THICH TRI QUANG'S DISSATISFACTION OVER PUBLISHED STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN OFFICIA

Created: 8/3/1963

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

TELEGRAM

N REPCTrT

TELEGRAM

INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

.

axl.tionminmt ta a" iiiiob.

DISSEMtNAllON CONTS

Rf FORT NO

s 'f THICH TRI QUAHO'SOVER date

PUBLISHEDMERICAN b)

ICi

PRECEDENCE ROUTINE"

AND HIS INDICATIONCCrnNUATICN OF THE BUDDHIST. ., ,. ,

IN

HIS REPORT, HAS .BEEN CLEARED 'WITH AMBASSADOR FREIERIOT. E. MOLTING, JR?"

1-" SECE ISIs CKBML VXET3AM SECTION OF THE

GEEERAL ASSOCIATION OF VXSEIAMERS BOTDtES'JB,N3 THE PUBLISHED

STATEMENTSARIOUS AMERICANS, AND ASSBETO THAT KJISiHlST DISPUTE WAS RELIGIOUS,

NOTP. ISJaT/TATEJ) THAT FJR2KER SSIFWERE PROBABLE SIHCE THE

GOVERNMENT RAD IHCT CEASED IIS ^TPSZCJlZ'U OFE TJRTHER IMPUKD THAT

HS WAS THE JCK9CR2 MATERIAL IKAPISO Tffi NAME OF THICH USE KJUST,

PRESIDENT OF SHS GESERAL ASSLXJIATTON'^Ji'DJCSSsi THICH TPI QUANG MADEXWIS3

A. HE ID 'iBORGilGHIX IOTASiaSSKi ICiM T'E TENOR OF STATEMENTS AMD PRESS ELEASES BY. VAPIOUSFFICIALS ARj CSfiAyiaATSSaG,

1 Kb OBSOLETE PBZVIODS editions.

#

o)

rs

:

issimmiion contiou

elease in the times of vletmam which ^

stated that the buddhist struggle had become political in

religious basis.

L3

he asserted that he had tried to keep the disputeurely

[CI

eo

OMVENT. THE TIMES of VlfTNAM

PUBLISHED onNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL (UPl) ARTICLE. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS AS STATING THATUDDHIST RELIGIOUS STRUGGLE WAS INOLITICAL FIGHTy THE ENEMIES of THE DIEM REGIME.) HE RECOGNIZES THAT MOST AMERICANS MISUNDERSTAND THE TRUTH ABOUT SOUTH VIETNAM ANO ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE BUDDHIST DISPUTE; THEY ARE only FAMILIAR WITH THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE of THE COUNTRY. HE CONCLUDED by STATING THAT PERHAPS THE AMERICANS "HAVE OTHER INTENTIONS in REGARD to SOUTH VIETNAM" BUT did NOT CLARIFY THIS REMARK. V

B. MANY BUDDHISTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE STATEMENTS OF

'

U.S. AMBASSADOR FREDERICK E.Pl CORRESPONDENT, WHICH

that the buddhist dispute was political rather than religious in nature. he took exception to ambassador nolting's statement that he had seen no evidence of religious persecution7w

EObB

vietnam. his main objection to the interview was that it

was similar to the statement by president diem and followed the

'Latter almost immediately, he asserted that the

statement was completely contrary to the

- OtJWMJUATION COST)CIS

uly issuee timfs of vietnam quoted ambassador'

TINUATION Of TDCS WfOHWATION K

Lit MMM

NOLTING AS STATING THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN SOUTH VIETNAM AND THAT, ON THE CONTRARY, THERE APPEARED TOREAT DEAL OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AMONG THE PEOPLE. THE AMBASSADOR WAS FURTHER REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE BUDOHIST CRISIS HAO TENDED TO OBSCURE THE GOVERNMENT'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN ITS WAR AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS. THE INTERVIEW CONTAINED NO STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT THE BUDDHIST DISPUTE WAS POLITICAL IN NATURE. PRESIDENT DIEM'S INTERVIEW WITH UPI WAS PUBLISHED IN THEULY ISSUE OF THE TIMES OF VIETNAM).

IN CENTRAL VIETNAM HAD BEEN ADVISED TOTHE VOICE OF AMERICA (VOA) BECAUSE OF THE IMPARTIALITY OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CHANGED, HOWEVER, BECAUSESTATEMENTS OF VARIOUS AMERICAN OFFICIALS.

INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO BUDDHISTSENTRAL VIETNAM THAT ONLY MEMORIAL SERVICES WOULD BE HELDDUC ONULY, DEMONSTRATIONS WERE ORGANIZED IN HUE,AND DALAT, WITH THE LARGEST IN HUE. IN ADDITION, MOSTSHOPS REMAINED CLOSED.

-E. HE REITERATED STATEMENTS MADE ON EARLIER OCCASIONS THAT THE BONZES AND NUNS WOULD CONTINUE THE FIGHT; IF THE GOVERNMENT DESIRES HARMONY WITH THE BUDDHISTS, IT MUST PROVIDE SOME EVIDENCE OF ITS SINCERITY. IN RESPONSEOMMENT THAT THE CRISIS MAY HAVE REACHED ITS PEAK, HE SAID THAT THIS WAS UNTRUE, AND THAT

iwkejc mud do

- OiMMiNATIOs COMIOIS

TES

CONTINUATION OF TDCS WC*MATtON

THE DISPUTE HAD IN FACT BECOME MORE SERIOUS, WITH INCREASED USE OF TERRORISMHE GOVERNMENT. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS OTHERS IN THE GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN THE PRESIDENT WHO WERETHE PERSECUTION OF THE BUDDHISTS. THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL SELF-SACRIFICES, ALTHOUGH THE INTERSECTOR THE 1EFEHSE OFHISM HAS NOT SANCTIONED ANY. FIVE PERSONS HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN WRITING, TWO NUNS, TWO MONKSUDDHIST LAYMAN, WHO WAS ONE OF THE WOUNDED WAR VETERANS WHO DEMONSTRATED AT XA LOI PAGODA ONULY. THESE PEOPLE ARE DETERMINED TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES. OTHERS ARE ALSO READY, BUT THEY HAVE NOT INDICATED THEIR WILLINGNESS IN WRITING. FURTHER GOVERNMENT TERRORISM COULD INFLUENCE THE INTERSECT COMMITTEE TO AUTHORIZE THE REQUEST SELF-SACRIFICES.

F. 0 JULY PROCLAMATION0 JULY LETTER, BOTH BEARING PRESIDENT OF THE GEHERAL ASSOC1AKOS CF VIETNAMESE 3UDDHISTS, THE SIGNATURE OF xmoH INH KH IET/AND EXPRESSING THE BUDDHIST

INTENT TO CONTINUE THEIR RELIGIOUS STRUGGLE UNTIL FULL REALIZATION

OF THEIR DEMANDS WAS ACHIEVED, WERE ACTUALLY PREPAREDUANG.

KHIET HAS REGAINED IN XA LOI PAGODA SINCEUNE, CONTRARY TO

GENERAL BELIEF.

3. FIELD DlSSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV MAAG AID LUIA

2ND AIR DIV 9TH FLD STA CINCPAC PACFLT ARI'AC PACAF.

of message

CI

- DIHEftUNATION

(WHBf ?UJJB W|

CM tdcs NFOtAAATtON RO

Original document.

---

---