing !*•U the entire Catholic feature field; a Catholic Picture Service synchronlied with Its news; special syndications by noted authors.

QUEST Iv A CHARGE THAT 6/24/63 -P.- CATHOLICS ENJOY UNFAIR ADVANTAGES IN VIETNAM By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON., Vietnam, June 21—Do Catholics enjoy unfair advantages in the Republic of Vietnam, of which Ngo dinh Diem, a Catholic, is President? Catholics are estimated at about 1,400,000 in south Vietnam, that is, about 10 per cent of the whole population There are 17 cabinet ministers. Five of them are Catholics. The vice president is not a Catholic. There are 19 generals in the Vietnamese armed forces. Three of them are Catholics. Only one of the four corps commanders is Catholic. and Out of the 14 highranking officers—colonels, one navy captain/ lieutenant colonels—in charge of particular branches such as the • . •"" Vietnamese Air Force, Navy, Artillery, Engineers, Signal Corps, , etc., four are Catholics. • According to a Vietnamese Army chaplain, the proportion of Catholics in the rank and file of the armed forces is considerably higher than the Catholic proportion in the general population. There are 44 chiefs of provinces and mayors. The exact number of Catholics among these is not known but it is said to be certainly less than one-haIf, In the National Assembly the exact number of Catholics is likewise not known. It is believed to be considerably more than 10 « » per cent but less than one-half. (MORE) NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -2- (6/24/63 - F.) Where Catholics form more than 10 per cent in these groups, does that indica"-^ an unfair advantage? It is X recognize~'^ d by the communists as well as other Vietnamese that the Catholics of this country have always put up the strongest resistance to communism, whether in the field of ideas or in battle. When more than 800,000 people took the risks and made the sacrifice of leaving the north in 1954-55, rather than live under the communist regime, only about 200,000 of them were non-Catholics. That is to say, at least three Catholics to every one non-Catholic felt strongly enough about communism to leave his home and land and run the risks—sometimes great risks—of fleeing south. In the current warfare, the communists seem to meet more obstacles whereever there are more Catholics. "If it wasn't for you Catholics, we would have been in X (an important town) long ago," a communist guerrilla soldier declared in a central Vietnam village. This is not to minimize the brave and loyal service given by innumerable Buddhist and other non-Christian soldiers and civilians in the defense of south Vietnam. But the fact remains that Catholic Vietnamese have been frequently in the forefront. * The government of the Republic of Vietnam is not a Catholic government. It is a government in which Catholics take part. If tjhey .held aloof or measured out their contribution to the minimum possible," they would certainly be criticized inside Vietnam and abroad. The Catholics of Vietnam are not unanimous in approval of everything the Vietnamese government does, Just as they are not unanimous in any other country on one side or the other. Some of President Ngo dinh Diem's sharpest critics could probably be found among Catholics, even while they support his fight against communism. Decree number 10 of 1950 on associations does not include Catholic or.Protestant churches, but neither does it give them favors. (MORE) NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -2a- (6/24/63 - F.) Some Individual priests and Religious take advantage of friendship v/ith officials to obtain favors such as the use of government trucks to haul building material. Buddhists have received similar favors when building or repairing pagodas. But some Catholic ecclesiastics seem to have gone too far and got too much. These are favors given locally to individuals. They represent no government program and no general benefit to the Church as a whole but rather an embarrassment. Buddhists do not form the great majority of the population. And the General Buddhist Association does not include the majority of the Buddhists among its inscribed members. The number of practising Buddhists is estimated at from three to four .'„...llions. The exact number of inscribed members of the General Buddhist Association for the whole country has not been disclosed. e Totals of inscribed members in five provinces of upper central Vietnam show that they are a little less than 15 per cent of the entir >population in that region. # * # # KOREAN BUDDHISTS PROTEST 6/24/6 3 -P. AGAINST DIEM GOVERNMENT , Korea, June 21 (NC)—The conflict in Vietnam between Buddhists and t.he government of President Ngo dinh Diem has caused reperucussions among Buddhists in Korea. Vietnam's Buddhists have been demonstrating recently against alleged discrimlnati'on by the Vietnam government.' Buddhist and government representatives have negotiated an agreement under which the government gave in to five Buddhist demands aimed at eliminating the alleged discrimination. Buddhist monks from a temple here tried to have a demonstration march in Seoul (June 16) to protest against the Vietnam government, but Korea's national police kept the marchers from reaching the main streets. The Korean Buddhist association has called on all Buddhists in the Far East to protest strongly against the treatment of Buddhists in Vietnam. '* * ; (MORE) NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -2b- (6/24/63 - P.) The Donga Ilbo, Korea's biggest Korean-language daily paper, , said (June 15) in an editorial that South Vietnam's "inept rulers r created serious turmoil." "The discriminatory treatment of Buddhism may well have far- reaching political Implications in the overwhelmingly Buddhist .country," the paper said. •. The paper urged President Ngo to "act like a president j ;* representing the entire nation rather than as a follower of a certain religion which should be restricted to his private life only, "Now that the menace of communist guerrilla warfare is decreasing, he need not stake his political career on nonsensical religious controversy." * # # # DRIVE AGAINST IMMORALITIES 6/24/63 - F. MANILA, June 21 (NC)—A drive sponsored by Catholic Action in the Manila archdiocese to clean this city's motels and hotels of "immoralities" scored a victory when a court ruled that the assistant mayor may be empowered to inspect hotels and motels provided he .and his inspection team "do not enter hotel rooms and invade the privacy of occupants." * * * # EDITORS; The following story is predated for Monday, June 24.

KENNEDY SEES POUNDING 6/24/63 - F, OF GERMAN PEACE CORPS BONN, June 24 (Radio, NC)—Germany's Catholic "peace corps" is the model and cornerstone for a new national corps founded (June 24) in the presence of President John F. Kennedy in West German President Heinrich Luebke's residence here. The new corps, called the German Development Service, follows the example of the U.S. Peace Corps, but it will cooperate with all private organizations active in this work. These organizations are members of the new service. German Catholics8 Development Aid and their Center of Development Aid in Cologna~-which has been training volunteers for work in 4 developing countries since 1959—is Germany's most experienced - organization for training volunteers. Its three training centers— technical, agricultural and social—have already sent 155 volunteers abroad. The German Development Service intends to send out 250 volunteers in 1964. The total will be increased to 500 in 1965 and 1,000 in 1966, The service will eventually reach 2,000. President Kennedy came to President Luebke's residence after his 1,. first conference with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, * # * * NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -3- SAIGON SEMINARY 7/15/63 - P. FOR CHINESE BOYS GIVEN BLESSING

SAIGON3 July 12 (NC)—A newly built preparatory seminary for boys of Chinese families was blessed in Phu-Lam, on Saigon's outskirts, by Archbishop Paul Nguyen van Binh, of Saigon. Thirty Chinese boys are already living in the building. For the present they attend classes in the Intitution Ste. TKTerese, conducted by priests of the Paris Foreign Missions. A Chinese priest,, Father Charles Chang, from north China has charge of the seminary. Archbishop Salvatore Asta, Apostolic Delegate,, and Bishop Carlo van Melckebeke, C.I.C.M., Apostolic Visitor for Chinese missions in Southeast Asia, were present, with hundreds of Vietnamese and Chinese Catholics. A Chinese-Vietnamese parochial center, with a public chapel, adjoining the seminary was blessed at the same time (O'uly 7). These new institutions are a development of St. Francis Xavier's parish, staffed by Paris missionaries under Father Gervais Guimet, M.E.P.j in the Cholon section of Saigon,, This is the first and principal parish for the Chinese in Saigon. There is one other in the city and besides these two, no other in Vietnam. The growth in St. Francis Xavier's in recent years, from about 700 Chinese Catholics in 1954 to some 5,000 now, indicates the possibilities for the apostolate among the Chinese. The Chinese population in Vietnam is estimated at 1,300,000 of whom more than half are believed to be in Saigon-Cholon. The beginnings of the preparatory seminary date from 1959* when six Chinese boys began studying Latin and other subjects, with the hope of becoming priests, under Father Chang's direction. Aid for the construction was given by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Father Werenfried van Straaten, O.Praem,, the Dutch "Bacon Priest," and Father Paul J. Duchesne, M.M., Vietnam director of Catholic Relief Services-N.C.W.C. Among the "Old China Hands" attending the dedication ceremony were 83-year-old Father Yves Henry, S.J., former superior of the Shanghai Jesuit Mission, and Father Raymond de Jaegher. * * * * NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -6-

THREE BUDDHIST SCHOOLS 7/15/63 - Th. GIVEN $6,800 IN AID BY VIETNAM GOVERNMENT By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, Vietnam, July 11—Three Buddhist semipublic schools specializing in have received financial aid amounting to 501,000 piastres (about $6,800 U.S.) from the Vietnamese government, the Director of Private Education, M.\Vu .due Chang, told the N.C.W.C. News Service here. Purely private schools in south and central Vietnam number 2,111 primary and 3^0 secondary schools, he said. No government subsidy or aid is given to 98.8 per cent of these schools. For the remaining 1.2;'per cent, that is, 29 schools, a token grant averaging 16,000 piastres (about $218) was given by the government last year. The entire sum given to these 29 private schools was equivalent to only about $6,300. As the majority of private schools in Vietnam are conducted by Brothers, Sisters or priests, the majority of the 29 private schools assisted last year are under Catholic direction. Most, if not all, are serving the very poor. At least 10 of them are primary schools for children of resettled refugees from the north. Three of the 29 assisted schools are conducted by non-Catholics. The only assisted school in the Saigon area is the Kieu-Dam School, conducted by a Buddhist bonzess or nun. The file from which these details were given to the N.G.W.C. News Service contained three applications for assistance that had been refused. In each case the school was conducted, and the application made, by a Catholic priest. A committee of seven officials apportioned the amounts given to the 29 poor schools. The chairman of the committee, a high official of the Ministry of Education, is a Buddhist. The Director of Private Education is a Protestant. (The amounts given and the number of private/aided are so small that these grants a*re regarded as insignificant. Hence the general impression, reflected in an earlier N.C.W.C. report, that "no private schools in south Vietnam receive any government subsidies.") # * * *

POPE SEES KOREAN MINISTER 7/15/63 - Th. VATICAN CITY, July 11 (Radio, NC)--His Holiness Pope Paul VI welcomed 's Foreign Minister Yong-Shik Kim with words of gratitude for in that country. The Pope told him (July 10) that the Catholic religion "nourishes profound respect for all the human values it meets." * # #• # NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -10-

VIETNAM GOVERNMENT 7/15/63 - S. SAID STILL CONSIDERING ABOLISHING CHAPLAINCIES By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, July 13—The government of the Republic of Vietnam is still thinking of abolishing all military chaplaincies., according to a well-informed source here. Nothing has been announced on the subject, but it is understood that the proposal is still under consideration. Meanwhile, Buddhists, say that they are awaiting a reply to their request to have bonzes appointed as chaplains, A Buddhist spokesman denied that they asked for 50 chaplaincies. He said no number was specified. A Ministry of Defense official said that Buddhists never asked to be made chaplains until a few weeks ago, though the opening was., there. The Buddhist spokesman said that they prepared a plan for a Buddhist chaplains' organization "a year or a year and a half ago." Apparently they did not push it very hard. The spokesman said they did not want Buddhist chaplains to serve like the Catholic and Protestant chaplains-. They would have to have special uniforms, would not go to the front lines and would not go everywhere with the troops. He admitted that there are no Buddhist-;, chaplains in the army of any country with a predominantly Buddhist population. «• * * # CATHOLICS INCLUDED 7/15/63 - S. IN VIETNAM TRIAL SAIGON, July 13 (Radio, NC)--Several well known Vietnamese Catholics are among civilians belatedly tried by military courts here this week for alleged complicity in an attempted coup of November, I960. Le Kien, also known as Bui Luong, sentenced to six years in solitary confinement, was formerly Secretary General of the Vietnamese Confederation of Christian Labor. Catholics among the 33 acquitted numbered at least four. They included Tran Van Ly, former governor of central Vietnam, and Le Quang Luat, the last government delegate for North Vietnam with whom the late Dr. Thomas Dooley was associated during the refugees exodus from Haiphong in 195^-1955. Le Quang Luat was later Minister of Information under President Ngo dinh Diem, Some of those acquitted had been in prison for many months. * * * * THREE CHRISTIANS AMONG 19 7/8/63 - S. BEING TRIED FOR ATTEMPTED I960 COUP IN VIETNAM By Father Patrick O'Connor Society of St. Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, July 6—One Catholic and two Protestant officers are among the 19 Vietnamese army men brought to trial (July 5) here before a special military court for alleged complicity in an attempted coup of , I960. The trial is being held two years, seven months and three weeks after the event. The accused have been held prisoners all this time. The date of the trial, however, was announced to the public and to defense lawyers only on June 29, six days beforehand. The trial is open to the press and to the public. Courtroom spectators (July 6) seemed mostly young wives, with two elderly women. One prisoner, a lieutenant, had his little son, a child of about two years, on his knee during the hearing. Some of the accused wore high military decorations. All pleaded not guilty. The court secretary took notes, but this correspondent could see nobody making a continuous stenographic record of the trial. A lawyer explained that no transcript was being made because there is no appeal from a special military court. (MORE) NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -11- (7/8/63 - S.) Three judges are hearing the case. Two of them are military judges. The third is a civilian who is also deputy mayor of Saigon, Ab the opening session, a defense lawyer claimed the court lacked jurisdiction because it was created to try cases involving

attacks from outside and because one of the judgess namely the deputy mayorj is a member of the executive branch of government. The lawyer cited a Ceylon case in which judges decided they had no jurisdiction to try defendants accused of sedition because of the way the government had set up the court. Both objections were overruled. In answering the first, the prosecutor reportedly alleged in camera that the was behind the attempted coup. The U.S. Embassy here vigorously denied the allegation. * * * * WTSWO NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -6-

VIETNAM GOVERNMENT PROPOSES 7/1/63 - Tu. TO ABOLISH CHAPLAINCIES RATHER THAN NAME BUDDHISTS

By Father Patrick O'Connor Society•of'Saint Columban (Radio, N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) SAIGON, July 2 — The Vietnamese government proposes to abolish all military chaplaincies rather than yield to the demand that 50 Buddhist chaplains be appointed, according to well informed sources. There is consternation among Catholics in and outside the armed forces who have heard the report. There are now about 50 Vietnamese Catholic priests and four Protestant ministers serving as commissioned chaplains in Vietnamese armed forces, They serve with infantry divisions, special units, military schools and hospitals. Since the soldiers' families usually accompany them and live inside military areas, the chaplains have a heavy load of pastoral work to carry. According to officials, the law and the defense budget had provided for Buddhist chaplains, but until now no Buddhist bonzes (monks) had applied. Within the past two weeks, however, the Buddhist groups who have been agitating against the government have demanded 50 chaplaincies. The authorities feel pressure especially from America to give in to every Buddhist demand. At the same time, they seem to fear that chaplains taken from among bonzes who have recently held organized demonstrations against the government may spread disaffection among the troops. The proposed "solution" of doing away with all chaplaincies would give the widespread impression of panicky weakness and would make the Vietnamese Christians feel they have been let down. It is generally admitted that they have been notably loyal and self-sacrificing in the defense of the country. Had they been less loyal they might have suffered less from misrepresentation abroad during the past two months. No public announcement has been made yet on the chaplaincy; issue. It is still possible that the government may reconsider and decide to retain chaplains, commissioning Buddhist chaplains as was formerly contemplated with normal security checks. * * * * DIEM AT TE DEUM 7/1/63 - Tu. FOR CORONATION SAIGON, July 2 (Radio, NC) — President Ngo dinh Diem, high government officials and diplomatic representatives attended a solemn Te Deum in Saigon cathedral (July l) for His Holiness Pope Paul VT's coronation. Archbishop Salvatore Asta, Apostolic Delegate to Indochina, and the President were in the sanctuary. Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh was celebrant. U.S. Acting Ambassador William E. Trueheart and British Ambassador Henry A. P. Hohler were among the diplomats present. In Hue, central Vietnam, two prominent Buddhist bonzes, one of them general secretary of the General Buddhist Association of Vietnam, attended a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated (June 30) by Archbishop Ngo dinh Thuc of Hue to mark the Pope's coronation. The congregation was reported to have been more than 2,000. * * * * NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -11-

VIETNAM BUDDHIST 7/1/63 - F. CONGRATULATES POPE SAIGON,, June 28 (Radio;, NC)--Venerable Thich Tinh Khiet, chief bonze of the General Buddhist association of Vietnam, has sent a message of "warm congratulations" to His Holiness Pope Paul'/VI on his election. The bonze said that the Pontiff is "fervent in continuing the work of Pope John XXIII for rapprochement among peoples and religions." The Saigon daily press has hailed the election of Pope Paul with enthusiasm. Two papers stressed his friendship for the workers. Another recorded with satisfaction that the new Pope declared his special concern with social problems and freedom. The Vietnamese press generally rejoiced over signs that Paul VI would "continue the work of John XXIII." Saigon church bells rang 15 minutes after the news of the papal election was received. •* * * *

NCWC NEWS SERVICE (Foreign) -13-

U.S. CHAPLAIN AT SCENE 7/1/63 - F. OF BLAST IN SAIGON

SAIGON, June 28 (Radio, NC)--Father (Lt. Col.) Thomas E. Waldie, a Blessed Sacrament Father from New York, chaplain at American Military Assistance Advisory Group headquarters here, was on the scene when two bombs were exploded June 28 outside the headquarters1 walls. Ten Vietnamese, mostly children, were killedj 38 were wounded, including three American civilians. One bomb exploded close to Father Walkie's office. He was uninjured. He took part in the work of assisting the victims. He was Joined on the scene by Father Robert Crawford, C.M., from Philadelphia. * * * * AMERICTWENTY-FIVAE CENTS JULY 13, 1963

Heart andHead: Catechisms with. aModernAocent by Bishop Carter NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY REVIEW® AMERICA VOL. 109 No. 2 WHOLE NUMBER 2820 JULY 13, 1963

From an old friend in Head and Heart: Catechisms With a Modern Accent 40 OF MANY Gardiner Place, Dublin, Most Rev. G. Emmett Carter

THINGS comes word of how it and the Negro Question 44 was with them in the old country as the Ian Travers-Ball Irish braced themselves for the homecom- The Heritage of Pope John .. ing of The Kennedy. Mary Purcell writes: 48 Senator Claiborne Pell It's been cold and wet, but today I see enough blue sky to make wide pants for a sailor, and we're hopin the weather stays up. In all the buses you hear people say, "May the Lord send us a few fine days PUBLISHED BY JESUITS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA while he's here." Editor-in-Chief •f Down at the bingo in St. Francis THUHSTON N. DAVIS Xavier Church hall, she reports, there is Managing Editor Book Editor an interval at half-time for a sing-song and EUGENE K. CULHANE DANIEL L. FLAHERTY Tommy Dando plays the cinema organ in- Asst. Managing Editor Feature Editor WALTER NESBIT WALTER M. ABBOTT stalled there. This week we've got a new song—yes, you've guessed it, "The Jack Associate Editors Kennedy Song." There's a place in it where JOHN LAFARGE BENJAMIN L. MASSE VINCENT S. KEARNEY DONALD H. CAMPION FRANCIS CANAVAN C. J. McNASPY we sing how Assistant Editor . . . he brought old Ireland fame. CHARLES M. WHELAN He's the son of a son of an Irishman, Corresponding Editors Jack Kennedy is his name. Baltimore Washington Boston GUSTAVE WEIGEL HAROLD C. GARDINER ROBERT F. DRINAN JAMES L. VI2ZARD 1 Though we are very voluble, in a Chicago Mobile New fork superficial kind of way, I think most of us JOHN R. CONNERY PATRICK H. YANCEY VINCENT P. McCORRY Son Francisco Toronto Bogota are just quietly glad and grateful for all RICHARD E. MULCAHY GORDON GEORGE VICENTE ANDRADE God has done for our nation over the past Lima Madrid Oxford FELIPE MAcGREGOH PEDRO MESEGUER BERNARD LEEMING hundred years. Our thoughts are with the London Rome Paris quiet Kennedy man who left County Wex- JOSEPH CHRISTIE ROBERT A. GRAHAM ROBERT BOSC PAUL CRANE PHILIP S. LAND JEAN-YVES CALVEZ ford in the 1840's, little dreaming of the ROBERTO TUCCI LeopoldviHe Poona Rangoon changed country that would welcome back ROBERT ROELANDT JAMES J. BERNA JOSEPH F. MURPHY his great-grandson with such pride in 1963, or of the way his family would rise to world THE FOLLOWING COLLABORATE WITH THE JESUIT EDITORIAL STAFF General Manager Editorial Consultant Librarian pre-eminence. WILLIAM HOLUB ROBERT PELL WILLIAM H. DODD Art Director Design •f I wonder if great-grandfather Ken- STANLEY MARKOCKI GENE PAUL MUZIO nedy, as he left us in those bad old times, Editorial Assistant Circulation thought of that ancient Gaelic proverb, EILEEN TOBIN CATHERINE G. BALL Casfaidh an roth deiseal i dtrath—Some- EDITORIAL ROOMS: 329 WEST 108 STREET, NEW YORK 25, N.Y. UN 5-3737 times the wheel will spin to the right. BUSINESS OFFICE: 920 BROADWAY, NEW YORK 10, N. Y. AL 4-5580 ADVERTISING: CATHOLIC MAGAZINE REPRESENTATIVES LO 4-3808 T. N. D. Perm Terminal Building, New York 1, N.Y.

America, the National Catholic Weekly Review, edited and published by a group of Jesuit Fathers of the United States and Canada, appears every Saturday of the year, excepting the last Saturday of December. / Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, Pa. The America Press business office is located at 920 Broadway, New York 10, N. Y. / Subscription rates: United States, $8 for one year; $15, two years; $22, three years. Canada, $8.75, one year. Foreign, $9.50 for one year. Single copies: current, 25 cents; after six months, 50 cents. / To change your mailing address, please give five weeks' notice, supplying both old and new addresses to America Press, 920 Broadway, New York 10, N. Y. / Send notice of undelivered copies on Form 3579 to America, 920 Broadway, New York 10, N. Y. / America is indexed in Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, Catholic Periodical Index, and Guide to Catholic Literature. EDITORIALS In the world today, neither your nation nor any other, however powerful, can adequately guarantee its own security. Both you and your adversaries have a common interest in avoiding a nuclear war, Conditions of Peace which should make it possible for you to co-operate in establishing peace. Here, then, are the conditions Since the between the Communist bloc which you must realize in order to achieve peace. and the West began, there has been a running debate The Pope's prescription is valid, of course, only in Western countries between "realists" and oppon- if sincerely accepted and acted upon by both sides ents whom they label "idealists." in the power struggle. Unless it is so accepted, The idealists have tended to reason backwards realism compels us to acknowledge that the Cold from the conclusion which they hold to be absolutely War is still on. But it is equally realistic to admit imperative: there must be no Third World War. In that the goals set by John XXIII are those toward order to support this conclusion, they have supplied which the world must move if it is to survive and a set of premises which ignore or minimize certain prosper. harsh realities of contemporary international life. Chief among these are the 's (and Red China's) imperialism, the hostility of the Communist ideology to non-Communist societies and the role The Facts, Please of power in human affairs. The realists have replied that power can be Just one month ago, a bonze doused himself with gas- checked only by power. The Communist nations, they oline and set fire to his garments on a crowded Saigon say, are committed both by ideology and by their thoroughfare in protest against the alleged persecu- view of their own interests to a campaign of sub- tion of Buddhists by South Vietnam's Catholic minor- version against the West and, indeed, against the ity. whole non-Communist world. So long as that cam- Since then, Quang Due has become a symbol of paign continues, relations between the West and sorts for the indignant critics of South Vietnam's Presi- the Communist bloc can only consist in a power dent Ngo Dinh Diem. What is more, because Presi- struggle, contained by a prudent fear of the disas- dent Diem happens to be a Catholic, and because trous consequences of letting the conflict erupt into Catholics play a role far out of proportion to their all-out war. numbers in Vietnamese national life, the Church it- American Catholics, by and large, have shared self is being tarred with the brush that daubs Diem. the latter view. Some of them, therefore, were shaken , for example, would have its by Pope John XXIII's recent encyclical, Pacem in readers believe that there would be no religious ten- Terns, which they read as an idealist tract. The crack- sions in South Vietnam, were it not that Catholics pots in our ranks think that the Pope sold out to the "dominate" the government, the military and educa- Communists. More sensible critics fear that his great tion in the country (see AM. 6/29, p. 895). desire for peace led him into the idealist trap of deny- What are the facts? Do Catholics enjoy an unfair ing inconvenient realities. advantage in South Vietnam at the expense of an These people, we think, misunderstand what the overwhelming majority of Buddhists? According to a Pope was trying to do. He did not speak as a states- series of NC News reports, all datelined Saigon, the man, like President Kennedy or Premier Khrushchev, charges are grossly exaggerated. responsible for conducting the foreign policy of a 1. The "Catholic-dominated" government. Though major military and political power. John XXIII spoke the President of South Vietnam is a Catholic, the Vice as the head of a universal Church and addressed President is not. Of 17 cabinet ministers, five are himself to both sides at one and the same time. Catholics. The exact number of Catholics among the Because he was speaking to Khrushchev as much 44 chiefs of province and mayors is not known exact- as to Kennedy, the Pope refrained from the explicit ly. It is said to be certainly less than half. Though the condemnation of communism usually found in papal number of Catholic representatives in the National documents. He wanted Khrushchev to listen to him Assembly is considerably more than the 10 per cent and, besides, the humane and proportion of Catholics to the total population, it, too, of society outlined in the encyclical stood as an is less than half the total number of deputies. implicit rejection of Communist materialism. 2. The "Catholic-dominated" armed forces. Of the Speaking to Khrushchev, as well as to all other 19 generals in the Vietnamese army, three are Catho- world leaders, the Pope said, in effect: You are in- lics; only one of four corps commanders is a Catho- volved in a situation fraught with the gravest danger. lic. Out of 14 high-ranking officers in charge of par-

38 America I July 13,1963 ticular branches of the service, four are Catholics. lection of whose "Catholic jokes" appeared in one According to a Vietnamese army chaplain, the num- of our largest secular weeklies last winter. In other ber of Catholics in the ranks is much higher than the words, open talk and semi-irreverent joking about the Catholic proportion of the total population. Catholic Church, even in "mixed" groups, are now 3. "Catholic-dominated" education. Of the two acceptable and even fashionable. new universities that have been singled out as under This all adds up to the fact that, in the language Catholic influence, one, the University of Hue, was of Madison Avenue, the Church today has a "new built by Catholics, with Catholic funds. The other, look," a "good press," a different and more attractive the University of Dalat, while it has a priest as rector, "image." The events of two decades—the monumental is under the control of the non-Catholic Minister of work of Pius XII, the renovation begun by John XXIII Education. and his Vatican Council, and now the advent of the 4. The "Buddhist majority." To infer that the Bud- dynamic figure of Taul VI—have radically changed dhists are a majority in Vietnam is misleading. Prac- old attitudes and purged away ancient inhibitions ticing Buddhists number three or four million out of with respect to the Church. The Church today, as a population of some 12 million. The General Bud- every publisher knows, is "good copy." dhist Association, the organization behind the current Consider what has been happening to two recent protests, has but one million inscribed members. Other books, Xavier Rynne's Letters From Vatican City Vietnamese practice ancestor veneration, Confucian- (Farrar, Straus) and Morris L. West's novel The ism and Taoism. There are also sizable numbers of Shoes of the Fisherman (Morrow). The latter, accord- Caodaists. Hundreds of thousands of mountain peo- ing to Publishers' Weekly, is the fastest-selling book in ple, who inhabit the primitive, western border areas Morrow's 37-year history. Released May 27, sales of of the country, are animists. The Shoes reached a peak of 81,551 by June 12. 5. The "persecution" of Buddhists. The complaints The Rynne book, which is not a novel, is also rocket- of seem to be based on alleged ing along from height to height. Just after publication, incidents which have occurred in parts of three or a single day's sales, on June 14, totaled 1,087. The four of South Vietnam's 41 provinces. Even if verified, book is now in its fourth printing, after running they would hardly prove a genuine government policy through three printings that totaled 41,000. Its pub- of discrimination. Besides, since 1954, when President lisher has sold foreign rights in England, Germany, Diem took office, 1,275 new Buddhist pagodas have France and Mexico. been built. Further, during the same period, 1,295 Was it another sign of the times that two regular have been renovated at government expense. Accord- columnists of the New York Post, Max Lerner and ing to NC correspondent Fr. Patrick O'Connor, the William V. Shannon, filled almost a page the other true story of Buddhism in South Vietnam under its day with essays on "The New Pope" and "Paul's Poli- Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem is one of "consid- tical Task"? There was a time when we could afford erable progress"—progress that "could not have hap- the "luxury" of anticlericalism, Mr. Shannon said. But pened in a climate of persecution or repression." now, "when the whole tradition of the West dating By all means, let's protest back to the Greeks and the Old Testament prophets wherever it is to be found. But let the protests be is menaced by the sinister threat of communism, we based on fact. can afford it no longer." Mr. Lerner declared that the meeting between Pope Paul and President Kennedy "must be seen as one of the most dramatic events of the decade—a Eyes on the Church meeting between a liberal head of the greatest world power and the liberal head of the world Catholic When President Kennedy said, "We are now eyeball- Church. ... If anyone doubted the President's wisdom to-eyeball across the Holy See," he was not alluding in going through with his European trip, and his to his own and Mr. Richard Nixon's recent visits to political luck, this confrontation will prove them wrong Rome and to their audiences with Pope Paul VI. The on both counts." occasion of this quip was the zany Gridiron Club There is an important sense in which a good or dinner, an annual get-together of journalists in Wash- bad "press" is a matter of indifference to the Church ington. The "eyeball" reference was a crack at the as she moves down the ages, with Christ as her head, Saturday Evening Post's story on the Cuban crisis. on her supernatural mission of salvation. But today, The rest of the witticism was aimed at Mr. Khrush- through the marvel of Telstar and the miracle of a chev, who, the President hinted, had installed his son- fresh tide in world events, she happens to have a in-law, Alexei Adzhubei, in the Vatican! good press. That is, she is seen, known and under- If the President can do it, so can Bob Hope, a col- stood. We should rejoice that this is so.

America / July 13,1963 JKB/at

29 July 1963

Excellency, On behalf of the Secretary-General,, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your 22 July 1963 letter, No. 122/54. I should also like to thank you for forwarding to the Secretary-General copies of the National Catholic Welfare Con- ference Kews Service releases and of the "America" editorial dealing with the situation in South ?iet-4Jasu Accept, Hjseellencyj th© asstiranoes of ray highest consideration.

J. Sols-Bennett Deputy Chef de Cabinet

IJis Excellency The Most lever end Egidio Vagnozai Archbishop of Kira Apostolic Delegate to the United States Apostolic Delegation of the Holy See 3339 Massachusetts Avenue Washington 8, D,C.

copies to SG, Mr. Narasimhan. UNITED STATES or AMERICA &.

flO 122/54

THIS NO. SHOULD BE PREFIXED TO THE ANSWER

July 22, 1963

Excellency:

During your audience with His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, on July 11, 1963, among the matters discussed was the Buddhist dispute with the Government of South Vietnam.

In view of this, I have the honor to enclose herewith two copies of several releases of the National Catholic Wel- fare Conference News Service, as well as of an editorial in the July 13th issue of "America" magazine, all treating of the situation in South Vietnam.

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

Apostolic/ Delegate

His Excellency U Thant Secretary General of the United Nations United Nations, New York sr/

1 August

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1 Augiist 1963

Dear Reverend Dao^ The Secretary-General has asked me to reply to your letter of 25 July 1963 on the subject of the situation of the Buddhist population of South Vietnam. Although this question has already been brought to feis attention,, the S©eretary«-General is precluded by the Charter of the United Nations from taking any action in natters such as this x^hieh consera the internal affairs of a Stats. Tou may be interested to know, however,, that the Secretary-Gensral made a public appeal to President Diera on this subject^ during th© course of a press coherence at the United Nations oa 28 June 19&3- I attach for your information a copy of the svfelovant question and of the Secretary-general^ response. lours sincerely,,

C.V, ^arasimhan Chef de Cabinet Reverend bhiksu -Nguyen Suan Bao John Jay Eesidence, 720 519 West H4th Street Mew Xork 27, New kv

gUaSTIOH; Mr, Secretary-General, I should like to ask you a question on the Buddhist issue In South Yiet-Hata. As you well know., about 95 pe** cent of the Vietnamese population is Buddhist and they are discriminated against by a minority of about 3 to 4 per cent of Eoman Catholics,, who now control the entire South Viet-Wameae Govorrgaeat. I understand that Ambassador Malalasekera of Ceylon, who is a former Vice-President of the World Buddhist Federation, has received instructions from His Government to bring this matter before the United Nations. Also, yon have received a telegram from Norodom Sihanouk of Ca -bodia on the same matter, v'ould you care to tell us vjfaat you think could be done by the United Nations since South Viet-Nam is not a Mesber of the United Rations? The 5£GR£TARY~GEHERALi It is true that I received a number of Goraraunieations from many organisations all over the world, and also eoiBtaunieata.ons from more than one Member state, drawing say attention to the alleged religious persecution in ths Bepublic of Viet-Wsaa, requesting me to use my good offices to bring about a peaceful settlement of the crisis and to remedy the grievances. As you know, there are very serious lioiitations to any exercise of the Secretary-General's initiative in such a situation. I have taken certain stops, very discreetly, to see that this alleged discrimination against the B&ddfais'bs is remedied. I -want to stress, once again, ray attitude towards such problems. As you all know, I am a very staunch advocate of . Although I am a BuddJ-ast, 1 have very high esteem and respect for the very noble atjjlcal aspects of many other religions — of course, apart from the formal and ritualistic aspects of religions,, 1 say trds not as the Secretary-General of the United Nations nor as a Buddhist. My faelirig is that, if the legitimate greivances of the Buddhists in the Bepublic of Viet-Mam are not redresaed in time, there are possibilities of repercussions in many other areas of Asia, particularly where, so far, Buddhists and Catholics nave been living in complete amity. Of course, nobody would like to see a repetition of such incidents in other areas of the x^orld. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity of appealing to President Diem to ©xercise tolerance and to settle the matter in the name of peace, justice and fair play. S5?/

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has asked se to ifepljr to of £5 *&&y 1$63 0s t&© sti^eet of tlie situatioa of Ba^lhisfc popile*i^i $f Sistla Viofesasa. Altteou^b-feia lass airea^ Isees tra*'OisgM; to Ms atteatiess,, the is pme&ustea by tte Otert-tsr of the United t^sisg assy aetiaw la ssfct^rs su«!s as tMs t3as

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Dear Mr. Bury, Hie Secretary-General has asked me to reply to your letter of 25 July 1963 on the subject of the situation of the Buddhist population of South Vietnam. Although this question has already been brought to his attention, the Secretary-General is precluded by the Charter of the TJhited Nations from taking any action in matters such as this which concern the internal affairs of a State. Yours sincerely,

C.V. Harasimhan Chef de Cabinet

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The serious Violation of Human Rights in South Vietnam was openly manifested when the Government of South Vietnam imiterfered with the exercise by the majority of its citizens of the Rights inherent in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The relsvant part of this Article reads as follows:- "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

Over seventy per cent of the South Vietnam population of about 15 million are Buddhists. Ten per cent are Catholics and the remaining twenty per cent are composed of other denominations. In May this year, Vietnamese citizens in Hue sought to exercise the right recognized in the Article referred to above by seeking to observe the appropriate ceremonies connected with the 2507th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the faith professed by over seventy per cent of the Vietnamese subjects. This right was denied to the subjects by the Government of President Ngo Dinh Diem. In fact, the denial of the right was accomplished in a ruthless manner. Nine persons were killed when troops fired on the orders of the Government on the participants. This incident resulted in a request for redress of grievances and the acceptance of responsibility for the Killings by the Government. Neither was done, resulting in an increased demand for remedial action. The intensity of feeling against the injustices done by the Government was such that five monks and a nun immolated themselves - a course of action unusual to the followers of the faith.

The appeal for justice from their subjects was met by threats and ridicule and was followed by an attack a little after midnight on Tuesday,20th August,1963, on the venerated Xakoi pagoda, the chief shrine in Saigon of the majority faith. Hordes of armed police equipped with mahhine guns and carbines entered the precincts of the pagoda and carried away hundreds of monks and nuns to prisons,after inflicting injury on them. This action was repeated in the early hours of the same day in a number of other pagodas throughcub'the country. At least 1,000 monks are estimated to be incarcerated at present. The death toll is not known. Students of Saigon University demonstrating against these arbitrary actions of the Government were areested by the hundreds on Sunday,25th August,1963. The Government is moving daily,more and more in the direction of the suppression of fundamental human rights such as the denial of the right of assembly,freedom of speech,freedom of communication, etc.

The situation which has caused world-wide concern demands the immedi- ate attention of the members of this great forum of world public opinion, the United Nations. As the Preamble to the Universal Dec laration of Human Rights declares,"the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom,justice and peace in the world." 23 5 AC R G 10.37

UNATION 400544 / ACRS/CM718

NALANDA RS IS 22 K/OCS 1353/23RDAUG63

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'TRY HOLD MEETING IN UN TO HELP VIETNAM QUICKLY

1FB ' ' SIMGAPQHE . PITTCRINHU'I

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T1NTATTAM UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

INCOMING CLEAR CABLE

TO UNATIONS, NEW YORK

FROM VN GOVT, SAIGON DATE 366 MAE

NUMBER 20 28 AUGUST 196?

I HAVE THE HONOUR TO INFORM YOUR EXCELLENCY THAT THE

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPBBLIC OF VIET-NAM HAS DECIDED TO TERMINATE

THE MISSION OF MADAME TRAN VAN CHUONG AS PERMANENT OBSERVER

OF VIET-NAM TO THE UNITED NATIONS/ PENDING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE QPHBR SUCCESSOR TO MADAME TRAN VAN CHUONG THE/PERMANENT OBSERVERS?*

0FFI6E OF VIET-NAM WILL BE TEMPORARILY IN THE CHARGE OF M. TO NGOC

THACH tmSK'f A MEMBER OF THAT OFFICE. HIGHEST CONSIDERATION

TRUONG CONG CUU SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS 2Y277 GSKEVA CTF 28

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UNTIE U PLEASE TRANSMIT FOLLOWING MESSAGE URGENT NEW YORK QUOTE SEGGEN FRQH IE VERT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TRAVEL AND TOURISM CONFERENCE ROME CONFIDENTIAL AH DEBUT SEANCE FLENIERE MATIN DELEGATIONS OCCIBENTALES ONT PROPOSE AJOURKEMEMT BU BEBAT SUB PROBLEMS PORTUGAL AFRIflUE DU SUD SAKS FIXER DATE REPRISE DEBAT. APRES MULTIPLES INCIDENTS PROCEDURE £T MAMIFESTATIONS SIVERSES CETTE PROPOSITION FUT REJETEE PAR 38 VOIK COKTRE 34 ET 3 ABSTENTIONS. ENSUITE PRESIDENT A EM ACCORD AVEC ! DECIDE tUE MOTION SUS INCOMPETENCE DEPOSE! PAR PORTUGAL ET KiNTIONMEE BANS TELEGRAMME KIER NE PORTAIT PAS SUR COMPETENCE POUH DISCUTER MOTION AFRICAINE ET SERAIT DONG DJSCUTEE APRES CETTE DERNIEEE MOTION* APPEL FORMULE PAR PORTUGAL COKTRE CETTE DECISI0^3 J^IS-lF^il^^l^Ll0^ i0!1!!! .2 . ^T_^ 1 A BS TENTI ON S . _ DANS .SEANCE _ A9KES-MIDI MOTION AFRICAINE AMEKDEE PAR SES AUTEURS CONFORMEMENT A PROPOSITION YOUGOSLAVE A ETE VOTEE SANS INCIDENTS PAR 38 VOIX COWTRE 25 ET & ABSTENTIONS. UNQUOTE +

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Monsieur, J ' accuse reception de votre lettre du 25 aofrb 1963 adressSe an Secretaire ge'ne'ral de 1* Organisation des Nations Unies, au sxijet de la situation au Sud-Vietnam. Le Secretaire g6n6ral a pris note de ce que vous avez bien voulu lui coimouKiquer,

Veuillea agr^er> Monsieura l*assuraace de ines sentiments tr&s sincferes, Le Ctoef de Cabinet adjoint

J. Rolz-Bennett

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3 September 196?

STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AFRO-ASIAM GROUP

The Afro-Asian group of the United Nations met today under the Chair- manship of Gershon Collier, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, and the question of the violation of human rights in South Viet-Kam was discussed. The decision -was taken that this matter should he inscribed in the agenda of the eighteenth session of the General Assembly and that priority should be asked for its debate. The decision was taken in view of the importance of the matter to the whole group. In view of the shortness of time, it was decided not to call a special session of the General Assembly, but to await the convening of the eighteenth General Assembly in two weeks. The view was also expressed that at the General Assembly a better forum for expression would be provided because of the presence of Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers of various member countries. The Permanent Representative of Ceylon, Sir Senerat Gunewardene, was requested to take the initiative to have this matter inscribed on behalf of the Afro-Asian group and assurances were given of the general concern of all delegations in this matter.

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c.v, Office of the Permanent Observer Unofficial translation of the Republic of Viet-Nam to the United Nations l£5 East 51st Street New York 22, N.T. September 1963

Excellency, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your recent message in which your Excellency was kind enough to inform me of the concern shown by representatives of Afro-Asian countries at the United Nations with regard to the situation in Viet-Nam. I thank Jour Excellency for the opportunity this gives me to furnish the full background of the affair of the Buddhists, to which your message refers, First, I can assure Your Excellency that there has been no suppression of Buddhism in Viet-Nam ever since the establishment of the Republic. Any allegation to the contrary is oniy an imperialist invention. The affair of the Buddhists is not a case of suppression, it is a phenomenon of Buddhist development, a growth disease of Buddhism, which should be considered in its historical context, that of an underdeveloped, newly independent country, in other words, short of leaders and financial means but desirous of rapidly coming into its own. Like the other expanding movements linked to the independence movement, the Buddhist movement began to develop at a rate that was the more accelerated as it had been held back during the colonial period. In this excessively rapid development, Buddhism, like other movements in the public or private sector, is suffering from a shortage of trained staff, both qualitatively and quantitatively, which offers the East and the West an opportunity to infiltrate, if not to impose their own personnel, who try to take over the leadership. This results in ideological deviations, which are reflected at the practical level in techniques of political agitation and pragng propaganda and in the organization of riots and coups d'e'tat for the benefit of foreign countries. This is the tragic experience of Buddhism in Viet-Namj it will no doubt be the same inttie other countries of Asia. We hope that, instead of permitting themselves to be poisoned by an international conspiracy of the East or the West against the Republic of Viet-Nam, fraternal Afro-Asian countries will* see in our country an experience that will enable them to prevent the crises which they may some day have to confront. Any (Government is in duty bound to uphold public order and also to see to it that alien personnel both from the East and the West, with their own ideologies and policies, do not impair the original purity of Buddhism and of the other movements. In other words, the action taken by the Government of the Republic of Viet-Nam in the affair of the Buddhists has no other objective

His Excellency U Thant Secretary General of the United Nations New York -2-

than to free the Buddhist hierarchy from all outside pressure, to remove the development of Buddhism from any external influence that works against the interests of the Buddhist religionand against the higher interests of the State. I am therefore happy to be able to inform Your Excellency that the affair of the Buddhists has already found a solution which shows how justified is the policy of the Vietnamese Government. Freed from the disastrous influence of agitators and foreign adventurers, the Buddhist hierarchy has resumed its direction of the Buddhist community and of the pagodas throughout the territory of Viet-Nam. In requesting Your Excellency to be kind enough to communicate this message to the honourable representatives of the Afro-Asian countries Members of the United Nations, I ask you to accept the assurances of my very high consideration.

Ngo Dinh Diem President of t he Republic of Viet-Natn SP/

1963

The Seferets^-Qamral has a&feed sae to fgpl^r to yottr letter of 25 Augsjst 1963 reepesttsg &ta to «ee Ms influence in terriBgjBg albout a solafcioa to the profeieiea of tfee Badahlste la South ^iet«3Saia» Alttougfe 1M@ question l^as alrea% been tesugfafc to Ms attention^ the Sscrefca3?y-^sarstl is ixpeclx^ed by th© Starter of ifoe tfeitecl latisms from taking aajr action in setters such as tM@ vfeick eossera tfes iati^Bal affairs of a seRrensiga Sfea*e. jfei tie presezrfe ease, Soa&b ^iet-Ham is not eves a 14e3aber of the Halted. Ifetions. Seeretary-GeHeral has,, hctrever, Eiade a public appeal to Resident M®ai oa this subject., daring tbe comree of a press eGUfesrecaee wbieb h® held at tfee tfeitsd Mat ions on SB Swse 1963* I attach for yoisr infoKB^tion s copy of tlte relevant question sad of the SeGffetsaT-^&esFSi's reapoae©. ITours

C*¥. Chef Se Cabinet

Association

ccs Efr. Humphrey, Human Bigfcts ST/

11 September 1963

The Seeretayy-Qeaeral feas asked me to reply to your letter of ST August 1963 a?e$usstlBg hi® to intervene in the current is Sotttb 7i@t-Isn. 'Shia question has already been brought to his attention, and the s bject is also listed for discussion on the ©gsMa of the forthcoming session of the deiieral Aseanbly. Yours siaearaly,

C.?. Cfeef de Cabinet

Bsr Bi^ise Eigfeaess Sri l&jsboil^a. Vera (Seiae et SOP/

has asked ja© to acknowledge of your letter of 9 Septen&er 19^3 on •frhe subject of the role of the United fetloas in the preheat situation la Seatfe

C.?. de C&Mnst

Vaa *6s Befij 13 me Jules .2-~r.J."'.V-'V 1 :::."^ -57 *-r:^ l'W?;r

"

UNATttN

SAIGON iOOt/1000 IB 0

s0rr B? THE tritxc 4 CffifMITTEK Otr TOE »UBCHISM IN TQ THE' Q »- $ G NEJ}ftL MUnGBK j • k •I!

¥£ TKE CftllON OmfttEE j' IF PURZ BUDDHISM REPRETSENTING TH£

UPESJEOR HOBKs'AWD BCW2£S"lNp RCHAINIHG '• STBICtY OF

PAGE a

•i •TO-THI PRINCIPLE*•••'. S OF CHARITY SAI

§|^CE HE CAMS TO POUTER MORE 'PA£OBAS HA1TE BUILT TSHILS ' BUDDHIST COMMUNITY WAS CaOWT LARGO I?OT MY '' IN COMMUNITY; A. NUMBEJl' OF| POLITICAL TOOiK €teE -DSSffii THE ROOFS OF '. • !'" . ' i ! , , •• ^fHE "ia^tel"""tO ;I»€A6E' •«

4

flj;'EXTREMIST'AiCTWITtts TO SATISFY THEIR CUPIDITY PASS'IONS THJtiJ'MINbRITY RECjRUITED PARTISANS TSRCOHISED THE TRUE SELIG^EpUS A^ j OCCUPIED THE; TAGCPAS tRANSFORM?NG PLACES ..OF WORSHIP' P])OP4(}ANDAi.;CENTRE TJO POISON PUBLIC- OPINION AT HOME A£i'S TO THE EXTERNAL JASSISTAKCE A-Np FACILITIES THEK BY PUBLIC OP^OU ABBOA&

i • AS WELL'tKET" 'INCITED; THE 'BUDDHtST'fFOLLOVlEH'^ TO ENGkA 'fa ACTS OF AS WELL THEY 'INCITES THE BUBDHIST F0LLQtfEJ$ TO ENGAGA IK ACTS OF AGRESSIGr AM VIOLENCE! AND URGENT THEtf TO COMMIT SELF ISOLATION A DESTRUCTION OF LIFE feoHTRABY TO BUDDHIS TENETS'THEY ORGANIZED DEMONSTRATIONS USED SUBVERSIVE: lAKGUAaE AMP EATBEE WXTH.A.7XEH TO |oVE8TJ!aOUiNC THE GQVERMKiT IN FACT THE FWE

PAGE I!.."'.

CLAIMS OF THE BUJ3BMIST! HAB BEEN SATISFIED BY TJ^E PROVISIONS i THE CONStltUTI® OH AP|>80?£D BY THE PRESIDENT OF| THE

OS. AOftlST. 20 im;3 AT tjfE REQUEST OF THE OFFICERS; OF TltS ABHEH THE Pfi£?I}»ENT OF THE REJPUBLK Fit

VSTGP TO THE ACt$ AND TO jfEtP THE • . • • . y • RKtORN TO THE PATJI 'WE SUBlk WELCOMED TflE AUGUST ^J 1 ! • SUPPOKTED THE' APPLICATION OF MARTIAL LA« pR'ectA«Af jtiiN.AMD! ' • AUGUST ga i>jfi THE SUHRIOR AND BONZES OF OF T3E MATI€iAL SUNGKA

PAGE

STATED THE POS tf% Of? OJF THEiBUDDHISff IK VIETKAM TAKI^S THE ; JOIST COHMyNiefUi: jftS THl BAS|S FOHi A'^£AC£FU.•• 1= • L• SETTLSt-EII• T ON AUCtfST 84lfHE TIJH KHIET EXPLAINED TO > • ' THE PRESIDENT ©r THE TH£ I^SITION OF THE j THAT |S' SESFEJCT FOR tBUE 8ELIISION ANS) VIRTUE . AS WELL THEY INCITED THE BUDBHIST FOLLOWBBS" TO ENGAGA IN ACTS OF AGRESSIQN AND VIOLENCE: AMP URGENT THEH TO COMMIT SELF ISOLATION A DESTRUCTION OF LIFE CONTRARY TO BUEDKIS TENETS THEY i - • . • ORGANIZESDEMONSTRATIONS USED SUBVERSIVE LANGUAGE AND SO$EJ> WITH. A VIEK TO .OVERTHROWING THE GOVERNMENT IN FACT THE FIVE

PAGE

CLAIMS OF THS BUpBHI3T£ HAD BEEN SATISFIED BY TH£ PROVISIONS ; • I THE '.CONSTITUTION OB APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT OFj THE 1 REPUBLIC LONG AGO ! i «5 AttttJST 26 I9&3 AT THE REQUEST OF THE OFFICERS, OF THE VISTNAKESS , AHMED THE PRESI3ENT 0F THE REPUBLIC TO Pttif A TIMELY

^Sf OF TO. THE" THE . REtURK TO PATH AUGUST AN3P SUPPOKTED THE AFPLICAnON! OF HA8TIAL LAW AUGUST 8$ THE SUHJIRIOR AND BONZES OF fHJE EXECUTIVE COItllTTEif OF THS NATIONAL PAG£ 3

•-TATKI THK: PO::>rnoN OF THF: FU'n:rrsTs i.-. TT^TN JOINT co:-'"Tvici?/-: AS T' •: p.<\iis FOit A PEACEFUL SK

ON AuCDfT i-^ITTL-; V;;:^E';;A: L^ T'aCI? TIMTf lC;fH;T a'pD\ O T!I;: PRKSILA\T OF THF: aEPur-Lic TH.;: POSTTIO;-.' OP THE

nn-'-'liTST' TKAT T3 K^SPECT FO.'f Tj?UE fiKLIGIO:'1 ANL Vlir CHAKITY

PATIF.MCi-C AMD COMPASSION " HE ENTRUSTED TO'US AND TO TIE GOVERNMENT/THE' TASK OF SBTTUN6 .AU. «UBSTIOf S RELATED TO THE EUIDHIST AFFAIR APPEALED TO All* tffK BlflDSKISTS TO »ISMISS AW. SIS TRUST AMD MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY THE "INTERSECT COMMITTEE WHICH HAD STEPPED' BEYOND THE BOUM1 S OF '^ELZGIGK -AfiD LEfiALITY ' ON AljGUST 27

PAGE i®

.W.3 THIS BimCHIST KJCLEfi TICK CALLED. OrTTIE PR£SIDpT OF THE I '. • UHO GATO SATIS TO AU THEIR IJ£IT}MATE

PAGODAS AND KUHS TOO ffAP-9fiSN t «POEARIL7 BKTAIfSD ^ERE RETUSMED TO THEIR

TO THEIB US LIFE HJDBEQVE^ SUPERIOR . BOK2K OS 19 HAjTBEEN KljUlED .OS WOUfJDED or " NATION OF .BwriAL UAJB • i .'!-• • ' m FFICIAL COOTifeTIOM OF 'THE! BUDDHIST L ' '.'. .^,^rL^'. ' w ' - ___ „ _ I t«E

m August &it.^JTH': TICi S PA , OF!A NUMBER OF Afli) SUPERIOR H0NKS OF1 TH FORHER AtVISCfi Of THE; V10E

OR'NEHBESSi OF TFJ£ INTERSECT TOGSTHEH THEf' JlirelWs ftgff^'Vft ESTABLISHED 'THE U8!t)N: COHMITTEE OF &JR& EUP3DHISM IN VIETNAM C0t!f>AS$IQN STED.Tft'US. AHJD TO TO 6W£RNHEN^ THE TASK OF SETTLING ALL CUES TIC;*JS RELATED TO THE BUEDHIStf AFFAIR AND".AJVCAJUES TO ALL BUESHISTS TO DISMISS. ALL SISTSUST MB , BY TH£ INTERSECT COJfoHTTEjC MICH KAB TKJK !S OF 8T

PAGE 10

THE EU3DDHIST DELEGATION CALLS!' ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE i REPUBLIC WHO GAVE SATISFACTION TO ALL THEIK LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS FROM AUGUST .30 1963 TO SEPTEMBER 1 THE PAGOi:AS WflCH HAD E3SEN CORUONNEA OFF KERE CLEARED THE BONZES ANJ) NUNS WHO HAE BEEN TEMPORARILY DETAINED WERE JRSTUflNSt TO r i THEIR PAGODAS

fASE U .'•.:•,-. :

TO ys 14 rc fWlff . '" ' SUPERIOR MONK OR N H 'AT :%Hfe||»S0fl4»!ATIOU -Of' FFICIAL Cqi^ i ;f ,'•'..' *;":r - *?.% :*.-?» **"*|i1!

PAG£ It

at.

TH£; UNt; CWITTEJE OF N0« 'SB DONT AGREE WITH A NUMBER OF NATIONS WHICH

PASS 13

WANT TO mim THE JBUDDHIT QUKSTI€(M IN VIST^AM BEFORE. THE UNITED NATIONS WITH THE -PURPOSE )F CBEATIN? POUTICAt PRESSURE-

FEtt 1NTEBNAT ION At, JGUBNA L ;STS 'IN VIZTNAH WHO TO STIR Of PHE4UDIC1:

AGAINST VIEf A8iD TO GROUKfiLE^S CHARGES' WHICH £0 NOT ffiUTH ''.CONCERNING THE 'EUB»HIST fiUESTlOU 'IN VIETNAM A QUE8TI.OH WHCM HAS! ALREASIT -BESb SETnUEl SATlSFACTOiltY we RSSHCTruiLV SUQIIEST MR SECRETARY ojeaERAi TQ IKFJORJI AU, tH£ UNITES NATIONS MEMBER]" COUNTRIES OF |gt|R VIEW .POJJNT TH£ SITUATION

i i PAGE 15

OF BUHpHISM IN fHE 0^ VIETNAM AN8 TH£ VORlp •'

ASSOCIATION OF TH^UBBJlS^IALL'ir TO ' ' ; ' AKji MISCONCipTIOM. THWf BUDBHISM IN ' ? -'" ••']. '' " HAS SEEK1 REFRES » AJ^B TO HEid» 'STHEKGTHKN OUC * I • • . . • THE PRJiiSE^t STAfK OF EMERGENCY SO THAT HAT FIGHT MfflSE

; , W "I •,4.isH r £•••1 PAGE 13

KANT TO-1 SING TK£ PUDDHIT CU.EPTION P. VIETNAM BEFORE THE UN IT.-: I;

NATIONS WITH THE PURPOSE OF CFcEATIfvG POLITICAL PRESSURE AND

SPREADING SLANEKRS'AGBINST TUE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM AND CREATING

DIVISION IN 0'J.R COUNTRY #E .ALSO STRONGLY PROTEST AGAINST A

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS IN VIZTMAK ¥.HO COHTIKIJE

TO STIfi UP

Off VIETNAM -| Ap TO JiOSLD •' '- ••'••• •• -. ' • 1' ASSOCIATION or

£f$ AtnrtO ffl&r*

m HAT.n«.Ht mtmis•i-L ^ i•! PAGE 16

EFFECTIVELY

GAIGOu SEPTEMESlt 17TH 1963

P.P. THE VEKERAFLE THICK IP'!! KHIST CHAIRMAN OF THE DUITHIST

AS5-OCIATIQN OF VIETNAM CHAIRMAN OF Tl-lf. UMIFIEE :-:.^ OF

DUI^KIS^ OF Tr:;;!:•;A;?

Till-; VENERABLE TKICH THir'.N HOA

THE VENERABLE THIGH Mb!AT MINH

FISST VICE CHAIRMAN {HEAt OF THK KONK ASSOCIATION I^1 THE

HOW RSCD NOU

OK MOW

UN AT I ON 22.2^2

XSXXXKXX SENT AT 842P EST TUVK

'—

UMAXION 222^22

-L. J* *9im«H!Br TH•E or VIOTAM

Till THICK THIEN ROA

•THE VSWSRABtE THICH SHAT tf VICE CHAiaRAN'CH&*$ OF THE MONK. ASSOCIATION THE

k- • I

-• f

ISf

ADVISORS THE HOA vies OF TO "IfAt^pHAt vies: cHAXRHtoi'ap'lrHs: mm TRUC OF THE THZSN T tBAM$'OF VIETNAM

MAt RIEN ©OAHJ3 OF DIRECTORS CEHTMt AREA SAtSSHA ASSOCIATION (FORMER COMMI

SSSONSS OF TJTS INTERSECT COMMITTEE)

SUFESIQR KOME Bp CHOK HEAIi OF THE OF

PSSE IS

ASSOCIATION OF TREJ INTERSECT • t •• • • • • I '

mm CHA'IBMAN OF fftHt SECT ADVISOR tO THE • • '• • '

TO| VlMg^ABl| < NORTH I»"TKE.SO^TR!Ft53MJ£Jl AB^ISOS TO THE

THE tHkcf TfilSH FOBS J THE TOERABLE THICtf TKfSH TU0N6 "• t FWHE . . j

SANSHA VIETNAM ASSOCIATION

THE VENCHA&LK THICK BOARS OF DJRECTOSS AREA "SAM$HA ASSOCIATION ' ": ' 1^ (FOEMUS AinflSOa TO THE INTERSECT COMMITTEEi \ MS® MHU TRI OF THE INTERSECT COMHITTEK3 THAI , COMMIS^IO^EH 0F THE INTEBSEGT

22 1963 git OT 19C5 30 il

T-^-- i-jrf- ^—i^i.-ta.'-i.i^''^, Sf/

aux lefetree qae vctus I© 9 e?t le 1O CKI

fail?© ccjasaftrs q^ss la §& la violatles <3s$ droits ®u Viet-lsm fia a la, pe-isrltl ea

CSbsf A4«|©iBt du BT/

23

» Oa betos3jf af tls© letter of 13 s^tetsgr 1^3 on t&e sa^»J©Et of Scaitfe

t»0 CCSS^Sit OK

Cbef •T\

25 September

"Dame

you for year kind letter Io« 899° 101,1 dated 18 Septeniber 1963. I sekacwleSsa receipt .of the petition (written in blood) sent with your l-st^r. !fc« usay perfempa iztf oxn- tbe isortiee aosasrn^d ' that their petition was forwarded to tha Sscretarj^c-sneral aM has b£ea aetoo»led®sd by bia» You say also oxpi&la to tbsa that sine® the itaa 10 os the sgsMa cxf the General .tesesably tbare Is nothiag tsona that tha Secratarlat esa do ia'regwd to this question at the prasasst .tiss®» With kiisd

C« V. EtoSflishaa Cbsf da CabInst

M. Director Hatlons £nfonaation Caatre fs cc - Mr. Registry NATIONS UNIES UNITED NATIONS . U

CENTRE D'fNFORMATION pES NATIONS UNIES POUR LA 8ELG1QUE, LA FRANCE ET LE LUXEMBOURG

U, AVENUE OE SlCUR - PARIS Vtt. T€L : SUFf r«n M - CO SUFfren«-70 ftefsrenoe No. - 101.1 Paris, 18 September 1963

Bear Mr* Naraaimhan,

A delegation of approzioiately 150 Vi residing 'in Framoe organized yastsrday a in front Of Unssoo Headquartsrs and presented a to be forwarded ,to the Secretary 0«naral.

I am tieremth1 tr ana sit ting to you f.his petition,

So 'incident took plaoe during tb^s demonstration.

'. Enclosed bare in are some pr®ae clippings relating to this event. Sinoarely your 3,

Jean Dupuy Acting Director

Mr, C» V. Under

Executive Offib« 'of the Secretary O^neral United Nat lone lew To;rk 17, S.I. sa?/

of tte® seeeipfc of of 1§ 1965 » to tfee I to ©afe ttssfc tte oa the ia of tfee fedtted ifetieas f«&» Vlol^feioa of Htman Bigfets is ¥iet«Sssiw ia tfee gS>^*« *Qm to iiseuss tfels itesa as a setter of

of Mi a rale Ms views as is a fesfees?stat e the to Of 0f » I of litls regard t© tfee I lite t® palmt msfc t&st tte s tli®

fe&s sines tl®eM@& to tMs itae && a matter i.

Ms iriaws osa tbe eitu^toa is to th of tfe® UMtM lafetei of tfee as/

t®

to the tft&eb youfew ®^m^sed , I to cm* tfeat tie oa tfc® with tfee iseltssiea of as iten Vlelatfea is SoiEfcli ?iet-laaiw ia ef the eairesst of the Q^iapal Asstaj^2§'« a© ©s a mattes? of

Mtiusfelsn la a to *fee atteafeios the

AUote Slwfct Bess- Oa tjefes&f af thsr 8&ejreta^*<&B&:ral, I should like to areeeipt of jroar letter &t 26 S©ptei1s®3* 1963 and the bieh tieape ps&asd at a rseeat meeting of Bo^r of tfee &M SoaM Soeiety of Infita. As ^assties of the vlotetion of St^aa Sights

Vlet-JSaT) a has feeaa f leced oa the ^_^^-_-_,-mima'iv"*'" ** of tM GeEef^i Ass^bly sssi, Is

Ch^f UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

NEW YORK

DABLI AODREBI • UNAT1ONS NEWYDRK < ADREI

PC 240 VINA

The enclosed translation of a communica\ion dated 4 is transmitted to the Permanent Misafbns of the States Members of the

United Nations at the request of the^Permanent Representative of Albania • to the United Nations. •

A 7 October 1963 oO Translated from French

PEBMANEHT MISSION OF TEE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA TO THE UNITED RATIONS New York, k October 1963

Sir, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the letter dated 25 September 1963 addressed to you by Mr. Huynh Vac Tarn, Representative in Algiers and member of the Central Committee of the South Viet-Nam National Liberation Front, to which is annexed the letter addressed to you by Mr. Nguyen Huu ISho, Chairman of the Central Committee of the South Viet-Ham national Liberation Front. In view of the importance of the letter from the Chairman of the Central Coonittee of the South Viet-Nam National Liberation Front for the question of the violation of human rights in South Viet-Nam, which appears on the agenda of the eighteenth session of the General Assembly and is due to be taken up by that body on 7 October 1963, I request you, as a matter of urgency, to be good enough to make the necessary arrangements for the circulation of that letter to all States Members before 7 October. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed) Hallm Budo Permanent Representative of the People*s Republic of Albania to the United Nations

Mr. Carlos Sosa Rodriguez, President of the United Nations General Assembly, eighteenth session New York, N.Y. Translated from French

Mission of the South Viet-Nam National Liberation Front in Algiers

Algiers, 25 September 1963

Sir, I have the honour to present my compliments and to transmit to you herewith the letter from Mr. NGUYEN HUU TBO, Chairman of the Central Committee of the South Viet-Nam National Liberation Front. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed) HUYNH VAN TAM Representative in Algiers and member of the Central Committee of the South Viet-Nam National Liberation Front

Mr. Carlos SOSA RODRIGUEZ, President of the United Nations General Assembly, eighteenth session, Nev York (United States). To Hie ."iscellonoy the president of the IStli Secsion of tiie General Assembly of tho United Nations .

Your 'fecellency , On September it; th, 193", on behalf of the Central Gomnittee of the South Vietnari Liberation National Front-,, I sent a letter to the President of the 17 th Session of the United nations General As a eat) ly :^id drew hie attention to the particularly eoriou,'.1 situation prevailing in Couth Vietnan as a result of th U.;J. Government intervention and agreacion . 9 years have passed and aar.y fresh c'-evelopments oonplicated and fraught with very great danger have ta- ken place here. I avail nycelf of the 18th Session of the United nations General Aaseaely to appeal, on beltc-lf of the South Vietnamese people, to this International Gathe- ring to concern itaelf with jeopardise expanding war which is menacing tho security in 3outh ISaet Asia and in the world. At variance with the fundamental principles laid dovTn in the United Nations Charter, tZie U.S. Govern:lent a member of the United Nations Cacurity Council which is a body responsible for the nind of international security, openly wages a co called "Undeclared war", "c, special -7ar", "an ezperiEiantal war which is essentially an aggressive war against Couth "/ietn&n . Your liscellenoy , The 1954 Geneva Agreenantr have restored peace in Indo-China, a hotbed of war was set up. This constituted a success of the forces of peace and victory of the viet- 2 - namese people who had fought during scores of years the french colonialists in their dirty aggressive war for the rights to national self-datermination, independence and sovereignty which are fundamental rights conforming to the United nations Charter and equally enjoyable by all nations and recognized by international law. If not for the U.G, Governrient intervention, two years }ater i.e in 1956 as stipalated by the Geneva Agree* ments of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people would have carri- ed out a general election and achieved national unity . Life in Vietnam would have been restored to normal and this country would have become a member of the great fa- mily of Nations and would have been making its contribu- tion to the safeguard of peace and struggling for social progress . But the U.S. Government has long nurtured the design to oomniit an aggression against South Vietnam „ Therefore it was no accident that two weeks before the signing of the Geneva Agreements, it had brought back from New Jersey to thia part of our country Ngo-dinh- Diem, a former mandarin of type who had successively beek a Frenoli and a Japanese henchman and whom it had years been training into & hireling of its to "assume power* , It wfcs no aociclent either that the U.G. Senator John Kennedy stated or. June tt 1956, if we are not the parents of little Vietnam, then surely we are the good- parents. We presided e.t its birth. v7e have given assis- tance to its life, we _:ave helped to shape its future . And it was no &ooident either that the U.S. henoh- man Ngo-diah-Diem once declared (the U.G boundaries ex- tent to the 17th parallel) the U.S Government has also openly placed South Vietnam in the 3SATO protection and 3 -

done it & utmost to help the llgo-dinh-jJlen: tlictatorir.1 and blood thircity £" a::.d "Gtrategio ".amlets" . Although a partioipsr.t in the 135<'. Geneva Confe- rence v/r:o had solomly undertaken to respect the provisions of its /-i;:re3T.ie:ita, the ~J.'.'. Govern:lent brr^enly traiuplecl under foot the i:?.ter::iitional Accords concluded at thio gathering in the teeth of world opinion . it has increLici:-"gIy sjeerj tu^-nin^ Couth Vietnam in- to a U.G military bace with c: vie:7 not only tc quelling the South vietr.ay.-ece peoples resistance joveiLient out al- so to expanding its aggressive war to .Jouth .Zact >-r,ia. Cor.seqriently follov/ing U...; Vioc-^recldert Johnson -/isit in prop-%j.r:. perscnr, to Joiit.. "v'let.'itv..' and hie signing :7ith "ie,:" of Agreea-ints which were to intensify the v/ar in the.:-e parts (i/Iay iGCi) , "J.S lAilitary Eiseions of all kinds have ^ucceosively poured into directly execute the U.D scl-rer-e. And on y.uguot r,, i£S2, the U.o :uilitsry ooni- nar-.'i in '.aigon headed by C-oneral ?r,ul Parkins in a effort to carry out the Jtaloy-^aylor plar; v;hich waa to "pacify Couth Vietnan v/ithin ^.C :.:onthe". ?ror .'-,CC ia i£^<^, the number of "J.3 military advisers end personnel in oO".:th Vietnam to day has roaoh&d ib.OOC including 13 officers with the rank of 2-er.eraI . Tfre US has broiigh into this part of Viet-Nam over 370 planes of all types, equipped the ^ien Army xvith i wor- ships, 5 small destroyers, 3 Lots Landing ships, end will deliver 17 more small warships , let alone 1C5, 15b guns , lil 113 and M 114 and other weapons and ammunition. .'-aid ear- ly this year, UG - Diem even made use of poisonouc chemicals as war i-ieans in spite of the 1925 Geneva Convention condem- nation and ban of their use. In only two months, they spray- ed toxic chemicals 46 times over densely populated areas in Bentre and I/Iytho provinces, poisoning SC.OCC peoples and destroying 1C.CCC hectares of -fields and gardens. This crime has been energetically condemned by the ivorld peoples and by many American scientistc and the wellknown britiah scientist Bertrand jl The U." Government hac spent billions of dollars in training, organizing and equipping for Diem an ever expan- ding mercenary arcy which ic about 5CC.COC ctrong, including regular and non regular unite. Together with Diem mercenary crny, U.U troopo have directly tairen part in bloody raids where tlie Couth Viet- namese peoples, houses, villages, cropc in tlie fields have been burned and destroyed in napaln - bomb dropping, rocket- firing, toxic chemical spraying and herding of the popula- tion into concentration canpc deceptively called "strategic harul etc" . The U3 press has made the intervention very clear , "Americans and Vietnamese live together, inarch together , fight together and died together and it is hard to get much more involved than that. For the aen in the field, it is an ultimate commitment. 7/hereas for ./ashing ton, it re- gains still a partial commitment" (the Hew York Ti^es Cc- tober 21, 1962) . "It is difficult to go any place in LJouth 7ietnr.n where there is important fighting and not find Americans. They live with Vietnamese soldiers in their swaapc and mount air. outposts, '.'hey j'.-rcp v/ith par:; troopers, I and fro?.... helicopters, with tl:e infantry .uove into battle with Viet namese narinee (IL, Uevr end world rspnrt JTJver.rvej' ;>, ISf;",} 7or the past nine ye-;rs, UJ - 31 am tree,,:. have ^ ed out 4':;.CCC raids, /Jl^ £.nd EE?.?,!] . 'tilled 1JS.OCC ;oernr>r.e (i/3 ^f whom infs^tr. ar.c children, wor-ien a^ci elderly people, incapacitated t".:.rcugh "."opting bjrr..1 detainee1. 37?, .000, irrpri- no^ed 37C.CC: people ir. over i.CCC jE.il 3 (out of whor, C.GGO children) raped ever iij.CCO wonor. (from 8C ypsir old Ir.aies to 10 year old ^irlc aiiti even nv.i.::) , beheaded -^.•^TM and burned alive over 2.. CCC people, .-.erdrt millisnc rf peaadiits into "strategic hanlets':, poisoned over ^C.Ci^G .people and dectroyoi thourvantc of hectares of orcp.o aiid ' • -,"j6r. with cr.e:;:ical sprayi.ig wavec, '.^.latever j^.cti:;1:l'"T.'';ionD the US Government nay give, the:/ cannot ooccure tlio f^ct that it has been oor.dvcting an a^jroccivo var a.-ar'.ns'u Lloutl: Vietaan and also c evening to extend i~ oy drai:, tn^ alir.-^C1 a ^riund of its satellites : Lalay, the ?I':.ilippi.:oc, /ustr^lia', Hew Zealand and into tl:.ib mi.l:ljjrry aclve^.tv.re . • i Jena tor iCiko ] 'i\r^f ieJ d. npe;'^?'; ;j before Congress u 1 ."oreign ;-ffairo Jon:ui iee} r.drut'ec t.r.at "it wac in tnat hile it V.L.C still v,nder J:r.c uo~.-lrol oi i^raitof •'„".: :-t t"~e first • the Couth j'.-fjian B. "ill and" "r'na deep en ing i-volvep.ent in Jouth 1&ct Asia carviot. U,"; +,o -iho orinl: of vrar in IJorth Vietna.-. in 19H<1- and again in Laos in ISoi, Lore recently it has included the acsignr.ent of assistance forces to Thai- land as well as to Jouth Vietnam military" . Though the U.'j C/ovenroent ^/ants to hid ^ the trut-; from the a^erican people to the v/orlci people, The "X pi ess lays it bare. "The "JS is deeply involved in t'c.3 biggest secret war in its history. Lever have so many J, J military nwn been involved in a combat area without a for:jaJ progr^.. to iiiforn -jre public aTbomt That ij ;.:a-;~or.:: i;;g" (thy 'Jew- York herald Tribune November •-,3,150;^ JTot only are tiis world people s.vp£ «M of t..is,"but tha American people also have confirmed it in tho opori lotier of ptrsor.eli.tios to I-".-:^3it.oat I'er^ecly in March iJGS.^ho truth ic that the "Jp.itsfi "tate.c -..rny v/itr. noro thfn i^.CGO coldierc; and officers i::: Coutli '7i&til£;.n, corns 1C.OCC cilcsj from Iior.o,iij fightiiig to "iolnter u^ an oper. c",n'I. crutal fiic- tatorchip(t!"E.t of ~resic>nt H~i..) in. .T.:-i tir-CC-cIarGC: \7ar. 1'hat hc.a never rooeivod tl-a conetitutional election of tr,3 United Jtates Goi':grccc.~t ls,morover, ac iL:.e"i't.tion" (c's^rc,- ry lOjiSSS) 'Dt.s,ted "e dirty war, dirty and ar'-iel war S:E t::o war w£,f;ed by fronch forces in /.Igeria, ;.rl-:.ic:: cc ol:ocl:cfi tl:.e c.nericar_ co^coienoe, Jiecently^vVit^: t .0 Lol> of J., £in::^ E^CL _r, t:r--:':..cJl, or£t-."ii"od ar.d ecul^pei troops,Ii'go-ciinl'.-Lr!!.! ', z, i'.r.L'cict iic- tatrr whom J-L3 ' r:,A. :IC,G "-«o^ ^^jpporting ^y all l::ir.cls of nid. took fx, eseriu 01' ro;pi-osc:i.V3 :..LC-j'ijrsc s.g:.i"st all c.eotioziL of the peopic;:iore pai^icalc-rly ca^ir-st buclciLiist oe?. ievors, "11 face of. t:-..o El " e t-:-"ir:;'.r.t-r'-.t?.o;" 'oir'.::i.icur; £"rrproocion tl:e :;bu":::. X'iotr.acsso ^u^rl ^-^ pv« forti: fr'vo le^iti^ate 'I^ma-iClc ir: dc?f3ins oi' t':.i?ii fr^ecloL: o:l' ooa.ccio::ce.'vut th^ ; I I'.7*:' rule rocortecl to ^Q ?.::. c, isloiina rncl o:.i tl:.a one IJ^-IK" ataged r. f^rno of .Ta9^otiatlor.,t.ric o::. A.i'.a ot:.or oo.:.t^.u"ofi itc avrestatio^jtortu-rir.^ sad iic:t:n£.iri::i£ oi: buclchlat \ri- octs and f cllov/fira. i'.r, sviryorie Iciov;n tl.ece l-.cd recortsc. to cild and noi" violent Iorr:n oi' struggle ainecl at securing tLe noct ele:::ontary ^narenteoc tor tie freeclon of creodc. 13ut the 21;"..; administration -Ided ancl abetted by USA sup- pressed then -.7itl: the r.ost bar^c.rc'Jis r^ilita^y neons. In T..:AVIIIi: aad E/sJiZA proviiiceCjUJ-^Ily ; hrd pagociac strafed by places. In protest against these Castariily deeds and tc show the 3o'J-jh '/ietnamocc buddhistu v.t:..:oct i:iiig:iatio^? f ive "bonzes^ including a wonar n:onk,i?umed t^.enselves to desitr in ^y.iaoir,::U3,:?:^j.^-T:.:i:2? and ICA-r?:.yJT2 ^ Ju-c and /.ugurt -7-

1963,Thousands of Buddhists prierrtti of "both sexes deric-nc- trated arid wort ou hunger strikes,'Jn June iS?1933,over TOG,CCO people cane out into ."jAIGC'L streets anci. tool: part in a denorstration in support of the >udelhisto struggle and were repressed by '2~_'T-;r. troops. But :rcxce or,nn^t crate the oudclhi^t i_:ovo^cr_t,C:.: the contrary, i;'.ae rJouth viot_:c...:oco peoples indigr.ation is power fully mounting with every passing day.The DO/I afcinistr?.- tion is isolated and shaken io its foundation. Con£3ecKently ^a Auguct ;/C , 1933,1 Jgo-diiih-^I.'IS..' De- clared the state of enargenoy and took the nost cr.?,stio repressive steps agaiiict the people, attacked and destroyed ZA LC!,TU E/1J, L-I./'IU .')_] and other pagodas, killed and wovmded thousands of people, arrested over ",OCO bonses Tiale and fenale and O.COC other people among whom nany professors and students.These monstrous crimes have roused a tremen- dous enotion anf. indignation at hone and abroad,Mrjiy Asian African countries nenbern of the "Initod IT^tions have 3j- layed tl.c greatest corcern over those developments and decidod to raise the issue at the IGth Session of the General /-soe-hly of the United Hat-ions,Such '-:. righteous attitude has deeply riovod the Jou_th Yietnauese people who feel greatly grateful to ther. for It. C?li.3 U'J Governn'ont rust answer of -jrhat h£.r T^een hap- pening :f.u llouth Vietnam,because it has fathered and 1203- tered the dictatorial r^o-cinh-^13': rule v/hich has been encouraged and assisted fcy it.For over nine years,in all its terrorist and repressive actions against the Couth Vietnamese people, "he aiuerican war prisoner AC^U '0 I.J-..rJAGULAY captured in Phan-Thiet and released at the end of 103?; v?ro te:"0ince ny G-ovorment, the UC! imperialists, is utilising its foreign aid on political and cultural branches of :!outh 7ietrlea,it should be held responsible for all tha crimes thet have been oomiiiitted for the lossof lives and destruction of prosperity" .The present (jxtrGtielji critical situation of its aggressive and enslaving policy has laid bare it hideous face ir. an attempt to shirk its renpcnsi-*-- -8- llalltgp.lt has laid all tlic blane at the door of its hire- lingo in C,<_I3GIT.3ut it hr.s made no "bones of its design.. . dirty war in 3outh Vietnam with a view to putting down our peoples patriotic movement. Your . ire e 11 on cy, III the face of barbarous aascacring, ir.priconnent and deportation, the ,'"or:th Vietnamese had for long enduring years put up a peaceful struggle tut in the end there was no other course of action left than to unite and stand up and fight with all available means.Their resistance for the sake of independence,,peace,neutrality and for ultimate national reunification,is a just struggle which enforae to international law it does not only enjoy the sympathyof the people of the whole $ country,but also the encouragement of the oppressed peoples and the ever in- creasing support of the peace loving and well-wishing peo- ples of the world. Under the leadership of the Couth Viet-Hac Liberal tion National Front,the Mouth Vietnamese people have achie- ved during the past year and a half cuccesc after^ success. 03.CGC U3-CIJH'.' troops were killed and wounded(betweer: them 532 Americans),over 6.5CC taken prisoners,333 planes chct down and damaged and tens of thousands of UG arns captured. In iSSri alone the nurfoer of Il'i" officers and nen and functionnariec who surrendered,deserted and broke rank amounted to 36.CCO.internal dicsentions within the Dia; administration have led to coup d'etat,bonbardnent of Dieu residence and recent nass resignation of Ministers and high ranking officials who have cone out into the open against hiru. Due to its successive achievements the Liberation Front prestige is on the upgrade.It controls three fourths of the territory and over 7 millions people i.o one half of the South Vietnamese total population.The aasces of the people in the U3-Diea occupied areas arc turning their thoughts to it. It has been gjven prominence in the Iiiternaticual arena and public opinion has recognised it E.G the Joutr Vietnamese peoples genuine representative.There is r.c that our struggle wi!' be saccecs:?nl, T7e hare once stated'1 with an uiishc.lra'ble r.^solv^, the South Vietnamese peopla are prepared to nacriiioe every- trii.ng to win victory ani will cedetiessly fight er£l,./.nseE!bly,I wish,en behalf of the i4 nil- lions Oouth Vietnamese, that the Assembly will take urgent steps to compel the US Goverr.nent to abide by the 1954 Geneva Agreaaents and the United Nations Charter siid put £ an end to its aggressive war against South Viet-Nar whir.ii it has "been franiticalLy pur suing, so that peace in South -10-

East Asia and in the world can be safeguarded and the South Vietnamese can. engage in the building of a quiet secure,peaceful and happy life. I avail ayoelf of this opportunity to assure Your lUxoellenoy and the General Assembly of ay highest conside- ration.

LETTER 1IGUY3M EUU T3D Chairnan of the Central Committee of the South Viet-Nan Liberation national Front. ive

30 October 1963

Dear Madame, I should like to acknowledge receipt of your letters of ID October 19633 addressed to the Secretary-General and myself, concerning the question of South Vietnam. In regard to your request for an invitation to speak before the General Assembly, I am obliged to inform you that it does not come within the competence of the Secretary-General to extend such invitations. Only representatives of Member States, or persons specifically invited by the General Assembly or other organs of the United Nations may appear before them. I am sure you will understand the circumstances in this regard. Yours sincerely,

C.V, Narasimhan Chef de Cabinet

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