PERSONS/ENTITIES: Thich Tri Quang, Nguyen Van Bang (Province Chief), Major Dang Sy (Asst. Province Chief)
DATES: May 8, 1963
CATEGORIES: Diem

OCCURRENCE: According to Higgins on May 8, 1963 on the Buddhist birthday Thich Tri Quang, in the middle of a religious ceremony, began to give a vitriolic anti-government speech on the subject of the non-existent ban on Buddhist flags. About 8 pm Thich Tri Quang arrived at the radio station carrying in his hands a tape recording which he then made the demand upon the director of the station to play. He was refused. Thich Tri Quang proceeded to encourage an already active angry crowd which in the middle of this oration began to shout and press forward. The director of the station called up Nguyen Van Bang who soon arrived and attempted to appease Thich Tri Quang, but the latter would not listen. Nguyen Van Bang then asked for armored cars in hopes that this would frighten the crowd and prevent any violence to the radio station. Major Dang Sy then arrived with some armored cars and got some general orders to disperse the crowd. Police arrived and attempted to turn fire hoses on the crowd. (93-94)

SOURCE: Our Viet Nam Nightmare, Higgins, Harper and Row, 1965
STAFF: Dawson, R.
FILE:
DATE: July 2, 1975

PERSONS/ENTITIES: Trich Tri Quang, Diem
DATES: May 8, 1963
CATEGORIES: Diem

OCCURRENCE: "No evidence can be adduced showing that before the Hue incident of May 8, 1963, there was a religious issue in Vietnam. If there had been, assuredly the critics of Diem's leadership would have trumpeted it to the world. Complaints of alleged religious repression made by Trich Tri Quang and his accomplices in a campaign of letters to the United Nations and prominent foreigners, had begun, but they represented no more than the early activity of determined propagandists."

"Most hostile criticism toward Diem centered not on what he did but on his methods and techniques of governing."