INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF MUN
International Criminal Court,
Prosecutor
v. Case No. ICC 00-01-2007
Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem
Defendant
BRIEF AGAINST PRIME MINISTER NGO DINH DIEM, PROSECUTION
John Smith, School 1
Jane Doe, School 2
Attorneys for Prosecution
CONTENTS
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….4
Statement of Facts……………………………………………………………………...5
Argument………………………………………………………………………………7
1. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF GENOCIDE FOR HIS
ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT OF SOUTH VIETNAM FOR HIS SUPPRESSION OF
BUDDHISM AND FOR THE MURDERS OF MAY 8, 1963 AND AUGUST 21, 1963,
BECAUSE OF HIS INTENTIONS TO DESTROY A RELIGIOUS GROUP
(BUDDHISM) AND POLITICAL GROUP (COMMUNISM) BY KILLING MEMBERS
OF THOSES GROUPS AND REFUSING TO GIVE THEM EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
AS OTHER RELIGIONS/POLITICAL GROUPS………………………………….…7
A. Under Article 6a for Genocide in the Rome Statute; killing members of a
particular group with knowledge of the attack.
B. Under Article 6b for Genocide in the Rome Statute; causing serious bodily harm
or mental harm to members of the group and with knowledge of the act.
C. Under Article 6c for Genocide in the Rome Statute; forcing certain conditions on
a group and putting them in a position that leads to their destruction and
with knowledge of the action.
2. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF WAR CRIMES AGAINST
BUDDHIST CITIZENS OF SOUTH VIETNAM DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE
ORDERED THE POLICE ATTACK ON A BUDDHIST CELEBRATION; HE
ORDERED THE ARREST OF BUDDHIST MONKS, AND TORTURED
FOLLOWERS OF BUDDHISM DURING THE VIETNAM WAR…………………..8
A. A charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Statute states that the perpetrator
has killed one or more persons who were protected under the Geneva
Conventions of 1949.
B. A charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Statute states that the perpetrator has
inflicted severe physical or mental pain or suffering upon one or more
persons protected under the Geneva Contentions.
C. A Charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Stature states that the perpetrator
cause great physical or mental pain or suffering to, or serious injury to body
or health of, on or more persons.
3. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF WAR CRIMES AGAINST
BUDDHIST CITIZENS OF SOUTH VIETNAM DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE
ORDERED THE POLICE ATTACK ON A BUDDHIST CELEBRATION; HE
ORDERED THE ARREST OF BUDDHIST MONKS, AND TORTURED
FOLLOWERS OF BUDDHISM DURING THE VIETNAM WAR……………………..9
A. A charge of "Crimes Against Humanity" under the Rome Statute states that the
perpetrator has murdered and exterminated a civilian population with
knowledge of the attack.
B. A charge of "Crimes Against Humanity" under the Rome Statute states that the
perpetrator has forcibly moved, imprisoned and severely deprived the
physical liberties of a civilian population with knowledge of the attack.
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………11
INTRODUCTION
In 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem was appointed Prime Minister of South Vietnam in accordance
with the Geneva Accord of 1954. Diem refused to accept the elections of 1956 which
were prescribed by the Geneva Accords of 1954 because he did not want Ho Chi Minh to
win control of Vietnam. The National Liberation Front (NLF) was formed as a guerilla
movement against Diem to unify North and South Vietnam. The U.S. backed South
Vietnam, starting the Vietnam War.
Diem placed all whom he considered enemies into prison camps, where they were
tortured and killed. These "enemies" included Buddhists, who made up the majority of
the population of Vietnam. Diem was one of the small populations of Catholics, who
made up about 10% of the population. Diem enacted harsh anti-Buddhist laws to keep
them from gaining power. On May 8, 1963, Buddhists assembled in Hue to celebrate the
2527th birthday of the Buddha. Diem ordered a police force to attack and disperse the
crowd, leading to the death of one woman and eight children. In addition, thousands of
Buddhist monks were arrested and taken to prison camps, never to be seen again.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
In 1954, a treaty was signed ending war between France and Vietnam at the Geneva
Conference. Vietnam was divided into a northern and southern portion at the 17th parallel.
Communist Ho Chi Minh was declared the President North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem
the Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1955. The Geneva Conference also allowed for
elections to be held in 1956 to elect a leader to unify Vietnam. However, Diem and South
Vietnam refused to hold these elections with the United States backing that plan. Diem
was extremely anti-communist and with the United States’ help all possible outlet of
unification were prevented.
From 1956-1960 North Vietnam used many methods to coax unification out of Southern
Vietnam. Still, Diem disagreed. In 1960 NLF was organized under the direction of the
Northern Communist Party. Soon after its formation the NLF began to surge in to the
South and created the Southern Communist Party. Diem became flagrant, angry and
fearful of coup. His extreme hate for communists and Buddhists was very powerful and it
overwhelmed him. Similar to Nixon, his phobias, Diem went crazy to protect his power
and regime.
First, any communists he found his tortured and then killed. He gave a direct order to his
police forces to do the same if they found any communists also. Next came the attack
on the Buddhist monks. Diem sent his police forces on a day of great celebration for the
religious people and they were ordered to arrest all of them. Diem believed that this
religious was working closely with the NLF in an attempt to over throw the government.
Diem forcibly transferred the abducted people and sent them away to be imprisoned. His
actions against them went against Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions, that stated:
“2. Those who are responsible for the internment or detention of persons … shall
also, within the limits of their capabilities, respect the following provisions relating to
such persons:
(a) except when men and women of a family are accommodated together, women shall be
held in quarters separated from those of men and shall be under the immediate
supervision of women;
(b) they shall be allowed to send and receive letters and cards, the number of which may
be limited by competent authority if it deems necessary;
(c) places of internment and detention shall not be located close to the combat zone. The
persons referred to in paragraph 1 shall be evacuated when the places where they are
interned or detained become particularly exposed to danger arising out of the armed
conflict, if their evacuation can be carried out under adequate conditions of safety;
(d) they shall have the benefit of medical examinations;
(e) their physical or mental health and integrity shall not be endangered by any
unjustified act or omission. Accordingly, it is prohibited to subject the persons described
in this Article to any medical procedure which is not indicated by the state of health of
the person concerned, and which is not consistent with the generally accepted medical
standards applied to free persons under similar medical circumstances.”
Not only were these rules not abided by, but Diem did the exactly opposite. First he
mentally, then physically tortured his POW/hostages/suspects, and then he killed them.
The victims’ families never heard from them, nor ever saw them again and that directly
violated the conventions.
ARGUMENT
Argument
1. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF GENOCIDE FOR HIS
ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT OF SOUTH VIETNAM FOR HIS SUPPRESSION OF
BUDDHISM AND FOR THE MURDERS OF MAY 8, 1963 AND AUGUST 21, 1963,
BECAUSE OF HIS INTENTIONS TO DESTROY A RELIGIOUS GROUP
(BUDDHISM) AND POLITICAL GROUP (COMMUNISM) BY KILLING MEMBERS
OF THOSES GROUPS AND REFUSING TO GIVE THEM EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
AS OTHER RELIGIONS/POLITICAL GROUPS.
A. Under Article 6a for Genocide in the Rome Statute; killing members of a
particular group with knowledge of the attack.
On May 8, 1963, Diem had thousands of Buddhist monks who lived peacefully in South
Vietnam arrested by his police forces, and those men were never seen again. To add to
the terror of the day, one woman and eight children were also killed. Ngo Dinh Diem
was constantly advocating of pro-Catholic policies in a pre-dominantly Buddhist area;
and although he was in the minority, he still rose to power and was backed by many
Western countries. Diem’s brother and chief advisor was Ngo Dinh Nhu. Diem's rule was
authoritarian and nepotistic. He appointed his relatives to high positions and they were
loyal to Diem’s every whim. On August 21 of the same year, Diem sent Nhu and Nhu’s
forces on a raid against Buddhist pagodas in major cities, killing hundreds of Buddhist
monks and arresting thousands of others. Diem also gave police the authority to assault
Buddhists without repercussions. Based on the above evidence, it is clear that Diem was
trying to eliminate this specific religious group, thus is proving him guilty of genocide
under Article 6a.
B. Under Article 6b for Genocide in the Rome Statute; causing serious bodily
harm or mental harm to members of the group and with knowledge of the act.
Diem was a very avid anti-communist and not only greatly distanced his regime and
country from the NLF and Ho Chi Minh, but he also tortured and killed anyone who
was suspected of being communist; and this was regular activity for him. Diem
specifically targeted a certain group, the communists, and the torturing of them proves
his conviction of genocide under Article 6b.
C. Under Article 6c for Genocide in the Rome Statute; forcing certain
conditions on a group and putting them in a position that leads to their destruction
and with knowledge of the action.
After the events of May 8, 1963, the Buddhists were so abhorred by Diem’s regime, they
protested in the streets by lighting themselves on fire and committing suicide. When
ever such an act occurred the opposite outcome unfolded. Diem sent his men to arrest
thousands more Buddhists and to jail and/or torture them. One Vietnamese government
member said, “Let them burn, and we shall clap our hands.” Another said that he would
supply the monks the petroleum they needed in order to light themselves on fire. They
put the Buddhist monks in a position to destroy themselves under order of Diem. Clearly
these men had the full intension of destroying the Buddhists and at the very least
destroying their way of life, thus under Article 6c, Diem is guilty for deliberately
inflicting pain and destruction upon a group of people.
2. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF WAR CRIMES AGAINST
BUDDHIST CITIZENS OF SOUTH VIETNAM DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE
ORDERED THE POLICE ATTACK ON A BUDDHIST CELEBRATION; HE
ORDERED THE ARREST OF BUDDHIST MONKS, AND TORTURED
FOLLOWERS OF BUDDHISM DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
A. A charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Statute states that the perpetrator
has killed one or more persons who were protected under the Geneva
Conventions of 1949.
Ngo Dinh Diem ordered the attack and arrest of Buddhist monks celebrating the 2517th
birthday of the Buddha on May 8, 1963. During the attack, one woman and eight children
were killed while attempting to flee from the police. Ngo Dinh Diem had explicitly given
the order for the attack to occur, which associates himself with the deaths of the
Buddhists. Diem claimed that the Buddhists were harboring Communist guerrillas and
aiding the NLF (National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam; they were
associated with Ho Chi Mihn and North Vietnam), who South Vietnam was at war with.
The Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 protects all civilians during the time of war "in
the hands" of an enemy and under any occupation of foreign power. One woman and
eight children were civilians during the war and were "in the hands" of the enemy, the
enemy being the police force which declared the Buddhists to be their enemies. In
addition, under Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions, protection is warranted to all
Victims of International Armed Conflicts. The conflict between Diem's regime was an
international armed conflict because the U.S. was sending Diem supplies and money,
giving the Buddhists protection under this protocol. Thus, these people were protected
under the Geneva Conventions and were murdered anyway. By ordering this attack,
Diem was aware of the repercussions and the status of those in which he intended to
attack.
B. A charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Statute states that the perpetrator
has inflicted severe physical or mental pain or suffering upon one or more
persons protected under the Geneva Contentions.
After this initial attack, thousands of Buddhists monks were arrested and taken prisoner,
never to be seen again. These monks were killed by the Army of the Republic of
Vietnam, which was controlled by Diem. However, it is known that these monks were
killed while being held prisoner by Diem and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The
Third Geneva Convention of 1949 protects all prisoners of war, dictating that they must
be treated humanely and prohibiting outrages against personal dignity and humiliating
and degrading treatment. In addition, prisoners of war may not be killed. Prisoners of war
are, as defined by the Third Geneva Convention, are any individuals within a signatory's
territory, noncombatants, combatants who have laid down their arms, and combatants
who are hors de combat (out of fight). This protects the Buddhist monks, even though
they were not combatants. By ordering the arrest and eventual killings of these monks,
Diem violated the Geneva Conventions protection of prisoners of war. Murder inflicts
not only physical pain, but mental pain as well upon the victim. Thus, Diem knowingly
committed a "War Crime" by ordering the infliction of physical and mental pain and
suffering upon the monks protected by the Geneva Conventions.
C. A Charge of "War Crimes" under the Rome Stature states that the perpetrator
cause great physical or mental pain or suffering to, or serious injury to
body or health of, on or more persons.
Diem placed laws into effect that restricted Buddhist rights, leading to protests by the
Buddhists. These protests were due to the suffering in which these laws inflicted. In
addition, these protests were broken up by acts of violence exhibited by Diem's
government, causing much physical pain. Diem's procedures also led to the suicides by
fire of many Buddhist monks, which displayed the mental pain inflicted upon them by
Diem, mental suffering so great that they were driven to suicide. These monks were
protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which protected of civilian persons in
time of war. Thus, Diem committed a "War Crime" by inflicting great suffering upon
those protected by the Geneva Conventions.
3. NGO DINH DIEM SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY FOR THE MURDER, EXTERMINATION, FORCIBLE TRANSFER OF,
THE IMPRISONMENT AND SEVERE DEPRIVATION OF THE BUDDHIST
CITIZENS OF SOUTH VIETNAM DUE TO HIS ORDER ON THE POLICE TO
ATTACK A BUDDHIST CELEBRATION; HE ORDERED THE ARREST OF
BUDDHIST MONKS, THEIR FORCIBLE MOVEMENT AND IMPRISONMENT
AND AFTER THEY WERE TORTURED, THEY WERE NEVER HEARD FROM
AGAIN.
A. A charge of "Crimes Against Humanity" under the Rome Statute states that the
perpetrator has murdered and exterminated a civilian population with
knowledge of the attack.
Ngo Dinh Diem ordered the attack and arrest of Buddhist monks during the celebration of
Buddha’s 2517th birthday on May 8, 1963. During the attack, one woman and eight
children were killed while attempting to flee from the police. Ngo Dinh Diem had
explicitly given the order for the attack to occur, which associates himself with the deaths
of the Buddhists. Then many other Buddhists were arrested and Diem ordered many to be
killed. He had the knowledge to realize that sending armed police to a peaceful
ceremony and arresting many civilians would cause panic and might lead to violence
and with blood thirsty police deaths were bound to come. In addition, he wanted them
dead and moved the Buddhists to another area to exterminate them.
B. A charge of "Crimes Against Humanity" under the Rome Statute states that the
perpetrator has forcibly moved, imprisoned and severely deprived the
physical liberties of a civilian population with knowledge of the attack.
After this initial attack, thousands of Buddhists monks were arrested and taken prisoner,
never to be seen again. They were moved to an unknown location, and there the Monks
were killed by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, which was controlled and under
direct command of Diem. It was thought that they were helping the NLF in conjunction
with Ho Chi Minh, to over throw the government, but under Protocol II under the
Geneva Conventions, the peoples’ liberties and rights could not be limited; addition
they were not allowed to be taken hostage/imprisoned, tortured, or killed, however
Diem ordered all of those actions to take place. These law abiding civilians were moved
against their will, were physically deprived and tortured, and then after it was all done
killed and never heard from again. Death is obviously the biggest intrusion on physical
liberties as you can get, and under direct order of Diem this all went through. Diem
knowledgeable committed these crimes and under Protocol II of the Geneva
Conventions and under “Crimes Against Humanity” in the Rome Statute, Diem is
guilty.
CONCLUSION
Once all of the facts have been examined it is irrefutable whether or not Ngo Dinh Diem
is guilty of his charges of “Genocide”, “Crimes Against Humanity” and War Crimes.”
After all the stubble nuances of this case are looked at, it should become quite apparent
that the Prime Minister knowledgably sent his police to round up and kill any
communists, to arrest thousands of Buddhist monks for his own selfish sadistic purposes.
Even with evidence tying the two groups to the insurgent groups and NLF, it has been
clearly established by pure fact of history that the Geneva conventions were set up to
protect the rights of the people; Diem violated those laws by forcibly moving the monks
and communists, and then persisting to imprison, and torture them. If such terrible
actions weren’t enough to convict the man, after they were imprisoned and tortured, he
denied the victims access to mail and communication with their loved ones and added to
both the victim’s and the victim’s families’ mental and emotional distress. This is a direct
violation of Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions. Then the people were killed, never to
see their families’ again.
The first charge against Prime Minister Diem is Genocide. Clearly, Diem was out to
destroy all non-Christians and all communists. This man was an intolerant bigot and
couldn’t suppress any misgivings he had about any group Diem had tribulations with. He
sent his heavily armed police to arrest all Buddhist people who were attending a
celebration on May 8, 1963 and obviously sending lots of guns to an area of high
volatility could possibly cause deaths; the result did occur with a death count of nine, all
women and children. Then he imprisoned them and eventually killed the monks, violating
the Rome Statute by causing the most serious for of bodily and mentally damage possible
(death), and deliberately committing these crimes with knowledge of the consequences.
For this crime he must be convicted.
The second charge of “crimes against humanity” denotes murder, extermination of a
people, forced transfer of a people and the imprisonment of a people. The evidence
clearly confirms Diem’s culpability. First he sends in his police to arrest the Buddhists,
many of whom are killed, then they are moved against their will to an unknown location
where they were tortured and then exterminated like the Nazi’s did to the Jews, and
Saddam Hussein did to his people. They were massacred in cold blood with no chance of
survival. Being the sole puppet master of that sick show Diem clearly knew what was
going on and for these crimes he must be convicted.
Lastly, Diem’s third charge is “war crime”, that denotes willful killing, inhumane
treatment, and cause of great suffering. There should be no doubt in the Judges’ mind
whether or not Diem willingly committed any of his crimes, because the answer is an
obvious one. Being the prejudiced racist he was, Diem was not only willing, but he was
extremely enthusiastic about the killing of Buddhists and communists. Fearing that the
Buddhists and communists were affiliated with Ho Chi Minh and the NLF, he rounded up
the two groups and tortured information out of the people kept them from their loved
ones and then after all the injustice, killed them. Allegedly being associated with
Communist North Vietnam, the Buddhists and communists should be considered as part
of an international conflict because the NLF were armed and attacked South Vietnam
denoting armed international conflict. Causing the mental pain of separating families and
torturing and killing the monks ardently, proves Diem’s guilty for inhumane treatment
and great suffering. For these crimes he must be convicted.
For these crimes Diem must be convicted! Diem willingly and earnestly murdered,
exterminated, killed, physically and mentally damaged, forcibly moved, and imprisoned
South Vietnam’s communist and Buddhist populations. Ngo Dinh Diem must be
convicted for the charges of “genocide,” “crimes against humanity”, and “War Crimes”
because with such lucid evidence, conviction in the only true justice that can be given to
such a heartless man.
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
STATUTES
The Rome Statute of the ICC- Article 6 “Genocide”.
The Rome Statute of the ICC- Article 7 “Crimes Against Humanity”.
The Rome Statute of the ICC- Article 8 “War Crime”.
MISCELLANEOUS
International Humanitarian Law - Treaties & Documents. 2005 International Committee
of the Red Cross. December 10, 2006
Part II. Humane Treatment
Art 4 Fundamental guarantees
1. All persons who do not take a direct part or who have ceased to take part in hostilities,
whether or not their liberty has been restricted, are entitled to respect for their person,
honour and convictions and religious practices. They shall in all circumstances be treated
humanely, without any adverse distinction. It is prohibited to order that there shall be no
survivors.
2. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the following acts against the
persons referred to in paragraph I are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any
place whatsoever:
(a) violence to the life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular
murder as well as cruel treatment such as torture, mutilation or any form of corporal
punishment;
(b) collective punishments;
(c) taking of hostages;
(d) acts of terrorism;
(e) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment,
rape, enforced prostitution and any form or indecent assault;
(f) slavery and the slave trade in all their forms;
(g) pillage;
(h) threats to commit any or the foregoing acts.
3. Children shall be provided with the care and aid they require, and in particular:
(a) they shall receive an education, including religious and moral education, in keeping
with the wishes of their parents, or in the absence of parents, of those responsible for their
care;
(b) all appropriate steps shall be taken to facilitate the reunion of families temporarily
separated;
(c) children who have not attained the age of fifteen years shall neither be recruited in the
armed forces or groups nor allowed to take part in hostilities;
(d) the special protection provided by this Article to children who have not attained the
age of fifteen years shall remain applicable to them if they take a direct part in hostilities
despite the provisions of subparagraph (c) and are captured;
(e) measures shall be taken, if necessary, and whenever possible with the consent of their
parents or persons who by law or custom are primarily responsible for their care, to
remove children temporarily from the area in which hostilities are taking place to a safer
area within the country and ensure that they are accompanied by persons responsible for
their safety and well-being.
Art 5. Persons whose liberty has been restricted
1. In addition to the provisions of Article 4 the following provisions shall be respected as
a minimum with regard to persons deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the
armed conflict, whether they are interned or detained;
(a) the wounded and the sick shall be treated in accordance with Article 7;
(b) the persons referred to in this paragraph shall, to the same extent as the local civilian
population, be provided with food and drinking water and be afforded safeguards as
regards health and hygiene and protection against the rigours of the climate and the
dangers of the armed conflict;
(c) they shall be allowed to receive individual or collective relief;
(d) they shall be allowed to practise their religion and, if requested and appropriate, to
receive spiritual assistance from persons, such as chaplains, performing religious
functions;
(e) they shall, if made to work, have the benefit of working conditions and safeguards
similar to those enjoyed by the local civilian population.
2. Those who are responsible for the internment or detention of the persons referred to in
paragraph 1 shall also, within the limits of their capabilities, respect the following
provisions relating to such persons:
(a) except when men and women of a family are accommodated together, women shall be
held in quarters separated from those of men and shall be under the immediate
supervision of women;
(b) they shall be allowed to send and receive letters and cards, the number of which may
be limited by competent authority if it deems necessary;
(c) places of internment and detention shall not be located close to the combat zone. The
persons referred to in paragraph 1 shall be evacuated when the places where they are
interned or detained become particularly exposed to danger arising out of the armed
conflict, if their evacuation can be carried out under adequate conditions of safety;
(d) they shall have the benefit of medical examinations;
(e) their physical or mental health and integrity shall not be endangered by any
unjustified act or omission. Accordingly, it is prohibited to subject the persons described
in this Article to any medical procedure which is not indicated by the state of health of
the person concerned, and which is not consistent with the generally accepted medical
standards applied to free persons under similar medical circumstances.
3. Persons who are not covered by paragraph 1 but whose liberty has been restricted in
any way whatsoever for reasons related to the armed conflict shall be treated humanely in
accordance with Article 4 and with paragraphs 1 (a), (c) and (d), and 2 (b) of this Article.
4. If it is decided to release persons deprived of their liberty, necessary measures to
ensure their safety shall be taken by those so deciding.
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam. December 10, 2006 Wikipedia.org.
December 10, 2006 .
The NLF was nominally independent of the North Vietnam armed forces and although
the leadership of the group was communist, the NLF was also made up of others who
were allied with the Front against Ngô Ðình Diệm. The NLF was organized in 1960 at
the direction of the Northern Communist Party, the Lao Dong, which in 1962, also
formed a communist southern party, the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP). Ultimate
control of the PRP, NLF and associated front organizations rested with the Northern Lao
Dong party throughout the conflict. As the war with the Americans progressed, North
Vietnamese personnel increasingly formed the military staff and officer corps of the NLF
as well as directly deploying their own forces. Vietnam People's Army's (PAVN) official
history refers to the PLAF as "part of fthe PAVN". Communist cadres also, from the
start, formed the majority of the decision-making strata of the organization, though non-
Communists, encouraged by the initial chair, Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, were also involved in
this process.
Ngo Dinh Diem. Amazon.co.uk. December 10, 2006 .
Madame Nhu, the wife of his brother Nhu, was South Vietnam's First Lady and she led
the way in Diệm's programs to reform Saigon society in accordance with their Catholic
values. Brothels and opium dens were closed, divorce and abortion made illegal, and
adultery laws were strengthened. Diệm also won a street war with the forces of the
gangster Le Van Vien, the notorious ruler of the Cholon brothels and gambling houses
who had enjoyed special favors under the French and Bảo Đại. Diệm was also
passionately anti-Communist. Tortures and killings of "communist suspects" were
committed on a daily basis.
The cornerstone of Diems counterinsurgency effort was the Strategic Hamlet Program,
which called for the consolidation of 14,000 villages of South Vietnam into 11,000
secure hamlets, each with its own houses, schools, wells, and watchtowers. The hamlets
were intended to isolate the NLF from the villages, their source of recruiting soldiers,
supplies and information.
Ngo Dinh Diem. Answers.com. December 10, 2006 .
On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Due, a sixty-six year old monk, sat down in the middle
of a busy Saigon road. He was then surrounded by a group of Buddhist monks and nuns
who poured petrol over his head and then set fire to him. One eyewitness later
commented: "As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward
composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him." While Thich Quang Due
was burning to death, the monks and nuns gave out leaflets calling for Diem's
government to show "charity and compassion " to all religions.
The government's response to this suicide was to arrest thousands of Buddhist monks.
Many disappeared and were never seen again. By August another five monks had
committed suicide by setting fire to themselves. One member of the South Vietnamese
government responded to these self-immolations by telling a newspaper reporter: "Let
them burn, and we shall clap our hands." Another offered to supply Buddhists who
wanted to commit suicide with the necessary petrol.
The Fall of Ngo Dinh Diem. U.S. Library of Congress. December 10, 2006 .
On August 21, special forces under the command of Ngo Dinh Nhu raided the pagodas of
the major cities, killing many bonzes and arresting thousands of others. Following
demonstrations at Saigon University on August 24, an estimated 4,000 students were
rounded up and jailed, and the universities of Saigon and Hue were closed. Outraged by
the Diem regime's repressive policies, the Kennedy administration indicated to South
Vietnamese military leaders that Washington would be willing to support a new military
government. Diem and Nhu were assassinated in a military coup in early November, and
General Duong Van Minh took over the government.