I received this private letter from the former Director of the Vietnamese
Bureau of the Budget, who was perhaps the closest friend of the United
States until he resigned from the Vietnamese government a couple of
years ago. It seems to me that the views which he expresses, and which
closely parallel those stated by former Foreign Minister Vu Van Mau to Chester Bowles,2 are very sober judgments which are worth
our close attention.
I am sending you two copies of the letter with the thought that you may
wish to show one of them to the President.
[Attachment]
Letter From Vu Van Thai to the Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs (Harriman)3
Lome,
Togo, August 24,
1963.
Dear Mr. Undersecretary: When we met two
years ago you suggested kindly that I may send you a private message
whenever I have something to say about the situation in my country:
Vietnam. I am now taking advantage of this permission because while
I am now in Africa, deeply involved in the development problems of
this part of the world, I cannot refrain from being anguished by the
late events in my own country.
[Page 115]
Two years ago I told you that any political improvement must come
from the people and that political change must be the responsibility
of the Vietnamese themselves. I did not agree with those who claimed
to be Vietnamese political leaders and were only expecting changes
worked out by foreign influence.
Now I am pleading that the US does its utmost to prevent the further
crushing of the Buddhist movement and the subsequent political
protest which has developed out of general discontentment and of M.
Diem and family’s
handling of the religious crisis.
I am advocating a strong stand from the US not only for the sake of
those directly threatened by Diem’s repression, but also for the sake of
preserving the Southern part of Vietnam as a place where one day a
true regime of freedom of thought could seed and develop.
Without a US clear cut condemnation of M. Diem’s recent sacking of temples,
it will be impossible for any future Vietnamese Government to be
able to gain popular support while siding with the West. Yet our
chance of survival depends from the conciliation of these two
conditions.
M. Diem and his family must
go now, even if there is no ready made alternative, even if the
change involves important risks; those risks must be taken for M.
Diem has become the
worst alternative, the only one leading to fatal communist
takeover.
Even those most attached to freedom like myself cannot accept the
idea of the continuation of M. Diem’s rule for the sake of preserving our country
from falling into communist hands.
It is time now for the US to side with the people of Vietnam in its
struggle to free itself from dictatorship. Time is now working for
the communists, action has to be taken quickly. I am convinced that
the Vietnamese people is ready to fight for Independence and
Freedom, it will never fight for anti-communism as such.
This letter is not inspired by any political ambition, it is not
motivated by any partisan consideration. I am now in International
Service and intend to remain so. If I raise my voice now it is
because as a simple Vietnamese I feel compelled to do so; the recent
events in Vietnam is [are] as shocking as the
crushing of the Hungarian revolt.
Sincerely yours,