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DATE Of INFO.
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Intelligence Information Cable
LBJ LIBRARY
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political plans and discussions with government leaders
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(SUMMARY: PROFESSOR TRAN QUANG THUAN CLAIMS THAT THE BUDDHIST INSTITUTE (VIEN HOA DAO, VHD)LAN FOREW GOVERNMENT AND THAT THIS HAS 3EEN DISCUSSED WITH PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN CAO KY AND DIRECTORATE CHAIRMAN NGUYEN VAN THIEU. ALLEGEDLY THIEU AND KY HAVE AGREED TO IT IN PART. THE PLAN CALLSATIONALY ASSEM3LY (NA) WHOSE MEMBERS WOULD BE SELECTED BY THE PROVISIONAL COUNCILS, HOPEFULLY BEFOREPRIL, FOR THE PURPOSE OFONSTITUTION AND ORGANIZING GENERAL ELECTIONS. KY AND THIEU "HALF AGREED" TO ABANDON THE PRESENT 1
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ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN FAVOR OF THIS NA. AFTER THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW NA HAS BEEN CHOSEN, THE BUDDHISTS THEN INTEND TO PRESS FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE FOUR POINTS OF THE VHD COMMUNIQUE OFARCH, ESPECIALLY THE PART ASKING FOR THE RETURN OF THE GENERALS TO THEIR MILITARY DUTIES. THUAN CLAIMED THE VHD HAS THE SUPPORT OF FATHERS HOANG QUYHN AND HO VAN VUI IN THIS EFFORT. THE BUDDHISTS WANT TO PROVE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BOUGHT OFF BY THE KY GOVERNMENT. THEY CONSIDER KY CHILDISH AND IRRESPONSIBLE AND RESENTED THE RECENT REORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT WHICH THEY SAY WAS CARRIED OUT WITHOUT CONSULTING THEM. THUAN SAID HE BELIEVED STUDENTS WERE LIKELY TO STRIKE IN SAIGONAY OR TWO.)
1. ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR TRAN QUANG THUAN, THE 3UDDHIST INSTITUTE (VIEN HOA DAO, VHD) IS SEEKINGOUP NOR THE RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN CAO KY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
THE EVENTOUP, EITHER ANOTHER PARTMILITARY WOULD TAKE OVER, OR THE MILITARY WOULD
INSTALL ANOTHER GOVERNMENT LIKE THOSE OF TRAN VAN HUONG (NOVEMBEROR PHAN HUY QUAT5 TOHICH OWED THEIR AUTHORITY TO THE MILITARY.
PRIME MINISTER KY SHOULD RESIGN, POWERIN THE DIRECTORATE; THAT IS, IN THE MILITARY.
HENCE THE BUDDHISTS WANT KY TO REMAIN AS PRIME MINISTER UNTIL
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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NA) CAN BE CONVOKED, HOPEFULLY BYAPRIL. SINCE ORGANIZATIONENERAL ELECTION WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS, WOULD CHOOSE THE MEMBERS OF THE NA. THE NA WOULD THENONSTITUTION AND ORGANIZE GENERAL ELECTIONS.
2. ON MARCH VHD CHAIRMAN THICH TAM CHAU AND THICH THIEN MINH SAW PRIME MINISTER KY AND THEN DIRECTORATE CHAIRMAN NGUYEN VAN THIEU. ACCORDING TO THUAN BOTH KY AND THIEU AGREED IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE FOUR POINTS OF THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE VHD PRESS CONFERENCE ONARCH. THEIR VIEWS ON SPECIFIC POINTS WERE AS FOLLOWSj
ONE (REINTEGRATION OF OFFICERS WHOTO THEHEY "HALF AGREED,"THEY WOULD APPOINT GENERAL TRAN VAN DON AND OTHERSOR TO OTHER CIVILIAN POSTS.
TWO (RETURN OF GENERALS TO PURELY THIS MOST DIFFICULT POINT WAS NOT DISCUSSED.
THREE (CONVOCATIONATIONALAND THIEU AGAIN "HALFHEY AGREED TOPRESENT ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR BUILDING DEMOCRACY,
BUT THIEU, SPECIALLY, WAS HESITANT ABOUT THE IDEA OF USING THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS TO FORM THE NA.
FOUR (SOCIAL REVOLUTION): KY ANDAGREED, CLAIMING THAT THIS WAS ALSO THEIR POLICY.
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SAID HE HOPED THE GVN WOULD SOONRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE ITS INTENTION TO IMPLEMENT THE ABOVE PLAN.
3. ASSUMING GVN ACCEPTANCE OF THE ABOVE PLAN, THE BUDDHISTS WOULD ORGANIZE NO DEMONSTRATIONS OR MEETINGS UNTIL AFTER THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HAD CHOSEN ITS PRESIDING OFFICER. ORDERLY DEMONSTRATIONS WOULD THEN BEGIN AGAIN TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GVN AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO REALIZE THE FOUR-POINT PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY POINT TWO (RETURN OF GENERALS TO MILITARY DUTIES.)
1*. THUAN SAID HE WAS VERY PLEASED THAT THE BUDDHISTS HAD CATHOLIC SUPPORT AT THIS TIME. HE SAID THAT ONARCH AN EMISSARY REPRESENTING FATHER HOANG QUYNH AND FATHER HO VAN VUI, AND ANOTHER REPRESENTING THE CAO DAI APPROACHED HIM ANO SUGGESTED THAT THE FOUR RELIGIONS JOIN INENSURE MOTION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. THUANTHIS PROPOSAL ON THE GROUND THAT IT WOULD THEN APPEAR THAT THE RELIGIOUS LEADER WERE MERELY SEEKING TO REPLACE THE GENERALS.
5. THUAN OFFERED THE FOLLOWING REASONS TO EXPLAIN WHY THE BUDDHISTS HAD DECIDED TO ACT NOW RATHER THAN ADHERE TO PREVIOUS PLANS TO CONCENTRATE ON LONG TERM ORGANIZATION:
A. THE PUBLIC BELIEVED THAT THE VHD SUPPORTED THE KY GOVERNMENT ANO THAT TAM CHAU AND THIEN MINH HAD BEEN BOUGHT OFF BY KY. ipjpjpjpjplj COMMENT: THIS BELIEF HAS
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BEEN QUITE WIDESPREAD, ESPECIALLY OF TAM CHAU.)
B. THE GVN HAD BEEN TRYING, CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY, TO CORRUPT THE BONZES.
KY IS CHILDISH, IRRESPONSIBLE, LAZY, AND A
ND THE PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE HIM MUCH. THUAN COMMENTED THAT KY IS HONEST, HOWEVER,OOD AIR FORCE)
THE VHD NOR THE LAY BUDDHISTSIT WERE CONSULTED ABOUT THE LATEST REORGANIZATION OF
PRESENT GOVERNMENT BY GENERALS HASA WAR-LORD SYSTEM.
THE BUDDHISTS ARE ACTING INSAVE THE GOODAS KY HIMSELF AND GENERALKHANG, COMMANDER OF THE CAPITAL MILITARYOISASTER.
6. THUAN EMPHASIZED THAT HE LIKED KY PERSONALLY AND THAT THE BUDDHISTS DID NOT HATE ANY GENERAL. EVEN EXILED GENERALS TRAN THIEN KHIEM AND DO CAO TRI COULD RETURN, PROVIDED THEY STAYED OUT OF POLITICS. CONVERSELY, THE BUDDHISTS RECOGNIZED THAT THI COULD NOT BE REAPPOINTED TO THE COMMANDORPS AND THAT IT MIGHT BE WELL FOR HIM TO GO ABROAD "AFTER HIS HONOR HAD BEENIMILARLY, THEY RECOGNIZED THAT TRAN VAN DON
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NOT BECOME COMMANOER IN CHIEF AGAIN, BUTATTER OF PRINCIPLE HE SHOULD BE REINTEGRATED INTO THE ARMY.
THUAN BELIEVES STUDENT STRIKES ARE LIKELY IN SAIGONAY OR TWO. HE SAID DEMONSTRATIONS WILL BE HELD ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, BECAUSE IN SAIGON THEY ARE TOO HARD TO CONTROL. IN ADDITION TO THE DANGER OF VIET CONG INFILTRATION, THERE ARE OPPORTUNIST AND EXTREMIST FACTIONS WHICH TRY TO EXPLOIT THEM.
FIELD DISSEM: STATE USMACV 2ND AIR DIV CINCPAC ARPAC CINCPAC ARPAC PACFLT PACAF.
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