During the Trial

While Pope Paul VI's did not believe the street clashes leading to the killing of a Catholic youth by Buddhist mob were signs of religious conflicts[1], the L'Osservatore Romano appealed to the South Vietnamese for calm in the midst of further violence and protests after the ouster of President Diem's First Republic.

In the meanwhile, the U.S. bishops believed Major Dang's allegations and trial were results of religious discriminations orchestrated by a pro-Buddhist government to appease the raging turmoils threatening the new Military Junta . Monsignor Salvatore Asta, the Papal Delegate in South Vietnam, insisted on U.S. intervention due to the indications that General Khanh's decision to attack Major Dang Sy, at the trial, would precipitate an all-out religious war between the Catholics and Buddhists[4]. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Mike Forrestal, assured National Catholic Welfare Conference Legal Department, Harmon Burns, that Premier Khanh pledged to reduce Major Dang's capital punishment and would grant Major Dang the permission to leave Vietnam after the trial[2].

This pledge was not fulfilled, as Major Dang was imprisoned, with no formal charges, to Con Son Pennitary[3]. The U.S. Catholics then ceased to convince the U.S. government to intervene directly with Vietnamese affairs out of concerns that further violence would be inflicted on the minority Catholics[2]. The Revolutionary Council repeatedly complied to the demands of the Buddhist hierarchy in further purging its arm forces of other capable officers, both Buddhist and Catholics, thus handicapping itself further in the ongoing struggle with the North [5].

References

1. Vatican Appeals for Saigon Calm. New York Times, 30 August 1964.

2. Poetic Justice in Vietnam? United Nations Affairs, 20 July 1964.

3. VIETNAM OFFICER DRAWS LIFE TERM; Convicted of Killing Eight. New York Times - Jun 7, 1964

4. Lodge in Vietnam: A Patriot Abroad. Blair, Anne E. Yale University Press (1995).

5. Triumph Forsaken: the Vietnam war, 1954-1965. Mark Moyar (2006).