From: knguyen@emr1.emr.ca (Kim Nguyen)
Subject: Ngo-Dinh-Diem : another perspective
Organization: Energy, Mines, and Resources, Ottawa
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 00:40:43 GMT

Recognizing that many articles take excerpts from foreign books while
ignoring Vietnamese documents. I took part of a published letter by 
Ton-That-Binh sent to a newspaper recently. If we just only base
on foreign documents to research about Ngo, it is still not enough to have
an insight of a story. Let us look at another side of that story; judgment
is yours. I think all SCVers can read Vietnamese. I apoligize to Mr. TTB
not to let him know I use his published letter to help Vietnamese to have
another look at Ngo-dinh-Diem.

...Qua tha<ng tra^`m xa'o tro^.n cu?a -da^'t nu*o*'c va` khi bu`n do* -da~
la<'ng -do.ng, ngu*o*`i ta ba^y gio*` pha?i co^ng nha^.n che^' -do^. tho*`i
o^ng Die^.m la` che^' -do^. tu*o*ng -do^'i la`nh ma.nh va` to^'t -de.p ho*n
ca? .

Tru*o*'c -da^y, hoa<.c do va cha.m quye^`n lo*.i hay -de^? che -da^.y su*.
pha?n bo^.i vo*'i co^' T.T Die^.m, ngu*o*`i ta -da~ bo^i nho. che^' -do^. 
na`y; cho ra<`ng -do' la` che^' -do^. tham nhu~ng, gia -din`h tri., -da`n
a'p Pha^.t gia'o. To^i nghi~ ra<`ng ca^`n ne^n xe't la.i ca'c danh tu*` 
chu.p mu~ na`y.

Ngu*o*`i ta chi? tri'ch che^' -do^. o^ng Die^.m la` tham nhu~ng ! Tham
nhu~ng la` ca<n bi.nh cu?a nha^n loa.i ! Kha'c nhau cha<ng la` o*? cho^~
tham nhu~ng nhie^`u hay i't, tra^`m tro.ng hay kho^ng -da'ng ke^? Co`n vi.
la~nh tu. na`o lie^m khie^'t thi` tha^.t hie^'m hoi, ly' tu*o*?ng va` 
-da'ng ki'nh. O^ng Die^.m vo*'i -da?ng Ca^`n Lao co' ke^' hoa.ch kinh ta`i,
ta^'t nhie^n pha?i co' ta`i sa?n do lo*.i tu*'c thu -du*o*.c. Kinh-ta`i
kho^ng pha?i la` tham nhu~ng. Tuy va^.y, sau khi ha. sa't o^ng Die^.m,
ngu*o*`i ta -da~ ti.ch thu -du*o*.c bao nhie^u ta`i sa?n cu?a o^ng sau 10 na<m
la~nh -da.o -da^'t nu*o*'c ? Ngu*o*`i ta co`n no'i ra<`ng chie^'c giu*o*`ng
cu?a o^ng Die^.m na<`m tha^.t la` -do*n so* pha?n a?nh ti'nh lie^m khie^'t
cu?a o^ng. So vo*'i tu*o*'ng Du*o*ng-va<n-Minh, chi? trong mo^.t na<m ca^`m
quye^`n -da~ ta^.u mo^.t dinh thu*. kha' -do^` so^., qua' -da<'c tie^`n
ta.i Pha'p. Co' ai phe^ pha'n tu*o*ng Minh tham nhu~ng kho^ng ?

Bo*?i va^.y -du*`ng ne^n qua' kha<'c khe ma` phe^ bi`nh che^' -do^. o^ng 
Die^.m la` che^' -do^. tham nhu~ng.

Ngu*o*`i ta phe^ pha'n che^' -do^. o^ng Die^.m la` che^' -do^. gia -di`nh
tri. Ca'i -do' co' tha^.t. Tuy nhie^n xe't cho cu`ng, ca'i gia -di`nh tri.
                                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-do' vo*'i nhu*~ng ngu*o*`i co' ta`i -da~ la`m hu*ng thi.nh -da^'t nu*o*'c,
pha?i to^'t -de.p ho*n ca'i Kho^ng gia -di`nh tri. cu?a ca'c che^' -do^. 
                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                         
sau -da^`y tham nhu~ng va` thie^'u ban? la~nh -da~ la`m ma^'t nu*o*'c ga^y
ne^n cuo^.c tha'o cha.y ra nu*o*'c ngoa`i. O^ng Nhu la` vi. co^' va^'n ta`i
ba cu?a co^' TT Die^.m. O^ng -da~ -du*a ra mo^.t chu? thuye^'t vu*~ng 
cha<'c -do^'i -da^`u vo*'i chu? thuye^'t Ma'c xi't cu?a co^.ng sa?n : 
Chu? thuye^'t Ca^`n Lao Nha^n vi. O^ng -da~ co' ke^' hoa.ch thie^'t la^.p
nhu*~ng he^. tho^'ng a^'p chie^'n lu*o*.c, nhu*~ng khu tru` ma^.t vo*'i 
ca'ch to^? chu*'c qui mo^, ca'ch kie^?m soa't te^' nhi. ngu*o*`i la. ma<.t
(chu.p a?nh toa`n gia -di`nh va` treo trong nha`; so^' ngu*o*`i trong gia
-di`nh thay -do^?i hay co' ngu*o*`i la. ma<.t kho^ng co' ngu*o*`i trong 
a?nh la` bie^'t lie^`n).

Ke^' hoa.ch na`y -da~ vo^ hie^.u ho'a hoa.t -do^.ng xa^m nha^.p cu?a VC va`
la`m tan ra~ ha. ta^`ng co* so*? cu?a chu'ng.

O^ng Nhu -da~ cho tha`nh la^.p ca'c toa'n bi`nh -di.nh, xa^y du*.ng no^ng 
tho^n, ca'c toa'n 4T...hoa.t -do^.ng sa't ca'nh vo*'i ngu*o*`i da^n o*? 
no^ng tho^n ne^n -da~ ca<'t -du*'t he^. tho^'ng tie^'p te^' va` lie^n la.c
cu?a VC o*? ha. ta^`ng co* so*? ta.i no^ng tho^n vo*'i bo.n -da^`u na~o o*?
ru*`ng nu'i.

O^ng Nhu -da~ cho pha't -do^.ng nhu*~ng -do^.i chie^u ho^`i, ta^m ly' 
chie^'n la`m hoang mang ha`ng ngu? VC, la`m chu'ng lo la<'ng khie^'p so*. 
Su*. tha`nh co^ng na`y qua' su*'c ru*.c ro*?, ne^'u ta -de^? y' la` sau 
hie^.p -di.nh Geneve, khi' the^' chie^'n tha<'ng cu?a VC -da~ bao tru`m
mie^`n Nam vo*'i ha. ta^`ng co* so*? cu?a chu'ng tha^.t vu*~ng cha<c. Ne^'u
tho*`i -do' My~ -do^`ng ke^' hoa.ch VN ho'a chie^'n tranh cu?a co^' TT Diem
-de^` nghi. thi` cha<'c ti`nh hi`nh VN -da~ sa'ng su?a ra ta^.n mie^`n 
Ba<'c.

O^ng Nhu, vo*'i chu*'c vu. co^' va^'n cho TT, la` ngu*o*`i co' co^ng trong
vie^.c cho^'ng co^.ng va` pha't trie^?n quo^'c gia. Bo*?i va^.y kho^ng ne^n
qua' kha<'c khe vo*'i o^ng Nhu vi` ca'i gia -di`nh tri. na`y no' -da~ la`m
hu*ng thi.nh -da^'t nu*o*'c.

Ngu*o*`i ta che^ bai Ba` Nhu (cu~ng gia -dinh tri. !) la` lo^' bi.ch, qua'
tro*'n. No'i -du'ng ho*n vi` ba` la` ngu*o*`i phu. nu*~ VN qua' tie^'n bo^.
lu'c tho*`i -do'. Mo^.t so^' qua^`n chu'ng co`n chi.u a?nh hu*o*?ng ta^p
qua'n xu*a : tro.ng Nam khinh nu*~, coi re~ phu. nu*~; nha^'t nam vie^'t
hu*~u, tha^.p nu*~vie^'t vo^ (10 phu. nu*~ kho^ng -da'ng ke^? ba<`ng mo^.t
nam nha^n); ta.i gia to`ng phu., xua^'t gia' to`ng phu (ngu*o*`i phu. nu*~
ne^n chi? lo vie^.c gia -di`nh tho^i). 

Bo*?i the^', khi ho. tha^'y ba` Nhu pha't -do^.ng phong tra`o phu. nu*~ 
lie^n -do*'i, thanh nu*~ co^.ng ho`a thi` ho. cho la` lo^' la<ng. Phu. nu*~
ma` nha?y ra la`m vie^.c ngoa`i xa~ ho^.i, la`m chi'nh tri. ! Ho*n nu*~a
nhu*~ng ngu*o*`i -da~ -du*o*.c ha` ho*i -da~ la^.t -do^? o^ng Diem la.i co'
co* ho^.i du*.a theo -do' -de^? bo^i nho. ba` Nhu. Ne^'u nhi`n va`o ca'c
hoa.t -do^.ng phu. nu*~ o*? ca'c nu*o*'c tie^n tie^'n ta.i A^u-My~, thi`
hoa.t -do^.ng cu?a ba` Nhu la` bi`nh thu*o*`ng tho^i. Ba` Nhu -da~ co^'
ba<'ng -du*a phu. nu*~ VN tie^'n le^n va` tru*o*?ng tha`nh so*'m. Ne^n khen
ho*n la` che^...

Ngu*o*`i ta -do^? to^.i cho co^' TT Diem la` -da`n a'p Pha.t gia'o ! Cuo^.c
-da`n a'p co' tha^.t nhu*ng co' pha?i do o^ng Diem vi` ky` thi. to^n gia'o
ma` ga^y ne^n kho^ng hay la` o^ng Diem cu~ng la` na.nnha^n nhu* ca'c 
Pha^.t tu*? la^m na.n ?

Ne^'u o^ng Diem ky` thi. Pha^.t giao thi` -do*`i na`o o^ng la.i giao 
nhu*~ng chu*'c vu. then cho^'t (co' the^>? la^.t -do^? che^' -do^. 
-du*o*.c) cho tu*o*'ng To^n Tha^'t -Di'nh va` -Da.i ta' -Do^~ Ma^.u. Nhu* 
va^.y cuo^.c -da`n a'p Pha^.t gia'o pha?i do mo^.t nguye^n nha^n kha'c.

Tho*`i -do' Bo^. To^?ng Lie^n Qua^n My~ muo^'ncan thie^.p tru*.c tie^'p 
va`o VN vi` ho. muo^'n -da<.c ca<n cu*' ha?i qua^n va` kho^ng qua^n ta.i 
-da^y theo chie^'n lu*o*.c kie^?m soa't vu`ng -Do^ng Nam A' cu?a My~. VN
na<`m va`o vi. tri' quan tro.ng thua^.n lo*.i cho vie^.c kie^?m soa't no'i
tre^n. Nhu*ng co^' TT Diem kho^ng cha^'p thua^.n y' kie^'n -do' cu?a My~, 
vie^.n ly' do ra<`ng su*. hie^.n die^.n -do^ng -da?o cu?a qua^n -do.i My~
se~ la`m tro*? nga.i danh nghi~a cho^'ng co^.ng. VC se~ ta.o -du*o*.c 
chi'nh nghi~a cho ra,`ng o^ng Diem  co~ng ra<'n ca<'n ga` nha`. Ho*n nu*~a,
ne^'u My~ nha?y va`o VN thi` co' kha? na<ng Trung Co^.ng cu~ng nha?y va`o
tham chie^'n.

-Du*'ng ve^` phi'a My~, ho. co'ly' trong ke^' hoa.ch toa`n ca^`u. -Du*'ng
ve^` phi'a o^ng Diem, o^ng cu~ng co'ly' trong va^'n -de^` cho^'ng co.ng
gia?i pho'ng que^ hu*o*ng o*? pha.m vi nu*o*'c VN. Co^' TT Diem -de^` nghi.
VN ho'a chie^'n tranh thay va`o ke^' hoa.ch cu?a My~ va` ye^u ca^`u My~ 
ta<ng vie^,n tro*. 175 trie^.u My~ kim -de^? ta<ng cu*o*`ng qua^n lu*.c
VNCH, cho go.i nha^p ngu~ 100,000 ngu*o*`i. Nha^.n tha^'y o^ng Diem ca?n
tro*? ke^' hoa.ch cu?a minh, My~ lie^`n ti'nh to*'i vie^.c la^.t -do^? o^ng
ta. The^' la` bao nhie^u ra<'c ro^'i -da~ -de^'n vo*'i o^ng Diem.

Tu*o*'ng Maxwell Taylor, co^' va^'n qua^n su*. -da<.c bie^.t cu?a TT 
Kennedy, o^ng Cabot Lodge, vi. -da.i su*' co'kinhnghie^.m ve^` la^.t -do^?
chi'nh phu? va` -Da.i ta' Conein,chuyen vie^n ca^'p cao ti`nh ba'o CIA -da~
-du*o*.c chi? thi. la^.p ke^' hoa.ch la^.c -do^? o^ng Die^.m.

The^' la` mo^.t so^' ngu*o*`i Vie^.t -du*o*.c My~ ba?o tro*. va`hu*o*'ng 
da^?n -du*'ng ra ga^y xa'o tro^.n. Phong tra`o -da^'u tranh Pha^.t gia'o 
na^?y sanh tu*` -do'. Ke^' hoa.ch tinh vi, -di tu*` bo^i nho. che^' -do^.
-de^'n -da^'u tranh cho Pha^.t pha'p. Ke^' hoa.ch la` pha?i ta.o -do^? ma'u
-de^? ga^y ca<m thu` no*i gio*'i Pha^.t tu*?, Ta<ng, Ni -de^? ga^y ca?m 
ti`nh cu?a qua^`n chu'ng trong va` ngoa`i nu*o*'c,-de^? ke'o ca'c vi.cha^n
tu -du*'ng le^n -da^'u tranh cho Pha^.t pha'p.

-Du*o*.c su*. ba?o tro*. va` hu*o*'ng da^~n cu?a My~, phe -da^'u tranh 
ma.nh da.n ga^y xa'o tro^.n ta.o su*. ma^'t an ninh co' lo*.i cho co^.ng 
sa?n. Tru*o*'c ti`nh hi`nh -do' chi'nh quye^`n pha?i de.p loa.n. Ca`ng de.p
ca`ng xa la^`y va`o ke^' hoa.ch -da~ -di.nh sa<~n.

Nga`y 8-5-1963, sau khi ru*o*'c Pha^.t tu*` chu`a Die^.u -De^' -de^'n 
chu`a Tu*` -Da`m ta.i Hue^', nhu~ng bie^?u ngu*~ cho^'ng -do^'i chi'nh phu?
-du*o*.c giu*o*ng le^n. Ha`n nga`n ngu*o*`i ke'o -de^'n -da`i pha't thanh 
Hue^', ho^ to kha^?u hie^.u bo^i nho. che^' -do^. Ngay lu'c -do' hai 
kho^'i cha^'t no^? -da~ -du*o*.c -da<.t sa<?ng ga^`n bu*'c tu*o*`ng cu?a 
-da`i pha't thanh no^? tung la`m 8 ngu*o*`i che^'t va` 14 ngu*o*`i bi. 
thu*o*ng. Pha^.t tu8?pha^?n no^. tu*o*?ng ra<`ng ca?nh sa't -da~ ne'm 
lu*.u -da.n de^? -da`n a'p. Ke^' hoa.ch -da~ tha`nh co^ng  ! Co' ngu*o*`i 
thi` ba?o VC ga`i cha^'t no^? Co' ngu*o*`i thi` ba?o no' na<`m trong ke^' 
hoa.ch cu?a o^ng ba.n -do^`ng minh. Du` ai ga`i cha^'t no^? -di nu*~a. 
Ke^'t qua?va^~ co' 2 ke? thu? lo*.i : My~ va` VC.; va` 2 na.n nha^n : o^ng
Diem va` Pha^.t tu*? la^m na.n.

Trong cuo^'n sa"ch nhan -de^` *VN -dau thu*o*ng* cu?a ta'c gi?a Pierre
Darcourt co' -doa.n nhu* sau :
TT Ngo-Dinh-Diem la` ngu*o*`i ba^'t -do^.ng -do*'i thie^n vo*'i co^.ng 
sa?n. Tuy la` mo^.t chi'nh kha'ch co^ng-gia'o ra^'t mu*.c thanh lie^m va` 
ta^.n ti`nh ye^u nu*o*'c. O^ng Diem cu~ng bi. ta^'n co^ng, ro^`i bi. ha. 
be^. ba<`ng mo^.t chie^'n di.ch bo^i lo.; mo^.t chie^'ndich -du*o*.c to^?
chu*'c ra^'t tinh vi, la^'y Pha^.t gia'o la`m -die^?m tu*.a -de^? cho^'ng
-do^'i, to^' ca'o tham nhu~ng, la.m quye^`n, gia -di`nh tri. Cuo^.c -die^`u
-do^.ng na^`y -du*o*.c chi? huy tu*` ha^.u tru*o*`ng, nhu*ng la.i do chi'nh
tay ngu*o*`i My~ la`m, khie^'n cho VN la^m ca?nh ho^?n loa.n va` chie^'n 
tranh ta'i pha't.

Cu*.u gia'm -do^'c CIA, William Colby, trong cuo^.c pho?ng va^'n cu?a 
tua^`nba'o Express, -da~ tuye^ bo^' nhu* sau :
A^'p chie^'n lu*o*.c cu?a o^ng ta (O^ Diem) ma` chu'ng to^i -da~ khai 
trie^?n la` chi'nh sa'ch to^'t -de.p nha^'t. Chi'nh no' -da~ la`m ngu*o*`i
da^n que^ tha^'y co' ly' do -de^? chie^'n -da^'u, co' tinh tha^`n -de^? 
cho^'ng cu*. la.i ca'cco^.c ta^'n co^ng cu?a qua^n -di.ch va` ho. bie^'t 
ra<`ng ho. -du*o*.c ye^?m tro*. ve^` ma<.t qua^n su*., kinh te^' va` 
chi'nh tri..., to^i tinh ra<`ng ne^'u o^ng Diem co`n ta.i chu*'c thi` 
chie^'n tranh -da~ co' mo^.t lo^'i thoa't kha'c. To^i tinh ra<`ng -da'ng 
le~ chi'nh sa'ch a^'p chie^'n lu*o*.c -da~ co' the^? tha`nh co^ng..., 
-da'ng le? pha?i tie^'p tu.c u?ng ho^. o^ng Diem.

Ngay ke? thu` cu?a co^' TT Diem la` o^ng Ho^`-chi'-Minh cu~ng pha?i co^ng 
nha^.n :
Du` sao o^ng Diem cu~ng la` mo^.t ngu*o*`i ye^u nu*o*'c, tuy ye^unu*o*'c 
theo ca'ch cu?a o^ng a^'y.

Cuo^'n sa'ch Trung hoa vie^'t ve^` hoa.t -do^.ng cu?a o^ng Diem tu*` 
1945-1950 ( ba`i cu?a o^ng Phan-xua^n-Huy) cho tha^'y o^ng Diem la` nha`
a'i quo^'c ta`i ba, co' -du*o*`ng hu*o*'ng chi'nh tri. sa'ng suo^'t.

Co^' TT Ngo-dinh-Diem pha?i la` ngu*o*`i la?nh -da.o ta`i ba ne^n mo*'i 
-du*o.*.c -di'ch tha^n TT Eisenhower ra ta^.n phi tru*o*`ng Andrew -do'n
tie^'p (1957). Pho' TT My~Johnson -da~ nhie^.t lie^.t ca ngo*.i TT Diem
nhu* la`mo^.t vi. la~nh tu. A'-cha^u ngang ha`ng vo*'i thu? tu*o*'ng
Churchill, ta`i ba no^?i tie^'ng the^' gio*'i.....

---

Here is excerpt from introduction by Dr. Phan-quan-Dan for *Nam Viet-nam 
1954-1975* by Hoang-Lac and Ha-Mai-Viet about the aftermath of the coup 
d'etat which depicts for us the gang of hoodlums who did not know what 
they were doing :

Vi` sao ca'c tu*o*'ng la~nh do tu*o*'ng Du*o*ng-va<n-Minh ca^`m -da^`u, sau
khi la^.t -do^? che^' -do^. -do^.c ta`i gia -di`nh tri. va` -du*o*.c da^n
chu'ng nhie^.t tha`nh u?nh ho^. la.i -da~ tha^'t ba.i ra^'t nhanh cho'ng ?

Da^n chu'ng bie^'t ra<`ng ca'c tu*o*'ng la~nh thie^'u kinh nghie^.m chi'nh
tri., thie^'u ke^' hoa.ch va` chu*o*ng tri`nh to^? chu*'c quo^'c gia, la.i
nhie^`u ngu*o*`i chi? u*a hu*o*?ng thu. ho*n la`m vie^.c.

Nhu*ng -do.c nhu*~ng ca^u ra^'t go.n ga`ng, xu'c ti'ch ba`n ve^` tu*o*'ng
Duong-van-Minh cu?a 2 si~ quan ta'c gia? thi` tha^'y ro~ nhu* ban nga`y ly'
do tha^'t ba.i :
Trong khi mo^.t -da'm -do^ng qua^n nha^n -dang -du*'ng chen la^'n chung 
quanh chie^'c thie^'t va^.n xa M113 cho*? thi ha`i 2 o^ng Diem va` Nhu, 
lu'c -do' khoa?ng 5 gio*` chie^`u nga`y 2-11-63, tu*o*'ng Minh to? ve? 
so^'t ruo^.t, -di -di la.i la.i trong pho`ng ho.p, kho^nh the`m -de^? y'
to*'i nhu*~ng chuye^.n ca'c tu*o*'ng -dang ba`n ba.c, ro^`i khu*.ng la.i
o^ng ho?i :
Ca'c *toi* co`n ca^`n gi` *moi* nu*~a kho^ng ? *Moi* -di -da'nh tennis 
-da^y...

...Sa'ng nga`y 3-11-1963, tu*o*'ng Minh quye^'t -di.nh tri'ch 8 trie^.u
va` ra li.nh cho mo^.t -do*n vi. Co^ng binh to*'i su*~a nha`, la`m co^?ng,
xa^y da`n hoa lan, la^.p ho^` nuo^i ca'....

Conclusion :

Alas ! After Ngo's regime, Vietnam fell in hands of hooligans who just knew
how to use guns and did not study engough to the level of governing a country. 
These bastards did not have any good strategy to deal with a skillful 
Ho-Chi-Minh. They have formed many groups to protect themselves, created
coups d'etat and enjoyed the richness while their soldiers, day and night, 
confronted with hardship and death.I don't know why Kennedy could make a big 
mistake like that.

To the next generation : we came here in fear and should take this 
opportunity to learn and travel to see everything with a patriotic eyes in
order to make a plan for a better Vietnam. We won't come here not just to
have a house of 400k but for studying harder than any body else. With that
knowledge (politics, economy, sociology, sciences,...), in a future 
Vietnam, we won't let any illiterate hooligans to bring down our country
again. We should build a democratic society, not authoritarian one.
                           
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU