172. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1
1182. CINCPAC for POLAD. Thuan telephoned me at home at lunch time, in an obviously jubilant mood. GVN-Buddhist meeting this morning had gone well.2 All preliminaries (preambles) had been disposed of and full agreement reached on first of five Buddhist demands (flags). Thuan said this was most difficult of five points—presumably he meant for GVN—and he thought remainder could be agreed this afternoon or at latest tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, chief bonze Khiet is sending out nationwide order this afternoon calling on all Buddhists to avoid all manifestations and incidents, in view of favorable progress of talks with GVN. For its part, GVN commission, on order of President (Thuan stressed this point), is directing GVN authorities throughout country to suppress all barriers around temples, and so forth, taking care only to be on alert against VC incidents. Thuan thought VC likely to move when they saw GVN-Buddhist agreement was imminent. (I am inclined to agree with him.)
At conclusion meetings, Thuan said there would be a joint press conference.
Buddhist delegation is headed by Thien Minh, who represented Central Region at June 5 talks and who has full powers in writing from Khiet, according to Thuan. Other members are Tam Chau, Duc Ngiep, Tien Hoa, and Huyen Quang. Tri Quang is alternate delegate but he was not present this morning’s meeting. This is puzzling and conceivably ominous. Fact Khiet did not appear in person perhaps explained on protocol grounds; possibly he is waiting to be received by Diem at end of drama.
More details as available.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.↩
- According to telegram 1184 from Saigon, June 14, 5 p.m, the Buddhist delegation and the Vice President’s commission met in the morning in the Vice President’s office, and reconvened for further discussion at 3 p.m. (Ibid.)↩
- At 8:30 p.m. Thuan informed Trueheart that negotiations continued to go well in the afternoon, with full agreement reached on the second Buddhist demand, which called for the revision of Decree No. 10. Negotiations on the remaining Buddhist demands gave over at that point to a joint consideration of measures to counter an anticipated effort by the Viet Cong to exploit the funeral services for Quang Duc. (Telegram 1187 from Saigon, June 14; Ibid.) On June 12, the South Vietnamese National Assembly had established a special committee to examine ways to revise Decree No. 10. (Telegram 1170 from Saigon, June 13; Ibid.)↩