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12/7/1964 - Untitled by Takashi Oka

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS TO I P O BOX Saigon Vietnam December R H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs adison Avenue New York N Y Dear Nolte In Sunday November following notations Breakfast Church Tea Sheltons La Pagode tearoom Lunch Cheap Charlie Siesta Walk Hiro legtuni Sakuya Demonstrations The three weeks preceding Sunday passed flurry compounded usual throes settling child family attempt abreast swirling political developments Saigon Thursday Friday I Danang watching American Vietnamese flood relief operations Sunday seemed relax family visitors refresh oneself ahead Despite Communist insurgency nightly artillery miles outskirts Saigon Still gracious tropical capital decaying spots blooming others Wide boulevards intersect handsome tamarind shaded avenues along which wheeze squeeze dignified black vintage Citroens highspirited white Renault taxis cacophony ofmotorbikes scooters pedicabs bicycles themounted willowy Vietnamese maidens billowing white trousers pastel colored split skirted The roofed balconied buildings which streets editerranean though construction mostly tasteless modern villas apartment houses apace The massive American presence Communist insurgency occasioning presence reflected innumerable sprung neighborhood U S military billets fancy grille around designed discourage terrorist attacks Grenades explode cinemas victims quickly removed bloodstains hosed If sounds macabre melodramatic Saigonnais somehow takes stride doing since first Indochina War TO I On Sunday mornings motor traffic sparser weekdays while sidewalks overflow families taking their children their their birds stroll Hiro Negumi I attended church services Nguyen Du Street spired brick basilica where President Ngo Dinh Diem worship We strolled fashionable Rue Catinat officially known Duong Tu Do Freedom Street looking store window displays tortoise shell Vietnamese lacquer until family friends La Pagode about tearoom closed itself street grille The grille exists closed night We sipped friends leisur minutes sidewalk gazing across waist continued street shoes Hiro Sundays stores eventually settle lunch Cheap Charlie Chinese restaurant properly known Cheong Nam We Megumi though parents nothing tiring morning participated shamelessly least children siesta Our other daughter Sakuya months With plenty books which enjoy afternoon progressed effortlessly point where decided children teatime stroll We walked couple blocks French kindergarden where enroll egumi leafy Doan Thi Diem quiet Tu Xuong Here traffic policeman waving motor Some having party I Hiro retraced footsteps Let But street traffic seemed thickened unaccountably Cars buses jammed bumper bumper angry passengers jumping street demand causing delay Within blocks immediately A women children brandishing banners shouting slegans streaming cross street We stood corner gaped until dormant journalistic instincts awoke start Questioning fellow spectator I discovered these people demonstrati against government downtown Gialong Palace demand audience Chief State Phan Khac It motley crowd There students schoolchildren twelve years There wrinkled women soiled brown ochre sprinkling ladies immaculately groomed silks pearl necklaces The youngsters seemed doing shouting TO I What about Ar Communists Hiro demanded No Buddhists least coming direction Buddhist headquarters I replied Obviously something momentous going there while I blissfully strolling about downtown family Hastily I Hiro children venture streets until return after shouting crowS I catch until almost ornate Greek columned palace former residence French governors Cochin China Soldiers steel helmets bayonets rolling coils barbed protect palace isolate demonstrators The marchers captured government sound truck which white shirred students occasional ladies blackened teeth turns denouncing Tran Van Huong confirmed premier High National Council twenty previously I remembered having Huong glittering reception Gialong Palace fortnight before A stout grandfatherly figure business Prime Minister ambled affably through throng goldbraided diplomats generals shaking hands sundry including students bespectacled Buddhist leader Thich Venerable Tam Chau He reminded benevolent village schoolmaster later I teacher years recently twice mayor Saigon Secretary General Red Cross Wny these demonstrators denouncing surely premier A Vietnamese colleague reminded Huong great difficulty forming cabinet finally announced Nov disappointed political groups passed powerful Buddhist hierarchy whose wishes Nr Huong pointedly ignored You remember I bound II II trouble Vietnamese friend continued It Huong accept candidates proposed Buddhists various politicians In anxiety political government named great civil servantS others associated another Ngo Dinh Diem regime Huong could argue seedlings could bring forth bountifully depending which planted He likely convince people oppressed under Diem rightly wrongly still afraid influence remnants regime But I confess frankly I expect Buddhists taking streets quite TO As matter friend continued Buddhists urging their followers demonstrate But there ambitious olitical groups whiCh sought Buddhist resentment their purposes might infiltrated ranks bonzes That morning Buddhists memorial service President Kennedy their headquarters Vien Hoa Dao Institute Execution Dharma To Buddhists President Kennedy friend under administration Washington finally broken Ngo Dinh Diem But simultaneously services political groups opposed Huong organized meeting former headquarters Ngo Dinh Nhu Women Solidarity Novement Vien Hao Dao embers these groups clashed police congregation emerging Vien Hoa Dao services Nany these people assumed police attacking Buddhists The unarmed outnumbered police worst assistance As Buddhist leaders friend convinced still sincerely wanted avoid clash government Once clash initiated however pride resentment flooded detachment otherworldliness supposedly associated their religion Another demonstration protest alleged police brutalities during morning demonstration called afternoon Although Vien Hoa Dao disclaimed responsibility second meeting grounds Buddhist headquarters attracted larger crowd gathered there morning Police paratroopers tried cordon streets around Vien Hoa Dao crowd excited fiery speechmaking students other leaders spilled across barricades streamed towards center These Were shouting demonstrators whose Hiro egumi I inadvertently crossed during afternoon Now crowd reached palace going I asked another journalist friend Well demanding Chief State Phan Khac Suu They dismiss Tran Van Huong government They appealing soldiers fight against their And soldiers TO It seems Premier Huong capacity inister Defense ordered troops disperse crowd grounds obstructing streets If demonstrators refuse troops Neither Premier Chief State palace premier Vung Tau General Nguyen Fahanh Commander chief Armed Forces while Suu spending weekend private another Saigon To behind crowd glowed Someone thought arsonists laughed realized setting Suddenly there B uddhist scouts brought stretchers young allegedly wounded during morning In order disperse crowd soldiers would first tramp across stretchers The students sound truck continued harangue crowd appeal soldiers latter remained impassive The radio police outside palace crackled there surge journalists catch orders coming through A magistrate Saigon court materialized white black Escorted police soldiers walked crowd standing linked behind stretchers He offered wounded government hospital formally demanded demonstrators vacate street He anSwered storm abuse shower water cooked Slowly walked olice wiping thick black spectacles answering monosyllables journalists police crowded around Ostentatiously Soldiers donned masks while students truck shouted their desperate defiance A paratrooper captain barked order In trice billowing curtain smoke crowd journali behind police lines A screams sound canteens triking asphalt pavement silence Holding handkerchiefs doused water noses dashed forward sight The stretcherborne patients disappeared along sound truck One reporter stretcher bearers borne their charges another swore supposed Victims fairly respectable That Sunday inaugurated turbulence during which Vien Ho Dao opposition politicians various student groups sought range Saigon population against Mr Huong government On Wednesday November demonstrators including school street urchins fought pitched battles soldiers At clock evening fifteen allegedly killed police bullet placed display grounds Vien Hoa Dao TO I That evening Mr Huong declared martial Saigon adjoining Giadinh slapped curfew appointed tough Brigadier General Pham Van Dong military governor Three later Venerable Tam Chau President Vien Hoa Dao press conference castiga government Buddhist measures The Sunday student groups organized funeral procession killed Wednesday As procession approached Narshal Le Van Duyet Giadinh paratrooper units following arrested truck loaded youths funerary wreaths bringing Under wreaths soldiers found government leaflets stack knives Ten estimated forty youths riding truck arrested Those leading procession insisted their motive honor youth Le Van Ngoc Unless their comrades arrested truck released would hunger strike right middle The military governor adopted Fabian tactics He refused release arrested youths surrounded funeral procession impressive paratroopers other soldiers Then waited three hours nearly afternoon During period hunger stolid indifference soldiers caused gradual melting people originally funeral procession Finally governor order soldiers disperse marchers barely Only weeping members family allowed accompany horse driven hearse quiet Buddhist cemetery where rites intermen performed Since these Sundays uneasy descended Saigon which broken letter reaches The Vien Hoa Dao accuses Premier Tran Van Huong repressing Buddhism authoritarian President Ngo D Diem Behind charge resentment Huou ignoring Buddhist advice forming cabinet consistent refusal reshuffle cabinet since Nr Huong maintains government established according constitutional precedures appointed Chief State confirmed High National Council seringas South Vietnam temporary legislature Any thirds majority Council votes against prepared resign before He certainly cannot allow street demonstrations topple government TO I On surface clearcut constituted civilian government threatened powerful pressure group relying unconstitutional means But things seldom least Vietnam since I abandoned family follow Sunday afternoon I seeking penetrate murky depths Buddhist government controversy At point I confess I confused I hardly where I stand There question Buddhism emerged politico religious force South Vietnam There question Buddhist masses mobilized whenever hierarchy convincing Buddhism itself facing clear present threat But masses follow hierarchy leadership lesser issues cohesive hierarchy itself issues In context Vietnam today religion politics inseparably intertwined whatever government Buddhist leadership And percentage mixture influences responsiven masses leadership exhortations What effective upper lower limits percentage The views I painful Process formulating necessarily tentative controversial indulgence I pursue subject further future letter Sincerely Takashi Oka Received New York December