GEN. MINH OCCURRENCE The method used by the government to neutralize opposition among the armed officers was to hold a luncheon meeting for all general officers in the Saigon area (with the exception of Minh). Ten that night (and in continuance of the meeting) Gen. Cao, envoy of these officers, had expressed their support for Diem and were seated (with the exception of Gen. Le Van Kim who had been killed), at a table with Diem and his family. At this meeting, Diem expressed his appreciation to the government by name. At the same time, a section of the military police turned out by the military police Auto Company was used to arrest four these officers. The military police were led by Col. Chi, who drove to Radio Saigon, where Minh was to be SOURCE: Hearings, S.S.C.I., 6/20/75, Conein, Exhibit one, pages 11-12. FILE: STAFF: Dawson DATE: 6/30/75 PERSONS/ENTITIES: DATES: CATEGORIES: TOP SECRET have to move around General Minh headquarters but does not to leave the command post. Those who did not join the coup were accordingly placed under arrest and put under normal guard. Once the planning meetings had been taken away, General Minh ordered the officers brought to the command post at which time he read the proclamation and objectives of the coup plotters which surrounded. He then asked each officer who had agreed to participate in the coup to speak his lines into the tape recorder. Several tapes were made from the original and distributed in different parts of the city as pre-arranged using radios to link in their areas the coup failed, no officer could claim that he had not voluntarily participated in the coup. SOURCE: P. 12, LAST CARD CONTINUED STAFF: Dawson FILE: DATE: 6/30/75