PERSONS/ENTITIES: Thich Tri Quang Diem

DATES: Aug. 21, 1963

CATEGORIES: Diem

OCCURRENCE: Higgins states that the Xa Loi pagoda, based on her experiences, was more a political command post than a holy place. It was the headquarters from which the militant Thich Tri Quang and others had run their political war against the Diem regime. According to Higgins, Thich Tri Quang told an Austrian journalist by the name of Denis Warner early in August that he hoped in the process "they would kill one or two of us." Higgins goes on to note that the State Department regarded the actions against a dozen pagodas a betrayal of Diem's promise to reconcile the Buddhists. (Page 181)

SOURCE: Our Vietnam Nightmare by Marguerite Higgins, Harper and Row

STAFF: Dawson

FILE:

DATE: July 3, 1975

PERSONS/ENTITIES: GENERAL TON THAT DINH, MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SAIGON, COMMANDER 3RD CORPS CNOEN Lodge, Henry C. NGO DINH NHU AMBASSADOR NOLTING

DATES: 21 August 1963

CATEGORIES: DIEM

OCCURRENCE: "On the night of the 21st of August, GENERAL TON THAT DINH, as military governor of Saigon and Commander of the 3rd Corps, has established a curfew. If I recall correctly, the curfew was to start about 7:00 or 8:00 o'clock at night. Anybody seen after that time would be shot. And that night, elements -- later on, we didn't know at that time, later on proving to be elements of the special forces, which was proterian guard of NGO DINH NHU and the police dressed in military uniforms attacked the pagodas in Saigon. What was very bad about this, Ambassador NOLTING had already been relieved and Ambassador LODGE was on his way to take over". p. 21

SOURCE: Hearings, SSCI, June 20, 1975, Confin

STAFF: R. DAWSON