BUDDHISTS IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400130018-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: September 22, 1963
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2000/09/14: CIA-RDP75-00149R00QQA18-8
Letters to The Times
Buddhists in Vietnam
Regime's Denial of Their Civil and
Personal Rights Protested
The a.critcr of the following was
for some 14 years ncntber of tho
r,~dr oo~r~ ... tzrfti-.1rt rr.r
a, tc f& l;cd vender General MaZr-
Ar tar during the first three years
of tite occupation of Japan.
The Buddhist way of life) is the es-
sence of social organization and reg-
ulation throughout Southeast Asia
Bud-
Outside of the cities. They,
dhists, are in the right because they
are of and for the people. The
Anglican-Catholic ruling oligarchies
have been discredited elsewhere., In
South Vietnam they are still trying
to maintain privilege and position
despite the wishes and desires of the
people themselves. Anti-Communist
they may be-one would expect them
to be so. But this is hardly a basis
for their current conduct.
Persecution Not Prot'Steti
United Staten falluro to condemn
---clearly and lilatniy- represnlon and
pcrsocution of tlto Buddhlrits, and
United States condonation of the use
of American weapons and American-
trained military personnel for such
purposes is intolerable.
One protests not only the flagrant
violation of civil and personal rights
by a regime that professes support
for anti-Communism while still deny-
ing the right of the Buddhist. to ex-
ercise his ancient and social duty
to educate his ,young, one also pro-
tests the repeated failure of our
Government to recOgnlxe that the
dominant cultural and uncial pattern
in Southeast Asls is Burldhtxt.
We failed to nupirrtrt 'fiibs;t In }tai'.
hsl,ve t~;eti 9uls~?
hour of need; we
warm in F311uT0a bn1 (acylrrtt. W4
seem to prefer to support rrpz'rsroi?~r.t
minority oligarr;hit:'s ejtY.bserr.4 a?nri
rtftern cotonlai-uricrd,r
it any office or rsegruEnt rIt ttt1
United Staten (,overnmont Is s.dvin>
ins or supplying funds to any South
Vietnam groups engaged in defend-
ing that country against military!
infiltration or internal subversio
they should be clearly instructed a.
to the difference between infiltra-
tion or subversion and rightful pop-
ular protest. Perhaps a short course
in 01 history anti culture of Spun
east Asia is-the answer.
_AR
T > b 120 DMAN1"Usn' 'Y
;et.
Westport, Conn., Sept. 18; 1963.
To THE EDITOR OI THE NEW YORK TIMES
One of the .most disturbing fea-
tures of the current crisis with South
Vietnam is the apparent failure of
both the United States Government
to understand the real basis for the
internal turmoil in South Vietnam
and that of the American pres,t to
report the :Gaeta to our people.
To mc, with .10111o lillowledge of
the culture and history of Southva.st
Asia, the current' crisis in South
Vietnam bears a striking resem-
blance to what happened in Burma
between 1907 and 1948 and what has
more recently happened in Ceylon.
Madame Nhu (who reminds one of
Madame Chiang Kai-shek), her hus-
band and President Diem to the con-
trary notwithstanding, the Buddhists
are in the right.
What is involved here is the social
dynamic of Buddhism-its long fight
against a Catholic-dominated oli-
garchy.
The Buddhists have been disprivi-
leged from almost every point of
view, but most importantly with
respect to their schools, which have
been the foundation of social and
cultural education throughout South-
east Asia.
Aid Denied Them
They have been denied Govern-
ment aid and support by a regime
which hag insisted that public
moneys go to educate and support
an oligarchy that is essentially urban
and wealthy-an oligarchy having
nothing In common with the men and
women who live and work within the
framework of a village agricultural
society. The city in Southeast Asia
is, generally speaking, an alien im-
position.
In Burma, from the first decade
of the 20th century, the Buddhists
fought not only for political recog-
nition but also for public support
for their schools--particularly the
village schools. In Ceylon, the 1956
ApprovedrFord.lease 2000/09/14 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000400130018-8