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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1967)
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1967 The Daily, Nebraska Page 5 Buddhis ts Need To Unite For Political Action (Editor's Note: The fol lowing is one Installment of a series of articles on the war in Vietnam writ ten by Howard Moffett, Collegiate Press correspon dent in Saigon. The Daily Nebraskan has run two series of Moffett, who was former editor of the Yale Daily News.) Thousands of Vietnamese disappeared from Central Vietnam after Prime Minis ter Ky brought his heel down on the Buddhist-led Struggle Movement in Hue and Danang last spring. They were students, sol diers, citizens, priests. Vir tually all were non-Communist Vietnamese national ists, but they were bitterly opposed to the American supported military govern ment in Saigon. Some were imprisoned at government detention cen ters throught Vietnam; of these a few have subse quently been released on good behavior. Others, it is rumored joined the Na tional Liberation Front Still others went into hid ing a few have given themselves up in the the months since May, but many are still trying to keep one step ahead of the National Police. Buddhist Student Leaders This is the story of three who did not Join the NLF. They were Buddhist stu dent leaders in Hue, the ancient imperial capital of the River of Perfumes about which no one can tell you is you don't know. Of the three, only K really looks like a revolu tionary. A former presi dent of the Hue Buddhist Student Association, he is Newly elected officers of Alpha Tau Omega Frater nity are: G. Richard Russ ell, president; Bob Seeger, vice president and pledge trainer; Wayne Garrison, treasurer; Gary Ailes, sec retary; Larry Weick, keep er of annuals; Arnie Johan son, usher; Buster Yannon, sentinel; Clark Milligan, assistant pledge trainer; Chuck Sweetman, scholar ship chairman; Jim Stasi owski, Mike Naeve, Bob K e 1 1 e y, class represen tatives; Paul Johnston, house manager; Tom Pen ney, social chariman. New officers of Love Memorial Hall are: Connie Rickertscn, president; Margie Rosentrator, secre tary; Fayrene Lockhorn, treasurer; Catherine Nispel, historian; and Sharon Mon son, song leader. New of junior-board of ficers of Tassels are: Helen Larsen, files and historian; Cindy Cherry, assistant homecoming chairman; Sal ly Leonard, points and lre.'n als assistant chairman; Ro melle Schaefer. assistant treasurer; Linda Bricker, notifications; Nancy Pro chairman; Jan Donnan, ral ly chairman; Shari Schleg v), publicity chairman; Kathy Kuester, constitution al chairman. New officers of Love Me morial Hall are: Connie Rickertsen, president; Mar gie Rosentrator, secretary; Fayrene Lockhorn, treasur er; Sharon Monson, song leader: Catherine Nispel, historian. New officers of Abel III are: Jeff Lurie, president; Dale Montgomery, vice president; Harry Woodbury, social director; Ron Olds, activities director; Rod Mi chaelson, secretary-treasurer; David Karel, publicity director; Andy Eastman, in tra murals director; John Backhus, scholastic direc tor. New Union Program Council officers are: Pam Wood, president; Jo Chris tfnsen. vice president; Doug Miller, secretary-treasurer. Area directors, commit tee chairmen and assistants are: Karen Jones, image director; Susie Williams and Dave Bun tain, public relations; Barb Detlefsen and Julaina Kemist, hospit tality. Sid Logernann, culture; Pam Dalling and Kathy Simmons, contempora ry arts; Kathy Augustin and Sue Cumberland, mu sic. Kris Bitner, education; Bob Maixner and Carol Madson, talks and topics. Ann Wiley, recreation; Kris Swanson and Carol Graham, trips and tours. Jody Parker, social; Su sie Jenkins and George ileiden, films; Phil Bowen thin and nervous, smokes continuously. His features are stut, his eyes dark and darting behing rimless spectacles, and his hair won't stay down. He does not like to talk in English, but when he begins to speak in Vietnamese one listens latently and nods whether cne understands him or not. Struggle Move ment K was in Hue when the Struggle Movement be gan. For several weeks, he traveled with Thich Thien Minh as the monk sought support for the Struggle in Dalat and Saigon. When Ky sent his troops against Danang, K went into hiding in Saigon. In August the government paid him the dubious honor of an nouncing that he had joined the Viet Cong, along with several other student lead ers none of whom actually went over to the NLF. He has stayed indoors for eight months reading, talking with a few trusted trends, never venturing into the streets for so much as a haircut. T , by contrast could pass for a young ex ecutive on the make. He is smooth, carefully groomed, self-confident and handles English well. In fact the only thing he cannot handle is a question about where the Buddhist student move ment goes from here. Beaten Daily H i s appearance belies what he has been through. Captured in the initial crackdown, he was held in Saigon from June to De cember. For the first two months he was kept in a small room without light. and Jeanie Pinkerton, spe cial events. New members of Phi Eta Sigma include: Robert Dale Bartee, Larry Dean Eisen hauer, Victor FaesseL James Robert Halre, John C. HalL Gordon James Ilrnlcek, Larry Allen Holle, Larry Curtis Johnsoa, Walt er Albert Lammli. Stuart Jay Leipzlger, Gerald Arven, Kenneth Ray Marra, Kenneth Leon Na gel, Ronald Dean Reitz, Brian Kent Ridenour, Den nis Lee Ross, Thomas Dean Sindelar, Timothy L. Von Aschwege, Larry Flick Wil son. Red Cross Executive board members, chairman and assistants for second semester have been chosen. Executive Board Mem bers are: Lynn Grosscup, president; Anne McGough, first vice president; Trudy Lleberman, second vice president; Charlotte Peter ion, secretary; and Kent Oates, treasurer. Committee chairmen and assistants are: Veterans Hospital John Hall, chair man, Jim Woodland, assist ant; Whitehall - Walt Bau man, chairman, Linda Jeff rey, assistant; Publicity Margo McMaster, chair man ; Geof Heiden and Con nie Leichner, assistants; Adult Activities Judy Tassler, chairman, Joan McCullough, assistant; Ce dars Jim Evinger, chair man, Becky Reinhardt, as sistant; State Hospital Jo McDowell, chairman, Mary Ann Davis and Mary DeLay, assistants; Malone Center Susie Kunc, chairman, Karen Mueller, assistant; Ortho pedic Barb Tetro, chair man, Nancy Frltzler, as sistant; Handicrafts Cel Ahrens, chairman, Louise Phillips, assistant; Water Safety Sue Cooper, chair man, Sherri Addams, as sistant; Leadership Ann Ward, chairman, Ann Qulnlan, as sistant; Villa Marie Doug Drury and Jane Handa, co chairmen; and LARC Sherrie Sicklebower, chair man, Diane Dirks, assist ant. New officers of Chi Phi fraternity are: Vic Han cock, president; Russ Eis enhart, vice president; Rodger Housley, secretary; Mike Hroch, treasurer; Mark Christensen, social chairman; Bob Jay, pledge trainer; Alex Currle, his house manager; Walt Rad torlan; Ron Niederhaus, cliffs, rush chairman. New officer of Quiz Bowl ire: Dave Cummins, presi dent; Maxine Burnett, vice president in charge of ar rangements; Nancy Peter son, vice-p resident in charge of questions; Ann Van Steenberg, secretary treasurer; Rodney Powell, assistant to the president His head was shaved and he says he was beaten dai ly while undergoing inten sive questioning. "I tried to explain to them that I was a nationalist, that I only wanted to build a national assembly, that I didn't want Ho Chi Minh to take over our country," he said. Clearly they weren't con vinced. Last Confucian P is broding, heavy lidded, slow of speech, aloof but meticulously courteous. In a recent intramural dra ma festival he played a court mandarin, and even in Western clothes he looks something like a last Con . fucian. He came to Saigon at once when Danang was attacked and has been hid ing ever since. I met them several times in a sparsely furnished stu dents' room in Saigon. The story that follows is told largely in their own words. It should be read not an an account of fact but as a point of view, factual at times, that is held by some of Vietnam's leading Bud dhist students. After all, Vietnamese politics like American are fashioned not out of facts but out of what people believe. There are four Buddhist student associations in South Vietnam one each at the University centers of Saigon, Dalat, Hue and Quihon. All are young; the University of Saigon itself was established only in 1954. Partly because Ngo Dinh Diem discouraged student political activity, partly be cause of a traditional Budd hist trend not to take sides on temporal issues, the four groups from the beginning emphasized cultural and so cial rather than political ac tivities. "We participated in politics as citizens, not as Buddhist students," the three young men said sev eral times. Topple Governments Yet twice in the last three years during the 1963 rev olution against Diem and again in the Struggle Move ment last spring Buddhist students have taken to the streets in an attempt to topple governments. The Hue leaders ex plained that political action could only come by agree ment among all four associ ations. Their last joint meeting was in Hue last March, just before the out break of the Struggle Move ment. "We wanted to help our country," said K , "We decided that the cause of most of Vietnam's social problems was the war. Therefore our problem was: how to stop the war? We felt that the Vietnamese people did not start the war, and that they are not responsible for it. And we thought that to have peace, we needed a strong and in dependent government. Wanted Peace Therefore we had to let the world know we wanted peace and a strong, inde pendent government this is what the Struggle Move ment was all about." What would a strong, in dependent government be? "One support by a ma jority of the people and act ing as the people desire. We don't want an extremely strong, independent govern ment now because that is impossible but we want an elected government, not one kept in power by the Americans." Ky Government P explained, "The Ky government is a govern ment for Americans, not for Vietnamese ... If Johnson says 'We must fight to the last man against the Com munists,' Ky will say 'We cannot negotiate.' But if Johnson says 'Let us I e e k peace, Ky will say the same words. So we can say that Ky has not really stood for our country." "The mistake of the U.S. is always to support the government which supports the American government. Americans seem to believe that a strong Vietnamese government is a govern ment supported by Ameri cans. Lesson T added, "The lesson of the past three years is that the U.S. government does not want leaders responsive to the hopes of the Vietnam ese people." 1 asked if he believed the U.S. had con trolled all the coups d'etat since 1963. "Surely," he said. The government called the present Constituent As sembly largely in response to pressure brought by the Struggle leaders. Now the assembly is scheduled to finish the Constitution sometime In March, and , elections have been prom ised for late summer or ear ly fall. Will these elections give the Vietnamese people the independent civilian government they want? Free Elections Impossible Plainly, the Hue student leaders think no. "In the present circumstances (meaning as long as the military government is sup ported by the U.S.), it is im possible to have free elec tions. Freedom in elections de pends on the way they are organized." It would be easy, P explained, for the junta to manipulate any elections held under its auspices. The three cited the Sep tember Constituent Assem bly elections as an example. "Saigon radio reported that 95 per cent of the people voted," P said with a broad smile. "But even in the United States only about 50 per cent vote at the most. "I think BBC (British Broadcasting Company) said it was about 24 per cent, and I think that was about right." Ky Or Thieu Stooges P said most of the pro vincial delegates are stooges of Ky or Thieu (Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, chairman of the junta by whose grace Ky governs). But he felt this was not so true of the delegates from Saigon: "Some of the as semblymen are supported by the people Tran Van Van and Phan Quang Dan for example." Both Van and Dan had been strong opposition voices in the assembly. Van was assassinated in Decem ber, and the murder has been blamed by everyone on everyone else. Dan nar rowly escaped assassina tion when his car was mined in January. Asked if he thought the government was responsi ble for these acts of vio lence, P replied: "We can not say for sure that the government did it, but if you ask the common people on the streets, that is what they say. Assassination Remember, Tran Van Van was on his way to the assembly when he was killed, and it was said he was going to try to bar the military from running in the elections. Observers in Vietnam still argue over the extent to which the Struggle Move ment was influenced by NLF agitators. One American newsman, for example, swears that Thich Tri Quang's radio broadcasts were dictated by Viet Cong propagandists. The argument proves little except that after six years of open warfare it is still difficult to distinguish be tween Vietnamese national ists, Communists, anti-Communists and non-Communists for those who count themselves in the first group may also be in any of the last three. At first K , T , and P stated flatly that there were no Viet Cong elements involved in the struggle. Then T said, "Precisely how can we know whether a citizen is a VC or a nationalist? "They always try to in filtrate, but we remained in control of the movement. . . The VC would consider as enemies the leaders of the Struggle Movement." Tranh Dau Adding to the confusion was the fact that the Viet namese words for the Buddhist-led Struggle tranh dan carry roughly the same meaning as the NLF's term for its "popu lar struggle" program dau tranh. The Hue students ex plained: "The terms are commonly used by both sides to Indicate undying opposition to the established regime. The NLF is only the best organized struggle movement." "The important distinc tion," they said, "is in pur poses or aims. The aim of our Struggle was to ask for a constitutional assembly in order to come to a civilian government. The aim of the Communists is to commu nize Viet Nam and make it a part of the Communist bloc." - Attitude Their attitude toward Communism was much harder than many peace loving American students might expect. Listen to the same young men that have just demanded free elec tions: "Since we are nationalists, we cannot ac cept a Communist victory in the elpctinn. Communism is not ac- f ceotable socially, histori- f cally or culturally to Viet- namcse society. Commu nism is connected to for eign powers and therefore it is against the interests of Viet Nam." They do not want U.S. troops to leave Viet Nam, for that would mean a take over by the Communists. At the same time, they maintain that only if the U.S. permits a truly inde pendent Vietnamese gov ernment to emerge will the Vietnamese themselves ral ly to drive out the Viet Cong. To what extent then is the National Liberation Front a Communist organization? "By Communist, we mean anyone directed and controlled by the interna tional Communist bloc. When we say Viet Cong we refer to those who have in filtrated from North Viet nam and China. Patriots But there are patriots within the NLF whom we do not call VC." ("Viet Cong" is short for "Viet Nam Cong San," literally meaning Vietnamese Com munists. Thus the students are more exclusive and more correct in their use of the term than the gov ernment, the press, and most Americans who tend to use "VC" as a catch-all for NFL supporters.) This is how T and K describe the origin and growth of the NLF. was born because of the wrong policies of Diem and the Americans. Diem thought all opposition par ties were his enemies and so he failed to deal with them and unify them be hind him. Mistake He also made the mistake of thinking all nationalists who fought in the resistance with the Viet Minh were Communists, and therefore he suppressed the old Viet Minh. These people went to the mountains and orga nized under Mr. Tho (Ngy uen Huu Tho, chairman of the NFL since 1960). "They asked for help from the North against Di em weapons, materials. The first stand of the NLF was not anti-American but anti-Diem. Now the NLF is anti-American because it is supported by North Viet Nam. To get weapons and material aid, Tho has had to accept orders from Ho. The same thing has hap pened to us: to get weap ons and materiele, we have had to accept orders from the U.S." Vietnamese Nationalists And there, in a nutshell, lies the dilemma ol Vietna mese nationalists who want to be dominated neither by Communists nor by anti Communist Ameri cans. Neither the NLF nor Saigon and Washington are prepared to tolerate the rise of a Third Force, which is what the Struggle Move ment sought to accomplish. What then of the future? What are Buddhist student leaders planning and what chances do they see for VI etnamese representa tive government? When I asked these ques tion, K , T and P did not answer or look up for a long time. Their bit terness was subdued but to me they seemed frustrated almost to the point of des pair. Government Watches "All Hue student leaders are now being watched by the government. We can do nothing," they said. "The Hue Buddhist Student As sociation is gone. There have been no elections this C 1 1 "3.1 Dupli-Color touch-up. Perfect mutch for ill cars through 1967. SPRING TUNE-UP SUPPLIES Carburetor Ignition kite Oil filter Spark !! rule shees Fuel Bumpi Otntratorf SPRING CLEAN UP SUPPLIES All popular waxes I polishes, interior, carpets I floor mats, nylon foam tllp-on covers, all colors. Smltty'i steel pah or glaspak mufflers mi dual kits at low est prices. I t learic Bang 1 FREI j PARKINS t rtar of store. DIAL 477-4491 I 216 So. 11th year. Buddhist students in Hue cannot even go to the pagodas to pray. They are not permitted to take their examinations. They cannot meet.' The three agreed that ii students are to play a role in Vietnamese political life in the coming year, the initiative will have to come from the capital, from stu dents at the University of Saigon or the new Van Hanh Buddhist University. Civilian Leaders Pressed to name possible civilian leaders who might rally to the support of non Commumst Vietnamese in the coming elections, none of the three would offer any suggestions. It almost seemed as if they hoped some unknown nationalist leader, like the 15th century peasant king Le Loi, might drop out of the sky into of fice, sweeping both the Americans and the NLF be fore him. What about the influence of Tri Quang? "Many peo ple still support him but in their minds, without guns." It seemed to me that T summed everything up all the hopes, all the contradictions, all the futili tywhen he said, "Up to now we have been hopeless. Now we hope for peace. The generals must return to the battlefield if we want to win the war. But stop ping the war is a bigger and bigger problem it is out of our hands now." Home Ec Meet Applications Due The Agriculture and Home Economics Executive Board is awarding four $25 schol arships to four students at tending the American Home Economics Association Con vention in Dallas, Texas, June 26-30. Applications can be ob tained in room 116 in the Home Economics Building, according to Sally Roberts, Agriculture Executive mem ber. "Applications are due April 21 at 5 p.m. in Room 221 in Burr Hall," Miss Rob erts said. Miss Roberts said that in terviews are April 26 begin ning at 8 p.m. in the East Union. Applicants are to sign for an interview in Room 116 of the Home Eco nomics Building. $6000 GUARANTEED PLUS COMMISSIONS FOR SALES MANAGEMENT TRAINEE If you or a second semestor senior, graduating this Juno and interacted in a lifetime career in your own busmen. Ask for interview. Write or call J. Guy Ziegler, District Supervisor, Mu tual Benefit life Insurance Com pany, 6211 "0" Street, llncoln, Nebraska. Phono 489-6581 or 488-9792. loin the Fife and Drum Corps ( Take notice all healthy, able-bodied young men who have an inclination to become members of the Paris Fife and Drum Corps, Herewith, the great advantages that these noble belts will give to the wearer; namely, a more youthful spirit, a vigorous style and an extraordinarily handsome appearance. The wearer will return home to his friends with his waist covered in splendour. Bonus: Free "Button Gwinnett" buttons available where Fife & Drum belts are sold. Who is Button Gwinnett? Tell us and we'll send you a Button Gwinnett kit (5 different buttons and bumper stickers). If you don't know, confess ... and we'll send you the kit anyway. Write "Button Button" Dept., P.O. Box 5269. Chicago, Illinois 60680. Fife & Dram Belt ByJ?aris The Hitcliin9 Post 1. farstoiii M ctttfc left otn trhLflM uodte-stltehei) t. fctnMf tWIli IVt Ootid MMMl No Accompaniment . . Qiialificatioiis Set For Ivy Day Singers All organized groups of women at the University except honorary groups may participate in the Ivy Day Sing, according to Kar en Wendt, Ivy Day Sing Chairman. All singing groups must have from eight to 25 mem bers. Solos are discouraged. AH members must be carrying at least 12 hours this semester with no fail ures in the 12 hours. No Outfits No groups may have in strumental accompaniment and no group may wear like outfits especially pur chased for the sing. Prof Urges Learning By Full Participation (CPS) If a Pennsylvania State University philosophy professor has his way, stu dents in his department may soon find themselves experiencing "non-reflective learning" on the grid iron. Professor Richard Got shalk suggested that the philosophy department or ganize itself as a football team, because "one learns essentially by participation, and without such non-reflective learning, one's re flection suffers and if one's reflection suffers, so does one's teaching." Philosophical Reasons "Since the philosopher receives an essential nour ishment from a non-philosophical sharing in reality," Gotshalk said, "it is for sound philosophical rea sons that the philosophy de partment should form a football team." He said that his involve ment in playing football as UNIVERSITY AIM! (GOB A Puzzle . . . A Nightmare . An Unforgettable Evening! HOWELL MEMORIAL THEATRE FrWoy A Saturday 8:00 p.m. f W - t " '; : felMS flGt Professional help in pre paration of the music is strictly prohibited. No medley of songs and no songs used by the same group in the three previous years may be used. Director 'Active' The director must remain "active" in the group par ticipating and be regularly enrolled in the University. . Any group not ready to go on at the exact sched uled time of the perform ance, will be disqualified. Groups are requested to notify Karen Wendt of the names of leaders and selec tions before the meeting. a youngster led him to greater awareness of his physical surroundings. Rare Time "The moment came on a brisk November day," he recalled "It turned out to be one of those rare times when everything went well for me. I made one good gain after another." When the coach called a time-out, Gotshalk said he was "touched by a sense of the presence of what had been around me all along. Within me arose a certain response: a sense of strangeness, and a sense of being alive and at home there on that field." SUNBEAM FLORAL COMPLETE FLORAL SERVICE Dial . . . 423-2337 1711 Van Dora THEATRE Presents University Theatre 12th & R 472-2072 H l I. SI I 0 u r m f i. i 1 l I x Si I el4N"4?S (dSj.
