Buddhist Crisis in Vietnam - Donna Dao

Introduction to Interview #1:
The person I interviewed was with Nguyen Thi Phuong Kim. Kim is my great aunt from my mom’s side of the family. I interviewed her on Sunday, June 06, 2010. I never actually ever talked to her or knew about her until the day of the interview. She is in her sixties and she doesn’t really remember everything from the past. I am interviewing her perspective. My great aunt was just a regular civilian during the Vietnam War and witnessed part of the Buddhist protest. During the time of the revolution my great aunt was living in between Dalat and Nha Trang. She was about in her mid to early twenties during her experience with the Buddhist Crisis.

What did you think about Ngo Dinh Diem’s presidency?
When I heard that the Americans were helping him, I figured that it couldn’t get even worst than when the French were here.

So how did he turn out to be later on? Did you approve of his decisions?
No. I despised him and everything he did. At first, I thought he wasn’t bad, but he turned out to be different than I thought he would be.

What do you mean?
It was pretty obvious that Diem was religious. He favored the Catholics over any other religious group.

Interesting. Now that you brought it up., we are a Buddhist family. Were you or anyone in the family mistreated for not being Catholic?
Of course! Well not me because my parents were over protective around that time. My parents were always so terrified when your grandma would go out. We were still young so we like to play around outside. It didn’t help how we were living in Central Vietnam. But I would always see the people in the military push around and make fun of the citizens.

Okay. Did you witness or heard about the Buddhist Crisis? Or did you witness any sort of protesting?
What did you say?

(Repeat question)
Oh, I would be in trouble if I were to ever be around those type of stuff. However, news would spread fast over here so I would know what happened that was big from all over the place. There were so many hunger strikes, protests, and suicides. I’ve tried once to participate in a rally but that didn’t work out so well. I went with a friend but I wasn’t able to stay that long. When I went, I felt the excitement running through my body. I admired their courage and how they fight for what they believed in because I feel like I cant do the same.

Wow so it sounded like you weren’t at all terrified.
That was because I really wasn’t. I would always see others get down and pray in the streets when we would hear gunshots and bombs from a distance. I pray but not as intense.. That was because I felt like Buddha was watching over me and I shouldn’t have to worry. And if I were to die, it would be because it was my time to, or there was a good reason for me to. Do you understand?

Yes I do actually! Everything happens for a reason, whether or not you know the reason for it or not. Anyways, you mention suicide? How did you feel about that?
Well pretty much all the suicides committed by Buddhist civilians. I would hate hearing about those news. I was defineatly hard to hear them because I am a Buddhist myself. I feel like there are much more to deaths here than people out there really know of. The death of Quang Duc was the most terrifying news I heard during the whole thing.

Why is that?
I would always hear my parents along with their friends talk about it. They would always describe in horrific details what happened, how it smelled like, how it looked like and more.

Do you remember the details?
Well not quite. I remember hearing them say they could smell the burning of flesh and skin. They described how they could hear the cracking of fire and how he was sitting perfectly still until he leaned over, that was when they determined that he was dead.

That sounded like a pretty rough day. How did you feel about the assassination of Diem and his brother Nhu?
Like many people, I was very happy. I remembered my mom crying because she was so happy. We all felt like we could be Buddhist again you know. I did feel like it was wrong how they killed him, but what needs to be done, has to be done. Everyone felt like all the suicides and protests were not just a waste of time and lives because we actually felt like Diem would win and control all of Vietnam. I think after that time under Diem’s control, the South became more fond of the Communists and weren’t so against them. Well some were still against the communists because they support Diem.


Introduction to Interview #2:
The second person I interview was Nguyen Quang Vinh, who was a family friend back over in Vietnam. I interviewed him on Sunday, June 06, 2010 as well. Vinh is about 71 years old now making him about the age of 27 during the worst period of time of the whole Buddhist Crisis (with most of the well known suicides that were reported on news). Back then he was living in Hue, Vietnam. I asked him about his perspective of the involvement of the United States at that time. It was not included but he said, “I didn’t like how the U.S. was supporting Diem because it just made matters worse because they were both against communism.”

I’m pretty sure you heard about how so many Buddhists suicide and protests. What did you think about them?
Yes of course. Well it is always common for me to se them protest and so on since I live in Hue and all. It felt like there were just so many that I am pretty used to it. I honestly don’t think it would work in any way but it is their choice.

I guess you can be right. I researched that on July 1963, there Buddhist monks and nuns that held a 48 hunger strike. That sounds crazy! How is that going to change anything?
I know what you mean (chuckles). Well I think that their purpose is to just sow everyone how far they are willing to go and sacrifice themselves and to make the Diem government look bad and so on. We just wanted less bias in the government and the United States to stop interfering and supplying the South government with troops and weapons.

That’s cool. Did you feel like the suicides that were committed considered to be necessary? Or could they have used a better tactic?
I think that if their were other options that would have a better result, then the Buddhist monks would have used that tactic instead of having their own sacrifice themselves like that, but I wouldn’t say that it was necessary. It just proves to the government how strong the Buddhist people are and how they are willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

Did you feel like the Buddhist Crisis died down after the death of Ngo Dinh Diem?
As many of us thought it would., it honestly didn’t. Not at all actually. Nguyen Van Thieu came into power along with Cao Ky. Cao Ky was a little strange to me. I heard he was scared how Buddhists were going to attack him Am I right?

I guess.. I know he was terrified that the Buddhist were going to take over and kill him. So are you a communist?
No! I am not a communist..

Why do you say it like that?
Well now communists are fine and you cant even tell if someone is communist or not. It’s just that I don’t want to be one. I’m just raised that way.

Okay I think that makes sense. Do you feel like you have the opportunity to practice Buddhist traditions if you wanted to right now?
I think I would be able to. I mean we still do. You should come over sometime. And I can show you. It’s lots of fun, just watch.

Yeah. Lets get back on topic.
Oh yes I am sorry. But yes. We actually celebrate now like Buddhists usually do because we don’t feel restricted as before.

Do you think something like that would happen again?
Yeah perhaps. It probably wont be on religion that time as much as resources and such because of the recession we are in you know.


Introduction to Interview #3:
The third and last person I interviewed was Tran Huu Hieu who is a cousin of my grandfather. I interviewed him on Saturday, June 12, 2010. Tran Huu Hieu is currently 68 years old and he was in his twenties during the whole crisis. The perspective I focused on with him was the violence and protests that usually occurred during the entire Cold War. I traveled a lot so I was kind of all over the place towards the Southern end of Vietnam.

What do you remember about the Vietnam War?
Oh, it was Crazy. I was always scared out of my mind that I wouldn’t be able to live out of that. I would always hear how one person died or someone got shot.

That’s cool.. Who do you like better, Ngo Dinh Diem or Ho chi Minh?
Hmm. I would have to choose Ho Chi Minh because despite him being communist and everything, he seems to have his half of the nation united and not segregated because of their religion. I don’t think he is such a bad guy. What do you think?
What do I think? Well I don’t have anything against communism but I don’t understand why it would be so horrific if we became a communist country.

So what else have you heard of witnessed about the Buddhist Crisis?
Well I remember seeing a monk just burning on TV.. I don’t even remember how I was in front of one but it was so scary. I actually felt nauseous. I believe that the image or clip of that changed my life. It was all quite so you could only see people running near him and would start bowing to him. I was scared. I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

Wow. So why exactly do you think that the Buddhists were doing whatever they were doing?
Well everyone pretty much despise him. He is religious and looks really mean. Everyone knew that it was because of how mistreated we are just because we aren’t Catholic. They probably feel like if other countries outside Vietnam see’s the footage of Buddhist monks committing suicide then they would assume that the government is corrupt and they should probably do something about it.

Do you know how many people died during the war?
No one told me but I think it can’t be that much.
According to some websites, there is a total of about a quarter of a million lives lost during the war.
You serious? That can’t be. That sounds so many.
No I am serious.

Now do you feel like you can practice Buddhist traditions if you want to out in the open?
Of course! Nobody really cares about that now over here. I think that is because we are still dominated by Buddhists. Do you know if all the Catholics agreed with the decisions of Ngo Dinh Diem were the right things to do?
I feel like they feel kind of obligated to. It is either follow him or be mistreated like all the other people.
You are probably right. I wonder how the next World War is going to affect all of us.
I guess we have to wait and see.